As summer fun winds to close, busy families will begin to shift their focus to prepare for the upcoming school year. Balancing work and family can be daunting; leaving you wondering how you will manage getting the kids to-and-from sports and music activities, run errands and still get everyone together for dinner at the table. With careful planning, and these helpful tips, you can get your family off to a more peaceful and productive start this year:
- Take Inventory: Go through kids’ closets and drawers, eliminating any clothing that is clearly too small or too worn to keep. Help others this back-to-school season, and designate a box for gently worn clothes that can be donated to a local charity. Gather any leftover supplies from last year from closets, shelves, desk drawers and stashed backpacks, and take stock (you may be surprised at what you accumulate). Build a shopping list that completes school supply lists and clothing needs after you’ve accounted for what you have already purchased. Knowing what you have on hand saves time and money by keeping you from purchasing duplicate items or having to make a last-minute emergency run for socks or notebooks.
- Keep A Calendar: Having a central location where all of your important dates are visible at a glance helps you stay focused and avoid scheduling nightmares. Include family medical appointments, sports practice and music lessons, bake sales, field trips, upcoming school projects, PTA meetings, play dates and holidays.
- Establish Routines Early: Having a designated procedure for checking backpacks every day prevents missed permission slips and forgotten homework. Get in the habit of addressing anything that has to be signed and returned during the backpack check to keep on track. We all know the value of a strong morning routine, but having a productive nighttime routine can give you a head start on the day, and take some stress out of mornings. After dinner, make lunches and choose outfits for the next day, set up the coffee pot, prepare the table for breakfast in the morning, and check backpacks to ensure everyone is ready to go.
Modern family life is busy, and even with the best preparation, things can get overwhelming. At Good Neighbor Concierge, we offer efficient, affordable errand services for busy families like yours. Let us drop off items for donation, pick up dry cleaning, pick up prescriptions and return library books, handle your grocery shopping and so much more. Let us help lighten your load—call 617.209.9311 or fill out the free consultation form in the sidebar to learn more about how we can help you accomplish more, and have more time for family.
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