So it’s been a few weeks since I wrote my last post on how Melinda and I try to survive the school year with our busy schedules which you can read HERE.

In this post I would like to share with you what survival tips seem to have worked best for us and maybe they will be able to help you and your family get through the busy school year.

Use some sort of calendar : Melinda and I use a paper calendar that everyone has access to and we also use a digital one on our phones that only Melinda and I have access to. Between the two calendars it shows everything that we need to do and when we need to do it. Without these two calendar we would be totally lost and in my opinion this is our most used tool that keeps us organized.

Have a good homework routine that works for you : Melinda and I allow the kids to come home, empty their backs packs, have a snack, then they get to work. Shaun gets his homework packet on Friday’s so we usually do it over the weekend so he doesn’t have to do it during the week but he does still have to read 20 minutes every day. Having a consistent homework routine allows Shaun and Shae to know what to expect every single day during the week and in my opinion allows after school to be so much less stressful.

Create a weekly menu plan : Melinda and I create a weekly dinner menu every single week so we know exactly what is for dinner every day. Creating this menu accomplished two things. First is allows you us to get everything we need for the week at the grocery store so we don’t have to make costly one off trips during the week and secondly it allows us to eat healthy. I find when we don’t have a menu plan in place we tend to order out which is bad for our budget and not very healthy either.

Above are the three main tips that I can share that I know work for us. We have many more tips and tricks that we use but it would take me pages to go through them all.

If you want some additional tips be sure to check out Tyson’s Any’tizers Snacks School Year Survival Guide that offers so many awesome tips that I am sure could and would work for you and your family.

If you have any special routines or tips that you use feel free to share them and maybe we could use them to make our lives easier as well.

Tyson Any’tizers asked me to offer your tips and tricks to survive the school year by all opinion are my own and belong to Look What Mom Found…and Dad too!

With three kids in school and involved in a variety activities you can imagine our schedule is crazy busy. Even on those rare days that the calendar is blank we find ourselves running around to handle details and errands that get missed on the other days. Shae is in dance, Shaun was in football, now in lacrosse and Sabreena is involved in academic after school clubs so we are never in the same area at the same time. Making sure everyone gets to their spot means we all have to be organized and aware of the family calendar.

Melinda and I share a digital calendar that holds everything from birthdays, family dinners, blog deadlines and appointments. We also keep a calendar on the bulletin board in our kitchen that lists the things that the entire family would need to know about. This includes field trips, family events and parties. The kids like to know what the plan is for an upcoming weekend, this calendar also keeps them updated.

Being so busy also means that we need to establish a regular routine for activities, homework, dinner and even bedtime. Being as efficient as possible cuts down on stress and wasted time and effort. The after school routine is the most important. Each day the first thing the kids need to do once they get home from school is unpack their backpacks, put lunchboxes by the sink, put shoes and coats away, get a snack (usually healthy) and get started on their homework. When something like unpacking lunchboxes happens this usually means delays when making lunch for the next day.

It’s important that the kids know exactly what needs to be done once they walk in the door from school. This routine works because each step serves a purpose. Each completed step moves the kids forward to their own down time to play.

The evenings fly by. By the time dinner is finished the kids need to start the bedtime process. Showers and teeth brushing happen in a whirlwind because they know the quicker they get done the more time they have for their own fun. Squeezing in a video games, books, crafts or television is usually the last step before sleep. The bedtime routine tends to go quickly because the kids are exhausted from their busy day.

Not every day runs this smoothly. There are always hiccups in the plan but the point is to have a plan to start with. If everyone know what they are supposed to do then we are only setting ourselves up for success.

Tyson Any’tizers asked me to offer your tips and tricks to survive the school year by all opinion are my own and belong to Look What Mom Found…and Dad too!