Back-to-School: Get Organized and Get Ready for the Best School Year Ever

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By Ann Douglas

Starting to panic when you think of all the things that stand between you, the kids, and that first day of school? Becoming increasingly convinced that only a Stepford Wife could possibly pull it off? Relax! Our back-to-school guide tells you everything you need to know.

CLOTHES CALLS

Your teenage daughter insists she needs $1000 to outfit herself for back-to-school. Meanwhile, your ten-year-old son keeps telling you that he doesn't need a thing because his clothes from last year fit just fine-this despite the fact that he's a good three inches taller! Is it reasonable to send one child to school outfitted like a princess and the other dressed like a pauper?

The only way to get a handle on what your kids do-and don't-need in the clothing department is to go on a clothing reconnaissance mission. Ask your kids to take you on a guided tour of their closets so that you can see for yourself what items can be salvaged from last year's wardrobe. If you're not sure if a particular item still fits, ask your son or daughter to try it on. Anything that doesn't fit should immediately be tossed in a bag that can either be passed along to a friend or relative, taken to your local consignment shop, or donated to charity. Hey, you might as well take full advantage of this opportunity to weed out each kid's closet while you're sizing up his or her back-to-school clothing needs.

Once you've identified a list of wardrobe essentials, it's time to start shopping. This task will be accomplished fairly quickly and painlessly with your son. (Since he wasn't all that keen to step foot in a store in the first place, he'll likely want to get his clothing purchased all at once so that he can get back to the business of enjoying his summer.)

Outfitting your daughter may prove to be a bit more of a challenge. You may find that it works best to set a budget for her based on what she actually needs. If, for example, you determine that she needs three pairs of pants and three shirts to round out her wardrobe, and that those items could reasonably be purchased at a cost of $300, you might set a $300 limit on her purchases. If she decides to go for some high-end clothing that only nets her one outfit for that price, it simply means that she'll be doing laundry a whole lot more often. And if your daughter complains that she wants to spend more than what you've budgeted on back-to-school clothing, encourage her to put her money where her mouth is by chipping in some of her own funds-perhaps some income from babysitting or a part-time job.

DOLLARS AND CENTS

Clothes aren't the only item that can take a major bite out of your family's budget at back-to-school time. School supplies, lunch bags, and other school-year essentials can really add up. Here are some tips on finding the best deals once you start hitting the stores.

• Find out what school supplies parents are required to purchase before you start loading up on items. Otherwise, you risk purchasing things that your child may not actually need-hardly a bargain.
• Check out the flyers before you hit the stores. The newspapers are jam-packed with flyers advertising back-to-school specials from mid-August onward, so use this information to your advantage to find the best possible prices on school supplies.

• Suggest that your child take a wait-and-see approach when it comes to backpacks and other bigger ticket items. Your child may do a u-turn re: her own choice of backpack once she sees what the other kids are toting to school this year. (It's nice to think that your child is immune to peer pressure, but not all kids are. So save yourself some bucks and/or some tears by hedging your bets.)

GETTING ORGANIZED

The secret to getting your kids back to school in at least a semi-organized manner is to come up with some new-and-improved systems and routines on the homefront. Here are a few tips:

• Figure out how to stop school-related clutter in its tracks. Do your kids have a tendency to drop all their stuff on the floor the moment they walk through the front door? Give each child a bin to catch all the school-related clutter and you'll have less trouble tracking down homework assignments, trip forms, and lunch dishes when you need them.

• Teach your kids good organizational skills. We all know at least one 20-something year-old guy who still relies on his mother to make his sandwiches, wake him up in the morning, and remind him when his college term papers are due. If you'd prefer to escape that kind of parental fate, there's no time like the present to start teaching your kids to assume some of the responsibility for their day-to-day routines: e.g., getting your six year old involved in chasing down some of the items for his lunch and helping your eight year old to record all of his project due dates on the family calendar.

• Eliminate the morning scramble. Mornings tend to be a bit chaotic for most families, so try to get as many tasks as possible out of the way at night. If your child puts his homework, library book, gym shorts, and other school-related paraphernalia in his backpack before he goes to bed, you'll save him-and yourself-the hassle of trying to track down these items before you've even finished your first morning coffee. It'll make for a much saner start to the day-and the school year-for the entire family.