MyPROJECT is...back to school

It's hard to believe, but summer is nearly over. Yes, just a few more weeks and the young ones will be back to school. If you haven't already picked up school supplies, you may want to consider getting them fairly quickly - it's been my experience that waiting until the weekend before school returns is not a good time to expect selection, or that anything is left for that matter!

Getting ready to return to school is a mini-project and can be done over a few days or all in one shot. Mom's are an extraordinary example of project managers! Before any project, always read through the 'instructions' and plan first so that you know what to expect and prepare for. For example, task number 3 below suggests that you'll need storage containers. If you don't have any, you may want to grab them while you're executing task number 2. Also, do you need help with anything (carrying bins or getting them to storage); find out when those helpers are available and reserve the time.

1. Schedule 1 hour of time. Pull out last year's supplies; are there any left over that can be used or can one child's supplies be transfered to another? What pieces worked well and what did your child not like (when my son was in elementary school, he was fussy about his ruler - he liked that plastic one that he could see through rather than the wooden one that was on the supplies list). Quickly blast through clothing and determine how much life is left in them. Put clean 'give aways' in a plastic garbage bag or Rubbermaid storage bin and leave at the front door to take to your car.

2. Schedule 2 hours of time and have someone mind the child(ren). It has been my experience that shopping for supplies on my own allowed me to be focused and therefore reduce my shopping time, stay within my budget (because I felt less pressured to buy trendy items that were not on the list) and when I got home I didn't feel drained from the experience because I wasn't saying "no" the entire time! When I got home, my son happily examined the supplies and put his name on everything.

3. Schedule 3 hours of time and arrange a play date (I did this further towards the end of September or early October). Now is the time to start removing the clutter of summer (sad, but true) and again, you'll appreciate being able to do it alone. Quickly go through your home and grab all the evidence - sunblocks & lotions, beach toys, etc. - and put them in the storage bin(s). Once you have everything collected, go through the bin and either put the item in it's "real" home or leave it in the bin! Label the bin and put it by the door to take to storage or the attic.

My son and I used to have back-to-school celebrations; we'd cook dinner together and talk about the best parts of summer and he'd share who he was looking forward to seeing in school, his favourite teachers from last year and classes he liked. It was a good transition. He's in highschool now and doesn't need his name on supplies (ha, ha) but he is sure good at carrying the heavy bins!