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Simplify for School: Five Ways to Simplify the Back to School Rush


It is hard to believe that summer is drawing to an end and a new school year is already upon us.  The hustle and bustle of preparations are fully underway.  As you prepare to start a new school year, let me share with you some simple steps you can take to simplify your life.

Schedule

One aspect of new school year that tends to complicate life is adjusting to a new schedule.  During the summer months, your kids develop new habits like sleeping in, having excessive times of recreation and altogether not keeping a steady schedule. (By the way, this is what makes summer so great for kids, right?)  So, it can be a great challenge to get your kids (and yourself) back to keeping a consistent schedule for school.

You will greatly simplify your life for the upcoming school year by taking some time to write out a new schedule for your family.  Take time to evaluate what is most important in your life. (For example, God should come first, family time second, etc.)  Once you set these priorities, put each one of them into your weekly schedule as a family. As one person put it, 'That which gets scheduled gets done."

Then, the final step is critical:  Get into the habit of your new schedule before school starts.  Start having your kids get up early, get dressed, eat breakfast and get prepared for the day a couple weeks before school begins.  Get yourself into the habit of keeping and leading your family in the new schedule.  This will greatly simplify your life when the school year begins.

Supplies

Another great way to simplify your life for a new school year is by taking time to get all the supplies you will need.  Too many parents wait until the week before school starts to get all the things their children will need.  This makes life unnecessarily stressful!  Most schools provide a list of supplies every child will need for their respective grade.  Get this list, go to the store (or online) and get all the supplies your children will need.

Beyond this, you will greatly simplify your life by making your own list of things your family will need as you get ready to enter this new season.  Do your kids need new school clothes? How about lunch supplies?  This list could go on and on, but if you will take some intentional time to think about what your family will need to function well, it will make the transition back to school so much easier.

Space

It is hard to get anything done in a cluttered space.  Throughout the summer months, your habits change and the way that your home is organized naturally changes as a result.  So, taking time to intentionally organize your home for a new school year will greatly simplify your life.

Perhaps you can set up little stations where your kid's backpacks and school supplies get put every day when they come home.  Set up a designated space in your kitchen for where all the lunch prep supplies get put to make it easier to do daily.  Little steps such as these can greatly reduce the clutter that  tends to overcomplicate your life in a new school year.

Standards

Before the school year even begins, take some time to set your standards of conduct for your family.  One reason the school year becomes so stressful for so many people is because they do not live intentionally.  As a result, they spend their days running around doing what other people or urgent situations demand of them instead of doing what they know they should be doing.  But, if you take some time to establish what your boundaries are as this season begins, it will save you from this unnecessary stress.

Set boundaries for your family and for yourself. Set a bedtime for your kids. Decide on what activitiese you are going to allow your kids to be involved in. Schedule when your kids will do their homework. Limit the amount of time your family spends on media.  Determine your family will be in church and your kids will be involved in the youth ministry. Then, when other opportunities arise, learn to say "No." Resist the urge to compromise your standards.

Spirit

Perhaps the most significant step you can take to simplify your life as your kids head back to school is to get your spirit right.  Instead of approaching this school year begrudgingly, determine that you are going to enjoy the new season of life.  The Bible says, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)  You can choose to embrace the season God has you in and make the most of it.  And you can encourage your kids to do the same!

As we prepare to enter this new school year, I hope these simple tips will be a help to you in simplifying your life as you face the back to school rush.

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