Back to school tip 8: picture day

While you're going through your child's back to school wardrobe, make sure you've got something that could pass for picture day. Some schools have picture day as early as the second week!

Typically, photographers ask the children to wear a top of a solid colour. (Which can be more difficult then it sounds. It seems all shirts have big designs on them now!) The last thing you want to do in September is go back to the malls to get more clothes!

Back to school tip 7: get an extra pair of shoes

While you are doing your back to school shopping, don't forget to pick-up an extra pair of shoes. Most daycares and schools ask for children to have a pair of "indoor" shoes, so the kids don't track the mud and leaves and snow into the classroom.

Don't forget to put your child's name in them too! (There are only so many styles that come in preschooler sizes!)

Back to school tip 6: give some thought to lunch

Whether it's obtaining a laptop lunch system so you can make adorable bento box style litterless lunches or it's finding a favourite recipe for homemade granola bars, one really needs to give the lunch routine some serious thought.

Why?

Aside from wanting to give your kids something yummy and nutritious to look forward to, you definitely don't want some of your 15 minutes of fame coming from being featured in an article like this one: "Grossest Lunches."

According to Nadine's research, lunchtime no-nos include:

• frozen sandwiches
• liverwurst and
  
• dog food!
  

Back to school tip 5: first day jitters

Nadine Silverthorn over at Sweetmama.ca has some terrific tips for little helping little ones overcome the anxiety associated with the First Day of School Milestone. These include deep breathing, visualizations, art therapy and acting out the fear. (She describes these things in a way that you can implement them with your child!)

For older kids, Catherine Wakelin (Sweetmama.ca) and Christine Carter (Science For Raising Happy Kids) share some tips for transitioning back to school.

Back to school tip 4: read Ask Moxie cont

Go back to Moxie's place and read her Back to school post. She and her wise readers have some interesting, experience tested thoughts about back to school.

Back to school tip 3: read Ask Moxie

Go over to Moxie's place and read Making Life Good For Your Kids' Teachers.

Highlights:

• If you want to have an extended conversation with your child's teacher, please make an appointment so your child's teacher can schedule his time and plan accordingly.
• Please, please, please thank the teachers who take the time to meet with you for extended conferences.
• Teaching is a lonely profession with few extrinsic rewards. A quick email saying, "Hey, that was such a cool project! My son really enjoyed it!!!!" takes 2 minutes to write and will be remembered by your son's teacher for years.
• Tell your child's principal when your child's teacher does great work.

And especially:

• Your child's teacher is a partner with you in caring about your child's learning. Treat them as a partner, not a boss or a servant.

Back to school tip 2: listen to Ann Douglas

Ann Douglas has put together a fabulous post titled "Back to School Guide: A Parent's Guide to Surviving the Season of Shopping for Hot Gadgets, Cool Clothes, and School Supplies."

Topics of her post:

1. Rethink school-year routines.
2. Get your kids back on a school-year sleeping routine before it's time to head back to school.
3. Establish the shopping ground rules before you hit the mall.
4. Keep your schedule as free as possible during the first week back at school.
5. Keep things simple on the mealtime front.
6. Take time for yourself.
7. Set some goals for yourself as a parent.
   

Back to school tip 1: label everything

What do I need to label for back to school? Good question. It's always a good idea to have labels / bag tags / teeny tags for: backpacks / book bags pencil cases lunch bags / boxes water bottles pencils / pens / markers outerwear (jackets / hats / mittens / gloves) sports equipment gym clothes shoes / boots For preschoolers: Teachers and daycare staff alike typically recommend that you label EVERYTHING you want to come back home with your child. That includes shoes, shirts, socks and underwear. Apparently it's not uncommon for a preschooler to have no idea what their underwear looks like. Bonus tip: Have your child try on their clothing for size BEFORE you label their clothes. The last thing you want to do is spend time (and labels) labeling everything all up, only to find the shoes you bought last week don't fit anymore!