September has arrived, and it's officially back to school season! This bit is always quite nice, it's not too cold yet so the walk to school is pleasant and there's still the novelty of getting back to routine after what felt like a realllly long (and tiring) summer. While the motivation levels are high, it's well worth taking advantage of this and getting some other areas of your life organised after spending the past couple of weeks preparing school uniforms, new backpacks, shoes and PE kits. Here are some of the things I like to do at this time of year which I'd recommend to anyone else wanting to get everything in order.
Meal Planning
Now that the weather is changing, it's good to get back into all of the hearty staples- curries, stews, soups, bolognese, chilli etc, and the good thing about these things is they can be made in bulk. If you make a bit extra every time you cook one of these meals you can pop it into a container and into the freezer. Before long you end up with a good stash that can be used when you're having a busier day, the afternoons where there's a club of some kind on are always a rush so these are handy for then. I get the cheap foil containers from Home Bargains and label them up for the freezer. When it's time to use them just push the contents out of the foil and into a bowl and into the microwave. If you buy a chalkboard menu planner for your kitchen you can spend some time on a Sunday writing out exactly what you're having for dinners that week and then build your shopping list on that. No getting caught short midweek when you're all starving and you don't know what to make!
New Clubs
Speaking of after school clubs, I find now is a good time to have a think about what kinds of things they'd like to do. Decide if they'll be continuing the same classes and clubs as last term, swapping to something new or cancelling certain ones completely. It's easy to get tunnel vision when you've already invested time and money into a hobby but if they're no longer enjoying things then it's worth switching it up. Make the most of taster classes to try new things without a big financial commitment. Since lots of parents like to switch things up at the start of the school year, you might find there are places at clubs they want to try that were previously all booked up.
Sort the wardrobes now
I always make sure the kids wardrobes are a priority, they grow out of things so fast and they can start getting piled up with clothes that are no good if you don't go through them often. It's the start of a new season so well worth getting rid of any summer clothes and figuring out what you need for the autumn and winter. Something I like to do is buy things in the sale in the next size/ season and keep them in a box in the wardrobe. Currently all of the summer stuff in shops is going on sale, if you buy it now in the next age up you can keep it ready for next year. Make a list of everything they need for autumn and winter, if you use Vinted you could sell what's not being used as well as buy this seasons things all on there to save some cash.
Prepare for the bugs
Back to school means the germs unfortunately come pouring back in. I have to say, I enjoyed not having a blocked nose for the past six weeks! Within days of going back my little one had caught a cold and passed it to me and the baby- I was hopeful that we'd stay healthy for a few weeks at least, but no. Stock up on Calpol and kids Nurofen, check that your thermometer still works or needs a battery replacement. I'm a big fan of the Calpol plug ins, they're ridiculously expensive but I find they actually do help with a blocked nose overnight and seem to work better than regular Vicks or creams you apply directly to the child. Don't forget medicine for yourself as well, chemists have different cold and sore throat treatment available. Things like Lemsips and Night Nurse when you're really struggling with a cough overnight can be helpful as well
Get things ready the night before
This is the best habit you can get into in my opinion, for any occasion really but especially school mornings. Make sure uniform is washed, ironed and laid out (including socks and underwear) so no need to hunt for anything when you get up, put out your own clothes as well. Check shoes are clean and by the door, bags packed and hung up, homework checked on and lunches/ snacks/ water all finished and ready to go you'll avoid most of the morning dramas. I even prep breakfasts ahead, usually a healthy waffle mix in the waffle machine that's cooked and put in the fridge, or overnight oats. My focus in the morning is keeping things as stress free as possible, the kids can get up and eat breakfast with no rush. Then it's just a case of getting washed and dressed and nothing else needs thinking about. If your mornings are more chaotic than you'd like, this is a total game changer.
