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And Back to School we go

by Family Organising

As the school summer holidays draw to a close its back to school we go.  Over the summer many of us have lost our regular routines and now its time to kick-start them again.

Back to making those dreaded pack lunches and being super organised with the kids.

Mine go back today and I am really hoping they come back with a list of dates for throughout the year.  I don’t know about you but we have numerous mufti days, dressing up days, school discos and bring something into school days plus not forgetting the dreaded school photograph days and if I don’t write all these down I will forget. On top of this there is the school trips and payment plans that also need to be added in you don’t want to be that parent that the school have to chase for money on a regular basis.

I use a wall planner and have a colour code for each of mine and then also repeat this information into my phone calendar with numerous alerts.

Then don’t forget the endless bits of paper they will come home with to make all the paperwork easier I have created a system of plastic folders that I keep in a box folder in my office.

One for each of them which allows me to keep any special achievement awards and certificates as well as important letter and grade cards. Then I scan into the computer any of their artwork that I would like to keep but I don’t want hanging off my fridge.

Getting younger children organised in the morning

If you have younger children leave a get ready for school chart in their bedrooms so you don’t have to keep asking them to do things in the morning rush. I used to find that this really helped me when my were younger as they used to be proud that they had finished their list of morning jobs to do:

  • Come down for breakfast
  • Brush teeth and have a wash
  • Get dressed
  • PJ’s away tidy
  • Pack school bag
  • Don’t forget your lunch Box
  • Shoes and coat by 8.20am

Small lists/charts like this can really help take the strain off so its definitely something I recommend you try.

Uniform

By now I bet this is all labelled and ready to go. A nice fresh clean PE kit all ready, bright white polo shirts and non scuffed shoes. Photos of this perfection will be displayed all over our social media this week but how long does this last.

If you’re a busy working mum makes sure you have 5 sets of school uniform so if you don’t get time to do washing in the week you know that your child will always be going into school looking neat and smart

Invest in some Ace for whites to keep those white shirts and polo t-shirt looking good.

Have your Scuff polish to hand

Pack Lunch ideas

Love it or hate it we have to feed our kids when they are at school. Schools dinners aren’t everyone’s idea of a good meal although saying that they have come on a long way over the years.  Mine actually like a pack lunch.  The girls sort themselves out these days I give them the options and they make a healthy sensible snack but I still like to do Jake’s. His more than capable but it’s me having the need to a spotless kitchen all the time.

A few simple ideas I have for mixing the lunches up a bit. I like to keep my colourful to keep them interested too. 

Sandwich swap

Tuna pasta. Sweetcorn, mayo, wholemeal pasta and tuna served cold. Fried rice with spring onions, soya sauce and bacon serve cold. Cheese and Apple. – Grate hard cheese with grated apple add a drop of lemon and mayo for a cracker topping.

Snack ideas

You can use snack pots here, prepare and label one for each day of the week)

  • Carrot and cumber sticks and hummous
  • Fruit salad
  • Fruit kebab
  • Popcorn
  • Olives
  • Crackers
  • Sultanas
  • pumpkins seeds
  • Yogurt drops
  • Home made flap jacks

I also find when they back to school planning ahead your weekly meals really does help too. I have created a FREE printable to download CLICK HERE plus you can also follow my 4 week simple meal plan by clicking  HERE

Homework

Give it a week or two and this will start flooding in. I like to know what homework mine have and try to be involved as much as I can. Plan some time in your routine for homework support even if it’s just 30 minutes a week and dedicate this time to your child without any distractions. I have always encouraged mine to do their homework downstairs and not in their rooms and I created a little homework station where they can find everything they need from stationary to a clear work space. I have always believed that doing homework in a messy and congested bedroom can’t be good for their learning.

Encourage your child to have a few educational apps on their tablet too

Try to keep your school routine so that everyone in the house follows it too. A few days of knowing when to leave and when to do homework is all it takes for it to start be the normal. If it helps make pack lunches the night before and hang school uniform out ready in bedrooms with polished shoes by the door.

Your 5 Minute Challenge is easily doable in the morning before the school run. You don’t need to do every room but set yourself a goal to at least do one room. Set your timer and go go.  You may also find that my daily Cleaning Calendar will keep you on top to.

Enjoy the first week back and thank you for reading

Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxox

back to school

Getting Ready For The Back To School

by Family Organising

Summer is still in full swing, and whilst we might be having a bit of a breather from the recent intensity of the sunshine it’s set to sizzle us once again in a matter of days… but, as we start to approach the end of August, you’ll notice that the supermarkets are filled with ‘back to school’ gear ranging from school uniforms to pencil cases.

This time of year, for many people, heralds the start of something new – in fact, a lot of people move home in this month which could be linked to the childhood pattern of starting a new year at school.  We are all creatures of habit, and the start of autumn marks the return to school, darker nights, wrapping up warm, better television shows, and a cosy feeling inside that makes us want to settle down and prepare for the winter.

