A Back To School Survival Guide For Mom and Kids!

*This post is sponsored by Dollar General, but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A Back To School Survival Guide For Mom and Kids!

Friends, that time of the year is headed our way sooner than you think, so it’s only right that we take a few minutes to  A. Breath in preparation for jam-packed schedules and B. Think about what we have to do to make sure both Mom and Kiddos are ready for what’s to come. I don’t know about you, but I both dread and relish in the back to school season. When school picks up it means going from a relatively mellow summer season to a hectic and somewhat stressful time of year. Of course, parents are happy to have their kids busy and learning again, but it also requires a lot of thought, preparation, and energy. And if you don’t get started with figuring it all out weeks in advance, it makes for a less exciting season change for parents and kids. With that being said, I’ve created the following list to include back to school tips for elementary school kids (and parents), however, many of these tips can be applied to kids of all ages.

1. Start a nighttime routine 2-3 weeks before school starts. Many of us (myself included) tend to slack off on nighttime routines once summer rolls around, but now is the time to start getting back on track. Kids are notorious for taking their sweet time getting ready in the morning, so it’s a good idea to get your timing and schedule on tap in advance of the first day of school.

2. Get back to school supplies now. We’ve all heard the saying, “The early bird gets the worm,” and I’m here to tell you this certainly applies to school supplies.  When it comes to getting back to school supplies, July and Early August is the best time to make sure you get the best picks at the best prices. This year, we shopped at our local Dollar General and picked up everything, and I do mean everything we need for the school season.

how to get ready for back to school

3.  Use the Dollar General  Teacher List Feature on the Dollar General Website to find out exactly what your child will need to be prepared for the school year. Just visit this link, enter your zip code, find your child’s school, and voila, your school supply list is supplied for you, easy peasy.  Don’t forget to use the Dollar General digital coupon to save $5 off of $15 off of your items.  Oh, and teachers save 20% OFF of their supplies as well. Just show your teacher badge at the register to save.

Digital Coupons Dollar General
(Discount School Supply, Save $5 off of $15 – Teachers Save 20% OFF)

Screen Shot 2019 07 20 at 12.46.21 PM e1563641737687Back to School Tips
4. Pick up some classroom supplies for your child’s teacher. You can never go wrong with hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial wipes, lotion, and Kleenex. Dollar General’s Home department has tons of low-cost items. I created this little basket for our son’s teacher. I included a card to introduce myself to his teacher, and to offer a little BTS cheer.back to school tips for parents

5. Get your child involved in preparing. In addition to buying his desk supplies, I also purchased JB’s snacks for the first few weeks of school from Dollar General, and he was too excited to pack his own snacks.  We grabbed Clover Valley bread for sandwiches, Motts apple juice boxes, a lunch box, UTZ chips, chocolate chip cookies, and goldfish snack crackers. All of his favs. Don’t worry, we’ll be including plenty of fruits and veggie options, too. The snacks help with the excitement factor, so we started there.

back to school shopping tips

6. Turn off the iPad and add Summer Reading and Summer Homework to your list of daily activities. JB goes to summer camp Monday-Friday from 8:30-5pm, so when he gets home all he wants to do is watch his Ipad or TV and vedge out. Electronic devices are great babysitters, they are, but they get in the way of keeping yourself and your kids on a schedule. In my case, it makes my kid a complete slacker and pushes back our nightly routine of dinner, bath, and bed by hours. So before he can even touch his iPad, he must complete daily reading, writing, and math worksheets. This will prep parents and the child for completing homework once the school year begins, so it won’t be so jarring when the time arrives. It’ll already be a part of your daily routine. Aside from keeping on schedule, literacy is huge in our family. Both my husband and I are big-time readers, and as you know I hold a Master of Fine Arts in Writing and  Bachelor of Arts in English and Journalism. Needless to say, reading is fundamental in our home and should be the case in every home. Which is why we are so here for the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, and all the grants they provide for literacy programs for people of all ages. Read more about it HERE. When you purchase any DG literacy program item, 100% of the proceeds go directly to helping improve literacy in many different communities. JB, as you can see, is all about the Fudge dipped Shortbread cookies.

back to school organization tips

7. Don’t over-schedule your kid. I know in this day and age it’s hard, but trust me, having your kid signed up for every activity is harder on them and you. Stick to one extracurricular activity per season. Allow your child the opportunity to explore new activities without a major commitment, and allow yourself to breathe. Shuffling your kids to and from school is hard enough, why make it extra hard?

8. Lastly, talk to your kids. Every day. Ask them who, their friends, are. What they enjoy. How it’s going. Find out their daily and weekly schedules at school. Volunteer if you can.  Releasing our babies out into the world means they’re going to be exposed to outside influence, and the only way to mitigate the damage some of that exposure can cause is to be involved. I also think it’s important to note that bullying, today, is very different from when we were kids. Talking to your child and being in the know as much as possible will help both you and your child navigate dealing with that issue should it arise.

That’s all folks! Please share any and all of your Back to school survival tips below, and don’t forget to stop by Dollar General for all of your BTS needs!

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Back to School Tips. Save on School Supplies

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