ONE: Start your back-to-school shopping early 

You know that old expression "The early bird gets the worm?" I never really understood what it was all about until I became a parent. Until you've frantically sifted through the picked-over rubble in the school supplies section of your local department store in a futile attempt to find a pencil case of a particular style and colour, you don't have any true appreciation for the importance of being that early bird.

TWO: Establish the shopping ground rules before you hit the mall 

Your negotiating power goes down the drain after a couple of hours of shopping. At that point, you're willing to buy just about anything your kid wants just to make the pain stop. That's why it's important to establish your kids' clothing budget long before you leave home and to mutually agree on the number and price of outfits to be purchased beforehand.

THREE: Take advantage of the start of a new school year to rethink family routines 

We may celebrate New Year's Eve on January 1st, but it's September that marks the start of a new year if you've got school-aged kids. So take advantage of that decidedly "new year's" spirit to renegotiate chores, allowances, extra-curricular schedules, clean out your kids' closets, and so on.

FOUR: Start adjusting your kids' bedtimes before school begins 

Otherwise, your kids will end up suffering from what back-to-school "jet lag." (It's not exactly reasonable to expect a kid who's been sleeping in until 11:00 a.m. all summer to be functional at 7:00 a.m. on the first day of school!)

FIVE: Keep your evenings as free as possible during the first week of school 

Not only do you need to leave time in your schedule to squeeze in all those unpredictable errands that have to be run that first week -- like dashing out to load up on whatever school supplies the teachers forgot to tell your kids about ahead of time, or spending an hour in line so that you can sign your kids up for swimming lessons -- you also need to be available to listen to your kids as they bring you up to speed on all those exciting first-week developments.

SIX: Plan to cook up something simple on the mealtime front 

You have enough other things on your plate without having to worry about, well, what's on your plate. Order in pizza, pick up subs on your way home from work, or reheat that mystery casserole that's been languishing in the back of your freezer. The nutrition police won't book you for cutting corners in the kitchen one week of the year. (Find some ideas and inspiration here.)

SEVEN: Take time for yourself 

It's easy to spend the entire month of September running around at breakneck speed, picking up school supplies, signing your kids up for extra-curricular activities, and making the rounds of school open houses and picnics. Don't forget to take time for yourself during this crazy time of year. Otherwise, you could find yourself feeling supremely grumpy by the time the month draws to a close.

EIGHT: Set some parenting goals for yourself for the upcoming year 

While your kids are busy setting some academic goals for themselves, take a moment to set some goals for yourself as a parent. Do you want to play a more active role at your kids' school, be a little more enthusiastic when it comes to helping them with their homework, or make a point of communicating with their teachers on a regular basis? Or do you want to ensure they get lots of time for fun and relaxation during their non-school hours? Make sure your goals are something concrete enough to be measurable and put down your goals in writing so you can reflect back on them throughout the school year.

Avoiding Overconsumption at Back-to-School Time 

Tips from the Center for a New American Dream

The Center for a New American Dream provides practical advice on living consciously (according to your values), buying wisely (buying "green" whenever possible and trying not to get sucked into the vortex of overconsumption) and joining with others who share your commitment to working towards a new American dream. (Remember the old one? It was all about acquiring more "stuff.")

The Center publishes great tips for parents, including a free downloadable guide entitled Tips for Parenting in a Commercial Culture. The guide makes a terrific read at this time of year, when your kid is likely to have a particularly difficult time differentiating between the "frills" and the "essentials."

Back to School with Squidoo 

Wondering what other Squidoo lenses might be helpful at back-to-school time? Here are some of my picks.

• Noodle & Bean: Lunchbox Ideas: Get the lowdown on family lunches from Lisa Kelsey, a mom who dishes about packing healthy lunches for the entire family.


• Once a Month Cooking: Expect practical advice -- and awesome links -- from Mark Askey, a dad who has mastered the art of spending less time in the kitchen, and whose willing to share his cook-less-often tricks with you.


• Mealtime Solutions: This is my own ode to all things mealtime. A lot of the material focuses on little ones, but you'll also find links to some really terrific family recipe sites.


• Getting Started with GTD: If you've resolved to get your family organized this school year (or at least attempt something along those lines), you'll want to read this guide to GTD ("Getting Things Done") by Squidoo lensmaster Goncalo Moura.


• SCRABBLEOUS: Alexys Fairfield introduces you to Scrabble in this lens. So what does this have to do with back to school? Playing Scrabble isn't just fun (and addictive). It's also a great way to get the kids hooked on language. (Just make sure you tell the kids that if they use words like "lite" and "eh" at school, they won't score too many points with the teacher.)


• How to Start Your Own Elementary School Chess Club: Joanne Marcinek (aka "Ask Joanne") tells you how she started a chess club at her child's school and how you can get a chess club started at your kid's school, too.


