FROM A SCATTERBRAINED SUMMER TO AN ORDERLY SCHOOL YEAR Hacks to Get Your Kids Organized Summer break (especially for young kiddos) is a lawless time with little meaning that’s punctuated by a vacation or trips to the park and pool. Transitioning children back to the calm, orderly world of the school year can be challenging for both teachers and parents. How can you make sure your kids trade in their summer hats for their school brains? Well, luckily, you can use a few hacks to make that transition brighter, seamless, and even fun. Create a fun checklist for school to-do’s. Spelling out all the tasks your kids have to do before and after school will help them ease back into the routines of going to bed each night and getting up early for school. Plus, it will introduce them to the satisfaction of checking items off a list after completing them. When your kids know what to do and when to do it, it makes your day a little easier! Make a color-coded clock. Lots of kids are visual learners, which means an analog clock will be their best friend when it comes to keeping track of time. Color code different sections of the clock for different parts of the day to help them remember what they’re supposed to be doing, whether it’s blue for breakfast time, orange for homework hour, or purple for their bedtime routine. Make school supply cubbies. If your child tends to throw their backpack and jackets all over the house, then school supply cubbies could be a game-changer. You could even just label different hooks in your mudroom or hallway if that’s all you have to work with. Whatever the case, when your kids have an established place to put their school stuff, it’s that much easier for them to find as they head out the door in the morning. Organize your school lunch supplies. Making your kids’ lunches each morning can be exhausting, but if you put different lunch items (e.g., bags of chips, apples, juice pouches, etc.) in different, easy-to-reach containers, you can turn making school lunches into an assembly line process where your kids do most of the work themselves, teaching them responsibility and taking a load off of your shoulders every school morning. You can even consider making the lunches the night before to lighten up the morning routine!
INSPIRATION CORNER JIM NICHOLSON Rinehardt Injury Attorneys, in coordination with Mid-Ohio Youth Mentoring, sponsor a Back-to-School Bash each year at the start of the school year for the children of Richland County. Our firm’s goal is not only to provide these children with a backpack full of school supplies but to also provide them with an afternoon of food, fun, and laughs to get them excited for the school year. Children can enjoy bounce houses, crafts, face painting, an ice cream bar, and more. We think every child deserves a great start to the school year with the right supplies. After a modified event last year due to COVID-19, we are excited to host the full party this year. This year’s event will be held on Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Friendly House, where we will distribute over 150 backpacks to local kids in need. There will be a bounce house obstacle course, a keychain craft, and make-your-own sundaes. Our 6th Annual Back-to- School Backpack Bash Aug. 7, 2021 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. The Friendly House
We are endlessly inspired by community leader Jim Nicholson. Jim is the Executive Director of Mid- Ohio Youth Mentoring, a program that provides youth in mid-Ohio positive life-changing mentoring relationships.
Mid-Ohio Youth Mentoring connects young people
across the mid-Ohio region with a mentor who offers support, encouragement, and provides them with opportunities to help them achieve success in life that they would not otherwise get. Statistics show that the single most protective factor against a child getting involved in violence, drugs, and crime is a strong positive connection with adults. Jim has dedicated his career to connecting at-risk youth with positive role models so they can grow up to be healthy adults.
Plan your kids’ outfits for the next day … or the next week.
If they had their way, you know your kiddos would wear the same Spider Man or Elsa T-shirt every day of the week. So, if you want to make sure they look respectable and ready to learn every day, plan out their outfits for the entire school week. This is especially easy if they have a set of hanging cubbies in their closets. Allow them to help choose outfits on a Saturday or Sunday before the new week; it will also help them learn how to dress themselves later in life.
One of Jim’s favorite quotes is by Frederick Douglass: “It’s easier to build strong children than it is to repair broken adults.”
Back-to-school season shouldn’t be hectic — and with a few of these hacks in mind, it won’t be!
2
Rinehardt Law | BeSmartLegal.com
Made with FlippingBook Converter PDF to HTML5