It is hard to believe that summer is coming to a close but the fall and school season is fast approaching. Our son will be beginning his first year of preschool this year and we are both excited and nervous. How nice it has been to not be on a schedule and to be able to lounge around in our pajamas yet at the same time I am looking forward to having some time on my hands to tackle those projects that have been looming before me all summer long.

I remember the hectic mornings of my youth with three children in our parents house. I remember the constant fight over the bathroom the rushed breakfast our poor mom driving us to school every single day and the frantic sense of urgency that we all had to get to where we need to be. I hope that with a few of these organizational tips that you can avoid those hectic mornings and be able to really sit down and enjoy that cup of coffee before your hurried day begins. Here are a few of my ideas for staying organized during a more stressful part of your day.

Plan Ahead

Much of the stress in our lives can be avoided if we can plan ahead and this is the case with returning to school. Usually the teachers send home with your children a list for what will be needed for the next school year and it is important to get all of the required items as well as several backups for later during the year. Take advantage of all of those back to school sales with the huge bins of notebooks loose leaf paper and pencils and stock up. Designate a spot in your home which is accessible to the children for storing all of your back up supplies. Be sure to check your local dollar store as well for the pricier items that your child will need in order to get started for the year. You will be very grateful when the spring rolls around and you do not have to make another trip to the store and pay higher prices for the same items later in the year.

Next label label label. Everything will need to have your childs name on it and you will be glad that you labeled your childs items when another child accidentally brings them home with them. You can write your childs name in permanent marker on belongings such as backpacks lunch boxes gym shoes and other fabric items. For notebooks pencil totes and books it might be a good investment to purchase a selfstamping rubber stamp with their information on it or purchase address labels. A good place that I have found to get these is http://www.checksunlimited.com and they offer a wide selection in different styles and fonts.

Be sure not to miss the childs Back to School night and introduce yourself to their teacher. Be involved in any capacity that you can whether it is room mother volunteer teacher or just to help on those field trips. Not only will your child be grateful but you can establish a relationship with the teacher and open the doors of communication. Remember that if you do not have a wonderful first impression of the teacher to reserve this information when you are around your child. Your negativity can rub off on them and immediately start the year off on the wrong foot.

Clothes Wars & Other Battles

Around the age of two or three you will start to see your child developing their own opinions on what looks good and what does not. Maybe looking like a fashion dont isnt of any concern to them but it might be a concern to you on your childs picture day. It can be a true battle of wills but there are ways to help your child choose their own clothing with your help.

Invest in a five compartment sweater organizer and use the top one for Monday the second one for Tuesday and so on. On Sunday evening have your child help you plan the clothing for the week. Preset everything down to underwear socks barrettes whatever you can do to help make their morning easier.

For younger kids preset their combs brushes toothbrush towel and toothpaste so that they can quickly get ready in the morning without you getting everything out for them.

Be sure to have purses briefcases coats and backpacks waiting at the door ready to go for you so that you dont have to rush around getting everything together in the morning. You will be grateful when you dont have to spend twenty minutes looking for that one paper or your keys when you are already rushed to get to where you need to go.

Meals

Much can be said about meal planning not only for your hectic morning but also lunch preparation can be particularly cumbersome when you are trying to get your children to school on time. The supermarkets offer a variety of food that is both unhealthy and pricey catering to the harried parent who doesnt think that they have time to be creative. You will waste a lot of your money by buying these convenience and individually sized items.

Instead of buying these look for foods that are nutritious and which will offer your child the nutrients they need for energy to get through their school day. Buy large packages of crackers cheese milk or juice carrots celery and other healthy foods and start by dividing these large packages into small lunchsize portions in baggies. Keep these baggies in a Rubbermaid container and then just grab them and drop them in the

lunch boxes in the morning.

Save your used yogurt containers and refill these with the boxed pudding or Jello that you can make large batches of for a fraction of the cost or refill them with yogurt from larger and less expensive containers. Instead of purchasing juice boxes or individual milks fill a thermos with the drink of your choice. For younger children you can dilute the juice so that they are not getting too many empty calories. Be fun and creative with lunches and a little note to your child (or your husband for that matter) will really make their day and remind them of how special they are to you. By preparing these meals the night before you will save yourself some time in the morning.

With that being said dont forget to offer your child a healthy breakfast in the morning. It is proven that children perform better on tests and have less health problems later in their life if their day is started with a healthy breakfast. Have a variety of foods on hand such as fruits whole grain cereals whole grain bagels and other healthy foods on hand that your child can prepare for themselves.

For the more motivated mother you could even prepare large batches of French toast waffles or pancakes and then freeze them in individual portions for your child to zap in the microwave in the morning. I like to do this on Saturday mornings when I have more time on my hands to really prepare a nice morning brunch and just make tons of extras for those days during the week when I have less time.

Preset your table with silverware bowls and plates the night before. Place cereal and other brea