Avoid New School Year Stress: Get Organized Now

While the idea of getting ready for school might bring a sigh to your lips, the promise of a stress free start might change your mind. Though in the past I clung to my lazy days of summer, unwilling to think much less plan for school in August, I have learned that I can still enjoy what's left of the summer by doing so. And the payoff is a smooth start without the stress of getting ready for school when September comes.

I have found these 6 tips have helped me in the past and as I get started getting ready, I share them here with you.

1. Hit the books - Though I used to shake my head as I listened to moms talk about book shopping in July, I have since learned that choosing my books and ordering them in the summer is a great time saver. And most importantly, ordering in early August is a great way of ensuring books arrive on time for the big first day. It's often a greay way of avoiding backorder problems for books that are in high demand. I can't tell you how much more peaceful the rest of my summer is when I know that all the books I need in September are sitting snugly in boxes in the corner of my office.

2. Shop - Shop for your school supplies now. It's that simple. And no excuses since I have already seen several "back to school" displays back in the middle of July. It's a pleasure to stroll the aisle leisurely, list in hand, and get first choice on notebooks, pens, markers and whatever else you want. Why wait for the mad rush when droves of publicly schooled children and their mothers, stressed and rushed, tear apart the aisles, fighting for the very last 3 inch, 3 ring binder in just the right blue? Even better, if you prefer to avoid the stores you can order online through Pennywise.com, Staples.com or Officemax.com and have everything delivered to your door, boxed and ready to be packed in the corner until the first big day.

3. Take 20 - That's 20 minutes a day and it's all you need to spend each day in August writing up lesson plans and getting worksheets and other materials set up. When September comes you'll have all your lesson plans, worksheets and quizzes at your fingertips ready to go. You'll be amazed at how much "class" time you'll save not having to look for, print or design lessons and quizzes.

4. Before you go - Before you dash out the door with the kids in tow, make a list of field trips you plan to incorporate in this year's curriculum. Call those museums, galleries and science halls now and get all the information you need - days and hours of operation, prices, features and if they offer any discounts to homeschoolers. Don't forget directions too! Even better, sit down with your calendar and choose the dates of each field trip according to when you are learning about that topic. You'll be surprised at how motivated your children will be to work in anticipation of a day of field trip fun.

5. Don't wait - Don't wait for the first week of school to clean up and ready your children's work areas. What a relief it is just to be able to have them sit down and get started. If your children work at desks help them clean out old papers, broken crayons and dead pens. Wash down the desk tops and they're ready for a brand new year. If your children use cubbies or file cabinets help them clean out old materials, texts and workbooks. If you belong to a homeschool organization you may be able to donate used textbooks so other families can save money. If not, perhaps your local library might consider accepting them for their used book sale table.

6. Stock up - There are some subjects that call for more than a pencil and notebook. It's a great time saver to go through art books to see what supplies are going to be needed for the year's projects. Nothing throws a wrench in the day's lesson faster than scrambling for just the right color construction paper or pastel crayons. For older students, it's wise to check science books where there tend to be numerous experiments designated for certain lessons. Many times science experiments call for specific items that you may not have in your house. Having those items on hand ahead of time makes the day much smoother.

May your school year skate in smoothly leaving you plenty of time to enjoy what we love most to do: teach our children And don't forget to enjoy the rest of your summer!

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Families Online Radio Listen to an Interview with columnist Christina Lorenzen about Homeschooling

Christina Lorenzen is a full-time freelance writer specializing in parenting and health issues. With more than 125 articles published, she also offers her wisdom and experience to other writers by teaching writing workshops through local libraries, bookstores and online. In addition to this column, she is also a columnist for Connecting @ Home magazine. She can reached at carp119@aol.com