My four kids return to school this coming Monday and all I can say is Hallelujah. They are ages 10-16 and these people desperately need to be back in school. My oldest has worked most of the last 2 1/2 months and to be fair, he hasn’t had much of a lazy summer…but that boy needs to become reacquainted with math and books and all that jazz. My oldest daughter has resorted to watching an Australian show about mermaids for HOURS at a time while munching on a bowl of Ritz crackers. She has slowly hooked her sister and apparently now my husband into the madness of this show. She has forgotten what it is like to awaken to an alarm clock and how to go to bed before 10 PM. Please get her back into chemistry and Spanish. PLEASE. My younger two really really really really need to be back in school. I will let your imagination wander and just leave it at that :).

SO.

A few weeks ago I started ENTHUSIASTICALLY preparing all of the things to get these people reintroduced to the concept of education. Today I thought I would share a few a few of my favorite tips for how I prepare my kids to go back to school. Cue my very excited clapping and maniacal laughter.

Number ONE

In this day and age, most of us have smart phones and keep tabs on our scheduling and calendaring in various apps. I have found that while that is useful, it is also very helpful to have an old school white board family calendar in a central location where everyone can see it. I started these white board calendars about ten years ago and use them constantly. With two kids in high school, two kids in elementary school, multiple locations for sports and meets, trips, church and social commitments these schedules fill up fast. I like to take time right before my kids go back to school to streamline all of the data onto my two-month boards so that everyone has a clear snapshot of what is happening each day. No need to consult the phone (my younger two don’t have phones so they really like these calendars) – just stand in front of the whiteboard calendar and all will be made clear!

Once the first week of school has dropped I know that I will have loads more info to put into these daily spaces, ie: back-to-school nights at two schools, practice times for the new team my younger two are joining, babysitting jobs for my teen daughter, trips or parties. At least our family can start the first few weeks of school with a clear plan of where they need to be each day.

Number TWO

I have never been a great meal planner but with fall sports and a truly packed fall schedule rapidly gaining on me, I need to have a better plan of attack for evening meals. Our high schoolers are both varsity runners and train six days a week – they are always running, always getting home late, always hungry. My two ten-year-olds are still growing like weeds and are both active and hungry all of the time. With me running kids around between two different cities for practices we need the comfort of knowing there will be a tasty dinner when we all land at the dinner table…even if we land in shifts. Enter the beauty of slow cooker freezer meals. These are meals you prep in advance to be dumped into your slow cooker! Basically, this is going to save my family in the next four months. I spent some time on Pinterest going through slow cooker recipes that I know my family enjoys and that I could prep and freeze ingredients for ahead of time. Then I took an afternoon to shop at Costco for my ingredients and spent about 90 minutes preparing three meals. I chose Italian Wedding Soup (with meatballs, potatoes, carrots, garlic and onions – YUM), Mexican Chicken soup (with shredded chicken, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, lime and lots of different seasonings) and Orange Chicken (this is just the chicken – once it is cooked you just spread it over rice). I prepped and bagged everything in freezer safe bags, labeled with slow cooker instructions and stacked neatly in my freezer.

There are a ton of recipes out there; I chose these three because I knew they would be a hit with all six of us. I also purchased several Costco ready-made meals and stuck them in my freezer (we are big fans of the Mac & Cheese and the Penne Chicken Alfredo). I plan to pull these freezer bags out twice a week (or more as needed) and make use of my crock pot. I can fill in the other days with other favorites our family loves but at least 2-3 nights are covered with these freezer slow cooker meals. Just knowing these are in my freezer waiting to be put into service makes me feel SO much more relaxed about the fall schedule.

Number THREE

All four of my kids love back-to-school shopping. Well, ‘love’ might be a strong word for my 16 year old son but even he appreciates a wardrobe and school supply refresh. I do my back-to-school shopping about a month before school starts. There are always multiple and specific school supply lists from my kids classes but most of your shopping can happen well before they go back to school. You can wait on those specific calculators or folders until the first week of classes. I prefer doing my shopping BEFORE the crazy mad rush of moms and their offspring; it is more relaxing for both me and the kids. My children are SO much more confident and relaxed knowing that they have their backpacks and notebooks and pencils and lunch boxes and whatever else they typically need for a successful year.

This year we did the bulk of our school supply shopping at Walgreens. We specifically chose Walgreens because of their WE Teacher program which provides tools and resources to educators free of charge and helps teachers address critical social issues present in their classrooms. Today our teachers have to deal with SO much more than kids turning in homework late or bombing on tests. In addition to being passionate teachers they must also handle bullying, mental health issues, poverty, diversity and inclusion issues and youth violence. That is a tall order for any teacher to fill.

Shopping for school supplies at Walgreens is about so much more than filling backpacks. By purchasing my supplies in the back-to-school aisle I am joining Walgreens commitment to supporting and celebrating teachers who go above and beyond for my kids. Knowing that I am backing a store and brands that directly make a difference in my kids education is SO worth it.

Through the Walgreens WE Teacher program you, yes YOU, can nominate an amazing teacher in your life for a $500 Walgreens gift card. This gift card could cover the cost of one year of supplies for a teacher and their classroom! Here is where to go to nominate a teacher; honestly I had so many names pop into my head it was very hard to choose only one. Please take a few minutes to nominate a teacher today! And while you are doing your back-to-school shopping please make a trip to Walgreens. We love what we were able to find there!

That concludes my top three tips for getting ready for back-to-school. Godspeed and good luck to all of you parents out there; the end is in sight and I think the kids are gonna be alright :).