School starts on the 26th for us (how did the summer go by so quickly?!), and I thought I’d share my 7 Back to School Tips for Elementary Age Kids with y’all!
Go Over The Lunch Menu
I have urged my daughters to eat the school lunches as much as possible. My husband and I both attended the same school district that our daughters attend now. We know first hand that the food is GOOD! It may not be organic or non-gmo, but we follow the 80/20 rule- if the girls are having organic, non-gmo for breakfast, snacks, and dinner, then we’re doing pretty damn well.
We are also fortunate to know several of the cooks. So anytime we have a question or concern, we just message one of them and they are also happy to help.
We get online and get the lunch menu and go over the entire month of lunches together. I mark which lunches they’ll buy and which days they’ll pack. It saves so much time in the mornings because I’m not trying to figure out who wants what.
Get Groceries
With that being said, if your child doesn’t like the school lunches or will be packing a lot, you obviously need to get groceries before school starts. I always try to buy healthier options like organic lunch meats, fruits, veggies, and even chips. I will also throw in an organic yogurt or string cheese. Again, 80/20 rule on healthiness of the lunch, but the more, the better, right?!
School Clothes & Shoes
I think it’s tradition to go school clothes shopping. I’m not much of a shopping fan, so I bought all of my kids’ clothes on Amazon. I know their sizes, styles, and I know what they were in need of, so it worked out really well for us. Plus, I saved a ton of money doing it that way.
When we get new clothes, I ALWAYS wash them for anyone wears them.
The only thing we had to buy in person were shoes. I bought them each a new pair of sandals, sneakers, and boots for winter (which will be right around the corner where we live). We did all of our shopping at Target. I didn’t want to spend a lot, but I wanted the kids to look cute. Win-win.
Make Outfits
Once the clothes are washed, dried, and folded, my daughters and I go through their outfits and make up a bunch… like, 20 or more outfits.
The girls are at the age that they do want a say in what shirt goes with what shorts/pants. When they were smaller, I handled that all on my own.
Pick Out Clothes For Entire Week
The day before school starts we will pick out their outfits for the entire week. We put socks and undies with them and put the under the bathroom counter, arranged by day. The girls pick the outfit off the top of the pile and it makes mornings go soooo much smoother. If you don’t have a cabinet in your bathroom, designate an area for the outfits- drawer, closet, etc.
Get School Supplies
While you are out clothes and shoe shopping, do double duty and get all the necessary school supplies, too. Some school districts have lists of things to get for each grade and they often have those lists on the school district website.
Talk To Your Child
Probably the most important thing you can do is to actually talk to your child(ren) about what the expect this school year.
For example, my youngest will be in first grade. That means no bathroom in her classroom and access to a bigger playground with much older kids. I despise not being informed, so I like to inform my kiddos with any information that might help them feel more comfortable and confident.
There we have it! My favorite 7 Back to School Tips for Elementary Age Kids. I hope you found some useful information in this blog post. If you have any other tips, please comment below!!
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Happy Homesteading! (:
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