The back-to-school season can be both exciting and overwhelming for families, but with a little preparation, you can make the transition smooth and stress-free.
Our community is a wealth of knowledge, so we asked local parents to share their tips on preparing for a smooth start to the school year in Moreton Bay.
According to local mum Kate, school lists can be uploaded to the Officeworks website.
“They are then quoted by email, you pay for it and it is shipped to your choice of store for collection,” Kate said. “The other option is to do a click-and-collect online so you can choose the items.”
Samir recommended ordering next year’s book list before the last day of school (the previous year).
“That way it is almost certain that the booklist will arrive before the start of term one and to give sufficient time to sort, label etc. before the school starts,” Samir said.
Handy Back-to-school Shopping Tips
Kathryn said a great back-to-school tip was to buy different coloured zip-up folders and match a colour with different subjects.
“Like black for maths, red for English, teal for humanities,” she explained. “And colour code it with their timetable too.”
Matthew offered a handy tip for families with more than one child.
“We look at their timetables and write a chart showing which uniform each child needs to wear on which day and put this somewhere central so the kids can check and take ownership of making sure they wear sports uniform on the right days,” Matthew said. “It helps them be more responsible and takes the stress off our shoulders.”
Chloe said shoe shopping was exhausting in January when everyone was lining up to get measured.
“We like to go before Christmas to get it out of the way before the rush,” Chloe said. “We make sure the unworn shoes can be exchanged later if the kids have a growth spurt over the holidays.”
Dave suggested a helpful hint for those who find getting back into a routine difficult after the holidays.
“We bring back structured bedtimes the week leading up to school so they’re used to going to bed early and getting up early by the time school starts,” he said.
From stationery shopping to school shoes and bedtimes, with a little preparation and a positive attitude, both you and the kids will be ready for a successful start to the school year!
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