FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 24, 2017 • BACK TO SCHOOL • THE QUEENS COURIER 29
back to school
5 ways to tame the back-to-school madness
It seems like you just adjusted to managing
your children’s summer schedules,
juggling camps and making sure all that
free time doesn’t get them in trouble.
Now it’s time to switch gears. Summer is
nearly over and school is about to begin.
Back-to-school time might mean new
outfi ts, reconnecting with old friends and
fun new classes for your kids, but it is not
uncommon to feel like your brain is in a
bit of a scramble.
Despite the impending chaos, with a little
planning you can glide right into backto
school mode and be on top of your
game. Here are some tips to make the
transition seamless.
1. Start early. You’ve probably heard that
it’s never too early to get your back-toschool
shopping done. Th is is true - in fact,
the number one rule for back-to-school
success is: Don’t procrastinate! Before
summer is over, start getting the kids back
on a normal sleep schedule and make sure
they know where the bus stop is or what
route to take to get to school. Th e earlier
you start, the easier their fi rst day will be!
2. Prepare lunches ahead of time. Who
wants to go through the mad dash of
packing a lunch in the morning when
you’re already pressed for time? Take 15
or 20 minutes on Sunday to make sandwiches
(for freshness, keep the bread separate
from meat or other toppings) and
divide snack items like Snack Factory(R)
Original Pretzel Crisps(R) into small
bags. You’ll be amazed at how much easier
it will be to get your kids out the door!
3. Digitize and post schedules. Th ere
have probably been times that you
thought you might need a personal assistant
to keep track of everyone’s activities
and schedules. In addition to hanging
up a calendar you can easily mark up,
take advantage of calendar soft ware that
allows you to sync with your entire household
so everyone gets automated reminders
and updates.
4. Keep aft er-school snacks on hand.
Th e last thing you want is to come home
to hungry kids aft er a long day at work,
especially if you have teenagers who seem
to always be asking for something to
eat. Keeping a well-stocked pantry with
snacks like Pretzel Crisps, which are made
with no trans fat, saturated fat or cholesterol,
is the simple and tasty way to keep
your kids satisfi ed.
5. Set up a command center for your
kids. Parenting is largely a battle against
chaos. What is clean and tidy one minute
is a mess the next. Th is is not a situation
you want to be in the fi rst week of school!
Set up designated stations in your home
where your kids can keep school supplies,
shoes and outerwear.
By rolling up your sleeves and staying
organized, you might even fi nd that getting
the school year off to a smooth start
can be surprisingly easy. Now, if you can
just make doing homework and bedtime
so simple!
Courtesy BPT