7 Back to School Hacks

Back to school is quite possibly the busiest time of year for parents. There are activities to register for, supplies to buy, schedules to organize, lunches to pack, and so much more!

To make this time of year a little less hectic, we thought we’d share our favourite tips for making sure your family is set up for school year success!

Meet the Teacher
You don’t necessarily have to wait until ‘Meet the Teacher Night’ to get to know the person who will be spending a big chunk of the weekdays with your kids. Scheduling a sit-down with the homeroom teacher at the beginning of the school year can be a great way to learn more about the teacher, the curriculum and the classroom environment so you can stay aware of your kids’ school life.

Make a Lunches Meal Plan for the Week
For some great lunch ideas, click here! Instead of standing bleary-eyed in front of the fridge in the morning (or even the night before) looking for inspiration, take some time on the weekend to write out a school lunch meal plan for the whole week. This lets you do one big grocery shop for everything you need, takes the guesswork out of what you’re going to pack and the kids will love packing their lunches in bento boxes. Trust us, meal planning really streamlines the process!

Have a Staging Area for Everything You’ll Need in the Morning
Just like a pro racing team, having a staging area where everything you need is set up and ready to go will help you get everyone out the door quickly and easily.

Establish Back-to-School Sleep Routines in Advance
It’s hard to go from summer fun to school year structure in a single night, so take about a week before the first day of school to start adhering to school night bedtimes to make the transition as seamless as possible.

Let Kids Help Pick Fun School Supplies
A cool new notebook in their favourite colour or a lunchbox with their favourite cartoon character can really get kids in the back-to-school spirit. Take them with you when you go back-to-school shopping so they can feel involved in the whole process!

Update Medical Records (including allergies)
Make sure the school has all the correct health and contact information on file. You don’t want to wait until an emergency happens to find out they’re dealing with out-of-date info!

Get a Back-to-School Buddy for your Kid (and for you, too!)
Everything’s more fun ­- and much less stressful – with a friend. Make sure that both you and your kids have buddies who are having similar back-to-school experiences that you can commiserate with!

We hope these tips will help you set your whole family up for back to school success! Share your favourite back-to-school tips and memories on our Facebook or on Instagram using the hashtag #FamilyIsMLF.