School has already commenced in some parts of the country while others are still preparing for the big day. Returning to the school routine is both a great and dreadful day for me.

I love the freedom of having the girls home so we can take off for a day on a fun adventure to a new park or museum, or to just spend a lazy day in our pajamas at home playing games and watching our favorite movies. But I also love to have more of a routine to our day. The list of things I’ve put off over the course of three months overwelms me only slightly less than the pile of papers and projects sitting on my desk waiting for my attention after Labor Day.

I also dread the pace at which we run once fall arrives. Each member of our clan has many responsibilities and activities that we choose to hold onto because of the value they add to our lives. Even after careful assessment of our load these demanding schedules still require a great deal of planning to get it all done and to carefully not double-book ourselves. Sound familiar? I doubt I’m alone in these feelings.

While the smell of freshly picked apples and the sight of school supplies gets me all excited for a new school year, I also know that if I’m not ready for it, it will overwelm me and squelch all of my energy. Here are some of the things I do to prepare for the great and dreadful day that is an American tradition: The First Day of School. Even if you’ve already starting hitting the books again you can still take this steps to make sure the rest of the year goes smoothly.

1. Assess and take inventory. I take stock of every single item of clothing my daughters own, from their socks to their hats. We sort through every drawer and each closet, evaluating each item while we ask ourselves, 1) Does it still fit? 2) Do you wear it? If not, will you wear it ever? and 3) Is it stained, does it have a hole, or is it missing a button? This year I was shocked that we filled two full bags of clothing to be donated or passed down to younger nieces and one full bag of trash! That is one bag of unwanted items per child taking up space in our life.
2. Make a list. Once I’ve whittled each of their wardrobes down to what is actually useable for the coming school year, I make a list of items that we need to purchase. (Check out my post this Thursday for tips on back to school shopping tips.)
3. Wash and wear. It’s amazing how an old, crusty pair of tennis shoes or a sticky backpack can look as good as new after a spin through the washing machine. The dryer may damage plastic snaps on backpacks, or add to the wear and tear of other items, so it may be best to let some items air dry.
4. Talk it over. Each year we seem to be adjusting alarm clocks to fit the needs of our schedule for that particular stretch of time. Instead of blurting out the awful early morning hour to my kids I let them count backwards and come to their own conclusion about what time they need to get up in the morning. It’s also a good time to set goals for helping them to become self-reliant in the morning (setting their own clock, showering, making lunch, etc.)
5. Review the rules. My husband and I always set aside the week before school begins to review all of our “Stranger Danger” warnings with the kids. The older they’ve gotten the more detailed we’ve been able to get in these topics. Our children aren’t out of our sight too often, but school is a place where our children are exposed to all kinds of people and things often without our knowledge. It’s a great time to remind them that they can always discuss things with us if they have questions or are confused by things they’ve heard or seen at school.
6. Go out with a bang. Set a date on the calendar amidst all of the busy preparations to have one last day of fun. Check out Wednesday’s blog post for ideas on how to celebrate the end of summer.

Question: What do you do to make Back to School easier?