Back To School Prep … hurry up!!!

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When we got back from our vacation in July, I was shocked to look at the calendar and realize we were just over a month away from school starting again. It really felt like we were just starting to get into summer mode!

I ignored the panic for a little while, but before I knew it, I pulled up the school supply lists online and started gathering things while I grocery shopped. I hate feeling rushed at the last minute. I had to face the facts, school is coming and if I want to stay AHEAD, I better hurry up.

A few years ago I shared a Back-to-School Prep List Printable. We finished all the “DURING Summer” stuff up before our vacation in July, but there are still some followups with specialists we are fitting in during the next 2.5 weeks. Mostly, though, during the last month, it is all about that middle category of things.

You can download this printable here (for personal use only). You can see the entire original blog post here.

Basically, I use my own printable as a starting point and then create something specifically for tracking progress with all 4 kids! If you don’t have time to sketch out your own thing, then by all means, use the original.

Here is what I created for my situation. Some things have obviously morphed since I have full-blown teenage girls now.

I’m a little further ahead than it looks. I hit up some back to school clothes sales, so I’m pretty sure my kids have all the clothes and accessories they’ll need, but I won’t check it off until after I’ve gone through and cleaned out/ sorted what they’ve got. I also plan to pull out everything they’ve outgrown and sell it locally ASAP. (Yes, I donate a lot, but I know if I sell their uniforms at great prices locally, I am benefitting someone right away, while also making back some of the cost to buy clothes for FOUR kids.)

I’m going to do the haircuts myself this year because … school clothes and supplies took up most of my budget. I’ve had luck cutting hair before, so crossing my fingers! Brian doesn’t need a haircut because Matt took him for a haircut recently and got him a buzz cut. We still disagree on whether or not that is what I asked Matt to do, lol, but Brian’s hair is still short either way. 🤷‍♀️

And as for those summer assignments, I’m going to pull out the kindergarten sight words and go heavy with them the last 2 weeks so Brian has a little confidence boost going into 1st grade. The older girls, who are all in middle school, are managing their own summer reading and summer reading reports/projects.

I do need to do the shoe shopping. I’ve been looking at local shoe stores, waiting for the best sales to hit. There is so much planning and organizing that goes into having four kids ready for a new school year. The silver lining is the hours of quiet time while they’ll be in school. That definitely isn’t sounding so bad right now, though if I had a choice, I’d make summer just a touch longer.

If you haven’t started prepping back to school – hurry up and get going! No one wants to do ALL of this in the last few days. That is recipe for meltdown-city.

My kids go back on the 19th of August. When do your kids go back?

From my home to yours,
Mary