5 Great Back to School Ideas for Parents & Kids to Survive Another Year - PLUS Daily Sweepstakes

Tweet

Education

My kids on the first day of school some years ago

Vintage Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Surviving with kids and school is my specialty.  Having triplets plus one more all born within a year that are now all teens certainly has qualified me for learning from the trenches.  I've written plenty of posts about how to manage through another school year.  These stories have included everything from  how I home school 4 kids to ideas I've tried and tested myself for dealing with kid cabin fever.

Here are my top 5 Strategies for School Survival that will keep both kids and mom happy!

1. Shop for school supplies as far ahead of the start of school as possible.  Go shopping early and you'll not only have a wider selection to choose from, but everyone will feel less stressed than trying to find everything that you need at the last minute. Whatever you do, if you are shopping for multiple kids, don't pick out lunch boxes or back packs ahead of time.  Bring the kids to the store and avoid sibling rivalry.

2. Don't overschedule extra activities for your kids.  If they are older and already planning their own extra curriculars, then try to be available to help them decide how much they should take on so they don't find themselves overloaded later.

3. Be your child's best friend by being there for him or her to tell you about their day, every day when they come home from school.  Our family has mandatory sit down dinners during the week as frequently as possible so that we can all keep up on each others' experiences. 

4. Find out at the start of the school year what all the days off will be for you and your child.  Then, so everyone is on the same page, mark these dates right away on a centrally located calendar in the kitchen.  Many schools provide the entire school year calendar up front, so definitely take advantage of that information.

5. Lastly, but probably most important, be as involved with your child's school and extra outside activities as you possibly can.  Get to know the teachers that will be teaching your family at the beginning of the year, and don't wait for any surprises when it's time for those parent-teacher conferences in late fall.

The common theme here is that you can actually support your child and his schooling quite actively all the way through high school.  Kids do want to know they have an adult that they can always rely on to help them when they need it -- with all the paperwork that school involves from doing homework to college applications, and even dealing with sticky social situations with friends -- they'll be plenty of opportunities for you to provide support. 

Master Lock Humor on You Tube


As long as you stay tuned in to when your child wants you at arm's length and when they need a hug or kind words of encouragement, both parents and kids are likely to have the best school year ever! 

Image provided by Master Lock

Master Lock Daily Sweepstakes

Parents and students are invited to submit their own questions for the Master Mind and participate in daily sweepstakes for a chance to win back-to-school must-haves, including popular Master Lock school and campus security products.  More information about the back-to-school video series and sweepstakes, as well as the newest and coolest Master Lock back-to-school accessories, can be found at http://mwne.ws/pELmnK.  You can also find Master Lock on Facebook.

FTC Disclosure:  As a participant in its MomBloggersClub campaign, I will receive a gift card and product from Master Lock in exchange for writing this story to spread the word about the brand's back to school security products and sweepstakes promotion.   I did not receive any other compensation associated with this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.