Well, it is “Back to School” time. With sun-kissed vacations a warm memory of the past, along with the change of  season and  new routines thrust upon us, “Back to School” takes on a very new life of its own.  With all of the change coming at us at once, I have always thought that we should change our Gregorian/Civil calendar  to one that has the first day of school as the true “New Year”.

Amongst all of  these changes, it can be a constant  struggle to stay organized and feel like all is under control. But with a few simple tips, it is possible to keep calm, cool, collected and….smiling

1) Get the Kids on Board. Make sure your children (and partners) know what the new routines will be. Get the alarm clocks set and ensure that they understand the school rules, times, and any new courses or classes they are enrolled in. If they know what to expect they will be much more willing to “get with the program”.

2) Meal Plan. Try these easy to implement ideas:

Dinner: For the initial month of September pick a couple of your favourite and easy recipes for dinner meals  that are nutrient dense and stick to it. Make things that can be frozen or made ahead of time. Also, those that keep well in the fridge and can be reheated are great options for extending out the dinner meals.  Check out the Better Being Recipe section for great ideas.

Breakfast: Opt for a nutrient rich smoothie to jump start everyone’s day. Buy some cups with built in straws and tops so the kids (or YOU) can drink it on the drive in or carry it around the house while getting ready for the day if pressed for time.  See the recipe section of this blog for great smoothie ideas.

Lunch:  Make the school lunches the night before and have the kids help. If they make their own lunch they are more likely to eat it (or anything else for that matter).

3) Review Children’s School Year . Get the school planner and take the half hour to get it into your own calendar planner or blackberry.  That way you will be prepared for key school events and will avoid scrambling for the entire year!

4) Stake a Place. Take the hour or two to organize key items and explain to all in the house why things need to remain (and be put back) into the right location. If the umbrellas are always in the basket in THAT corner, the rainy days will be much easier to deal with. Baskets with taped on headings  can save lives (ok , maybe not lives, but definitely sanity!). Also have homework done and set out in ONE place.

5) Checkpoints.  Regulate the mornings with timelines (X has to happen by Y) time that are realistic and work for all. Be sure to give the children and slow risers enough time to get ready and prepared. Sometimes that extra 10 minutes of sleep can result in an extra 20 minutes of lateness!

6) Family Calendar. Having everything that relates to key dates on one calendar in the kitchen can help to keep the household all informed.

7) Communicate. Talk to each  teacher about what is specific to each child’s term – know when library books come back, any special dates for in classroom events. Also, take the five minutes each night to go through backpacks for school notices so that any special needs for the next day are dealt with at night and not in the morning’s scramble.

8) Bedtime Booster. Establish a routine for you and the children that is easy to follow. Set out clothes for the following day, get to sleep at the same time and take the time to relax. This will help all to get better sleep which leads to better mornings.

9) Think ahead. Easier said than done! But try to get things done ahead of time so things can flow. For example, set the breakfast table the night before, fill up the car on the way home not on the way TO, buy in bulk for core items and keep the staples stacked.

10) Have FUN. Enjoy what this season truly offers: new beginnings, new routines and a wonderfully refreshing time of the year. No one is perfect so don’t worry if the occasional morning is full of chaos and spilled milk. Try to laugh when wiping it up and just pour another.

Good luck!!