Back to School Gifts and Tips

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SchoolYearReady #CollectiveBias

Back to school brings out the organizer in me.   Does it you?  It’s something about a “new year” that does it.  When I was teaching, I could NOT wait to start a fresh lesson plan book, a clean classroom, a schedule, and new pens.  And lists.  Lists of students, things to do, lessons to plan, the list goes on and on.  I just love the freshness of back to school.

Now that I’m a work from home mom, my love for back to school has changed.  With my daughter staring Kindergarten and my older two starting middle school, it’s bittersweet!  But I want to be THAT mom.  The mom who’s organized, ready for back to school with an easy, but cute, teacher gift, and ready for whatever the school year may throw at us!  So today I want to share with you my Back to School Gifts and Tips to get YOU ready to start the school year organized!

Break weekly events down into smaller chunks.  I have these super cute, colorful Post-it® 4×6 notes that I LOVE!  I found them in the stationary section at Walmart.  Some weeks of our school year are busier than others, and I like to keep that at the forefront of my mind.  So at the beginning of the month, I’ll check the school calendar.  Then I make a list, like the one below, of the highlights of the month and stick it to the side of the refrigerator.

Give your children a morning “to do” list.  My boys need to focus.  That is all there is to it.  They wake up ready to build Legos, watch their favorite show, and think they still have time to get themselves ready for school.  I’m sure someday they will learn that there is not enough time in a day to accomplish EVERYTHING you had hoped.  So I make them each a list of tasks, ordered, to accomplish their morning routine.  This keeps the traffic flowing, and the bathroom decongested.    My Post-it® lined 4×6 notes are perfect for this.  I just stick it on their bedroom door and they know exactly what they are supposed to do.

Leave a nice note.  My children thrive on encouragement.  I mean, doesn’t everyone want to know they are loved at all times of the day?  Mine do!   I like to leave them a nice note stuck to the inside of their planner, on the bathroom mirror, or even by their breakfast plate in the morning.

Short after school chores are a good thing. Remember that list of “to do” for the morning?  I have them for the afternoon, too.  When the boys get home from school, they need a little refocusing.  Otherwise, backpacks, shoes, and lunch boxes are strewn everywhere.  So, if I leave them a short list of things to do, like on a 3×3 Post-it® Note, it helps them focus on those everyday tasks until they become a habit.

Prep everything the night before.  This has been such a lifesaver for us!  We pack lunches, backpacks, and lay out clothes the night before.  Almost every single school night.  Why?  Because it saves us a ton of time, and stress, in the morning.  If I need to do something last minute in the morning, I leave myself a sticky Post-it® on the counter so I don’t forget!

Are you ready for back to school?  I am!  And I can’t forget about the teacher!  Yes, I am going to be THAT Kindergarten mom this year!  My baby is off to Kindergarten, and I’m starting the school year off with a cute, color coordinated teacher gift!  I found this super cute tumbler at Walmart, in my current favorite color nonetheless!  And then I stuffed it with different sizes of Post-it® Notes and a few fun colored pens.  I’ll add the 3×3 Pink and Aqua Wave Post-it® Note cube and the little bitty one that is 2×2 Pink and Aqua Wave, too, to the inside of the gift bag.  Then my daughter has a fun, color coordinated gift to give her teacher on the first day!