Article: Back-to-School Bliss: A Handy Checklist Making Parenting Easier!

Jan 25, 2023

Back-to-School Bliss: A Handy Checklist Making Parenting Easier!

As the summer holidays come to an end, it's time to start thinking about getting ready for back to school. As a mother of two, school-aged kids, I'm excited!

It can be a stressful time of year; labelling, labelling and more labelling; braving the shopping mall to buy new shoes, only to be told that you need to make an appointment! Dealing with kids' fighting over trivial things, like a two-year-old McHappy meal toy missing a leg. Or opening the school bag to find 'that sandwich' you asked your child to throw out six weeks ago, that now resembles the contents of a petrie dish experiment.

To help make the transition smoother, we've put together a checklist of tips and tricks from our community of MIMI parents. So let's make life easier for everyone this back-to-school season.

Label It...With A Pen!

Do yourself a favour. Go to Office Works and buy a $2 Sharpie Rub-a-Dub Laundry Marker to label your kids' things. We've all been there, midnight before school starts, tediously ironing teeny-tiny name labels onto undies that have probably had their day! Keep it simple, and write it! The only person who reads the label is the teacher, and after re-homing yet another blue hat, they don't care if the label has a cute squirrel on it.

Sunday Night

Organising things into boxes and putting a label on them is my jam!

Try organising kids' uniforms on a Sunday night to make the mornings run smoother.

Use five small boxes or a five-drawer unit. Label each one Monday through Friday. Then, sort the various uniforms with undies and socks into their scheduled day of the week. The result is less stress in the mornings, as everything is in one place..

Morning Of

Get kids' to get dressed as soon as they wake up. Including shoes! Sounds over the top, as sometimes my kids are up at 5 am. However, it does make a big difference in getting out the door on time. Nothing is more annoying than your child getting a late slip because you couldn't find their left shoe!

Best Buddy

Find 'that mum'. You know the one! Always on-time, if not early; who know's when the teacher's birthday is. Who carries a buffet of snacks in their bag just in case their child is hungry. This person is your new best buddy AND IN CASE OF SCHOOL EMERGENCY CONTACT.. Align yourself with them, and you will never again send your child to school on the cross country day in their formal school uniform

Gold Coins

Cupcake day. Free dress day. Killer python fundraising day. Music appreciation day. Wear an orange t-shirt with blue stripes and white spots day. You name it, and there is a gold coin supporting it. All for a good cause, of course! My hot tip; at the beginning of each term, exchange a lobster ($20 note) for $1 coins and keep them in your car. You will NEVER get caught out again. Trust me; I'm still reminded, two years on, about the day my daughter missed out on a cupcake. becuase I had no gold coins.

Hair Care Station

Encourage kids to care for their hair by creating a station where they can keep all their products together. K-mart has these cute mini lockers which perfectly fit your MIMI Detangling spray, brush, hair ties and ribbons. Store alongside a mirror at a height they can reach. One less job for you in the mornings. YES!

Even better, MIMI has put together a back-to-school haircare kit with everything you need to tame that mane, only $39.00. Get those beachy locks, school ready. Tear, tantrum, stress free! I'll take two!

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