"Makes me want to buy school Supplies": Setting the Stage for Learning

My pen of choice is always a Bic!

July means summer is nearing its end, and going back to school is on everyone's

mind. Whether you live in a vacation destination and wish everyone would go back

home, are a parent whose children are getting on your nerves, or a kid anxious to

see your friends again, back to school is a universally exciting time for everybody!

My kids are grown, but I am a stationary junky, and watching the back-to-school

section at Target expand lights me up! However, if you are not enthusiastic about

school supplies or office goodies but want to set your student up for success, I have

some ideas to share.

Setting the stage for learning begins in your home, but your kids aren't the only beneficiaries of the investment. The return to school means book bags and shoes at the door. It's signing agendas and reading daily notes about classroom events and homework assignments. Often, it also means books and notebooks scattered across the kitchen table. Here are some things to consider...

• Magazine holders make great assistants and keep the prized counter space in your kitchen reserved for meal prep. Hang one near the door to store notebooks waiting for your review. They serve as a visual reminder to sign papers before morning and keep each child's work separate, preserving your equally prized mental bandwidth.

• Consider adding a slender hanging file basket to the room to store important papers, helpful coupons, and class syllabus away from the bills and work of the office.

• Set up a homework station in the adjacent room. Drop-leaf tables make awesome impromptu desks. Small Pedestal tables also make attractive desk spaces that, when not in use, serve guests as well. Consider storing stationery items in a beautiful box stored on a side table. The best case is that the station you create has excellent natural light near a window; if not, equip this area with task lighting. If you don't, they will gravitate to other rooms.

• Set up the pantry with pre-approved afterschool snacks to help keep the negotiating for things you do not want them to have before supper to a minimum.

• Label everything to save confusion at school if coats are left on the playground or a bookbag in the classroom. Avery makes a label that does not require ironing for quick installation.

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As for school supplies, the stores are open and filled with choices. My favorite for personalizing the school experience is Pop Shelf and TJ Max. Both have a generous selection of to-do lists and planners, and Pop Shelf has an abundance of color-coordinated supplies that may make riffs over whose is whose less likely when clean up begins after home-work ends,....maybe....no guarantees. Still, it's worth a try for such great priced items!

I wish you a great start to the school year and a memorable end to summer fun! Planning ahead will go a long way toward minimizing the mind-numbing business soon to arrive! Back to school is something we can all relate to. Enjoy the unified effort, and be good to you as the Mom taxi service goes into full swing. Stay safe and good luck to all of you who do your best to keep the kiddo's blessed!