Back to School Fun

As summer draws to a close, the anticipation of school is revving up. Who's more excited? The kids or the parents??? My husband has done an amazing job this summer with getting the kids to day camp & all of their activities & play dates. Now he is shedding tears at the prospect of the school year (or maybe those are droplets from his champagne celebration).

While my 6th grader is on her 12th sleepover this week (trust me, she's more than capable of accomplishing this feat...), my 2nd grader got his military hair cut and is diving into his chapter books and sports gear.

This is a fabulous time to get the home organized. Many of the storage items created for college dorms are also wonderful for hall closets and laundry rooms to separate linens, crafts, sewing supplies, board games, old high school yearbooks and other random items. Face it - if it's in a closet, don't be fancy with the look by paying for fabric lined wicker baskets. Something that sees less light of day than your "French Maid's Costume" should not cost more than its coordinating feather duster.

While you pick out the back-to-school clothes, make sure to get them big, so the kids can grow into them during the year, not out of them. And go through their closet to look for hand-me-downs or give-away items to donate to a school clothing drive or local shelter. If you sew, you can add buttonhole elastic to waistbands to make them more snug until the child fills them out a little better.

One rule in our house is a strict bedtime (8:00 for the young one, 8:30 for the older one), but an additional half hour if they are reading quietly. This was the rule when I was growing up as well. It gave structure, allowed for staying up a little later (we could read anything....ANYTHING), and it gave my parents time together to hang out and rub feet or scratch backs -- a tradition my husband and I carry on. The kids wake up earlier, but they are old enough to get their own breakfast, and check their email and Facebook and NHL highlights. Gotta love when they get older.

Good luck everyone! And if you are homeschooling your children, please make sure to include fun and creative classes with your local businesses (sewing, beading, pottery, etc.).