• Math Tutor: Integers: Rebecca Newburn has the answers on integers, so there's no need to panic the first time your child comes home fielding tough questions about the new math. She's even included a video clip and cool math gear. This lensmaster is almost too cool for school!


• For the Love of Learning: Encouraging your kids to love learning.

And Birthday Party Season Begins.... 

Back-to-school season also means birthday party invitation season

Don't worry! You'll be ready, whether it's your turn to give the party or to come up with one-of-a-kind gift ideas.

5 Fabulous Birthday Parties for Kids
Five theme parties that will make your child's birthday party fun. (Relax -- none of them will cause major stress for you. I wrote the article and I'm a mom of four. I know you don't have time to spend four weeks getting ready for the birthday bash.)

Good Gifting: Spending Time Instead of Money
Here's an idea from the Center for a New American Dream: "Make your own soaps, potpourri, cards, baked goods, decorations, jewelry, or other crafts. You don't need to be Martha Stewart. Some activities, like soap-making, can be as easy as using a microwave to melt glycerin and letting it harden in a mold; or with jewelry making, stringing beads on a nylon thread and adding a clasp. Kids can express their creative side, then give the finished products as gifts."

Ready to Hit the Books Yourself? 

Check out these two titles by your resident lensmaster

The Mother of All Parenting Books: The Ultimate Guide to Raising a Happy, Healthy Child from Preschool through the Preteens (Mother of All)

by Ann Douglas

My guide to parenting kids from the preschool years through the preteens. It's written in the same style as my lenses, so if you've enjoyed reading them, you may enjoy this or one of my other books about pregnancy, parenting, etc.

Mealtime Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler and Preschooler: The Ultimate No-Worry Approach for Each Age and Stage (Mother of All Solutions)

by Ann Douglas

If you're looking for help in planning meals in the real world (e.g., sans personal chef), you may want to check out Chapter 6 -- Dining In and Dining Out. It features strategies for spending less time cooking, including ways of joining forces with other crazy-busy families with young children. The rest of the book offers strategies for feeding babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Back to School Health 

What You Need to Know About Mercury in Fish and Shellfish
Nearly all types of fish and shellfish contain trace levels of mercury. That's why health experts are now advising us to women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children to avoid some types of fish and eat fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. Here's everything you need to know about fish before you pack that tuna sandwich in your preschooler or kindergartener's lunchbox.

Beat Head Lice
The lowdown on lice, lice treatments, and dealing with this very common school year problem. (Four in ten school-aged kids will end up with head lice this year.) Read my parenting column on the site.

An Ages-and-Stages Guide to Mom Stress by Ann Douglas

NEW! Mom's Stress Guide: School-Aged Children

NEW! Mom's Stress Guide: Tweens and Teens

What does back to school shopping cost an average family? 

Here are some statistics from authorities in both the US and Canada.

Back to School Spending in Canada

Here are the total sales across Canada in the third quarter of 2006 for:
* Girls' clothing and accessories: $249.9 million
* Boys' clothing and accessories: $229.2 million
* Unisex clothing: $106.9 million
* Computer hardware and software: $1.1 billion
* Books, newspapers, and other periodicals: $749.6 million
* Stationery, office supplies, cards, gift wrap and party supplies: $921.7 million.

Tweens Experience a Growth Spurt in Spending

Families spend an average of $563 on back-to-school shopping, according to The Dallas Morning News. The paper also notes: "Packaged Facts, a publication of MarketResearch.com, estimates the combined buying power of tweens and younger teens (8- to 14-year-olds) was $39 billion in 2004 and is projected to grow to $43 billion in 2009."

Retail Council of Canada's 2007 Back-to-School Consumer Trends

The Retail Council of Canada's research indicates that 37% of Canadians plan to shop for back-to-school items this year. On average, Canadians plan to spend approximately $353 on school-related items, with 34% intending to spend $400 or more.

Back to School 101: The Notebook! 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this lens -- as well as your best back-to-school tips. What do you to make this time of year a little less stressful for you and your kids? Any tips on managing the family budget? And thank you, Squidoo, for making this lens the Lens of the Day on the first day of school in September 2006.

sara08852 Very comprehensive, informative lens. Sara Posted September 05, 2007

Karendelac I gave you 5 stars. This lens is a must read for the mother who has children that are returning to school soon. All the Best, Karen at Karen's Kinkade Art Store Posted July 25, 2007

Stuarts Just wait until they get into their teens! They ask you for cars and everything! Nightmare! I found this guide to Cheap Car Insurance for Students to help you and them out! Posted May 28, 2007

just_Dawn What a terrific guide with alot of useful information. Congratulations on being the Squidoo Lens of the Day! Posted September 06, 2006

anndouglas Thanks Nicky, Andrea, and Claudia, for dropping by -- and thank you, Squidoo, for picking me to be today's lens of the day. Talk about starting the school year off with a blast! Posted September 05, 2006

 

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