Here’s a brief list of some of the factors you’ll want to consider in terms of preparing for your kids to go back to school:

Pick out a new uniform

Children can grow at a surprising rate, and this means you’ll almost definitely need a new school uniform for the year – and even if that’s not the case, it can be good for the emotional health of your child to get a new uniform as it marks the start of a brand new year, like how a new chapter is specifically set out in a book.

One of the most empowering things you can do is to involve your children in picking out their own uniform, and whilst most uniforms are restrictive in terms of what can and cannot be worn, giving your kids the feeling of autonomy in this sense can be very helpful to their emotional development.

Have a big clean

The Spring tends to be known for having a good sort out, but the weeks prior to going back to school make sense to declutter and clean your kids bedroom – as the summer months tend to be spent mostly outdoors with a variety of toys thrown around the house, from water pistols to play tents and all sorts of other weird and wonderful things… getting your kids involved in a thorough clean and tidy of their space is a great way to ensure your kids feel responsible for themselves, and highlights the need to prepare for their new academic year.

Children thrive when there is a sense of organisation and balance in their lives, so decluttering the space and giving it a good clean is very helpful to achieving heightened states of focus for children.

Plan some trips

Whilst there are many activities scheduled throughout the year, such as special geography trips for schools, it’s a good idea to plan some educational trips of your own (particularly if you’re a fan of homeschooling) that enrich your child with experiential activities to hone in on the more academic learning from textbooks.

As you may know, children tend to fall into one predominant category in terms of their main learning modality; visual, auditory and kinaesthetic.  Visual learners tend to learn best from reading and copying, whilst auditory tend to work better with listening and following structured lists, whilst kinaesthetic people find it much easier to learn from ‘doing’ and this is where the experiential learning of educational trips comes into play; particularly with a rich subject like geography – where you can take your kids on all sorts of outings, particularly within nature.

In summary, this time of year is still a time to be enjoying the summer sun and making the most of the summer holidays yet it’s also a time to start preparing for the academic year ahead.  This is particularly pertinent if your child is moving from junior school to secondary school, as there can be a lot of anxiety around this change for both parent and child.

The best tip, is to ensure there’s some element of familiarity, for instance, partnering up your child with his or friend to walk to school together each day – this element of familiarity can make all the difference, because the reason your child might feel anxious is because they have lost the sense of certainty and stability that comes with being somewhere familiar.

Whatsmore, they have gone from being ‘leader of the pack’ in terms of being the oldest year at school, to now being at the bottom of the ladder, which can inherently make them feel a bit more vulnerable than they would like.

school boys

Back to School Essentials Check List

by Family Organising

The summer holidays may of just started but many of us will already be thinking about Back to School.  Most of the shops will have the Back to School posters up with uniform strategically placed at  stores entrances.

We always go away the last few weeks of August and I like to have everything done before we go so as soon as the holidays start I start to pick bits up for my 3 and I use this checklist and mark off what I have brought.  I find this way I don’t forget anything.

The worst thing you can do is head into town a week before they go back as most stuff will be gone, limited sizes will be left for school uniform so get out there early and be prepared. If stores don’t have your sizes they will have plenty of time to order for you or for you to go home and order online.

I have designed a back to school check list that you can download here Back To School Check List

I have also put together a few ideas for those back to school essentials

Back Packs For Girls

B07BSP257H

For younger girls
JoJo Siwa Bow Backpack Ruck Sack Sholder Bag Large Pocket Print Back Pack Rainbow, Clouds and Glitter.

B07DK8ZX7K

KS2 Girls
FRINGOO Girls Boys School Backpack Waterproof Travel Bag Fits Laptop 17” (Unicorn WiFi)

B07DH11SK2

Secondary Girls
Adidas back pack

Back Packs For Boys

B07FFS33CX

Younger Boys
Paw Patrol Back Pack

B07DTK3917

KS2 Boys
Marvel Back Pack

B00XDRJI28

Secondary Boys 
Vans Back Pack

Stationary

B01DD29PJS

YIMOJI Large Capacity Pencil Case, 72 Slots Multi-layer School Stationery Pencil Eraser Ruler Bag for Student Boys and Girls

B077H649SL

Smiggle Pencil Case

My son would absolutely love this and if he behaves this summer I may treat him, his addicted to smiggle stuff.

B000J66XPG

Maths set

B0006L25FQ

Casio Calculator

Love the classic casio calculator. Perfect for in the home office to. 

For school uniform I always find that Next and John Lewis offer the best range of sizes and styles. Plus if your have older girl New Look have a great teenage range with more tailored clothing plus a good selection of practical bags and shoes.

To help stay organised this summer with your home maybe look at joingin in with my 5 Minute Challenge or use one of my cleaning calendars

Personally I love Back to School shopping so have fun and enjoy.

Thanks for reading
Lynsey Queen of Clean xoxox

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