Back to School

Well, it is that time of year again...Back to School!!!! We hope that your school year is off to a great start. Most of the Sycamore Siblings are back at their respective schools. Between the two families, we have three schools represented! Needless to say, we are in our vans, aka, the Sycamore Mobiles, a lot! So far, we are off and running. It doesn’t take long for those lazy days of summer to feel so far away! In our group, we have a sixth grader, third grader, second grader, first grader, three preschoolers, and little Lauryn at home with Mom!

With the beginning of each school year, we always feel that sense of urgency to get everything in order. We are always saying, “If I could just get it all organized.” We truly believe that God is a God of order and there is comfort and peace in the order we bring to our families, as Parents. There is so much to keep track of with...

...the lunches
...which day to put the library book in the backpack
...the spelling tests
...the gym shoes need to be on Monday
...the orange folder is for music and the yellow one is for Spanish
...on and on...

We feel like there are some critical points to the day and if you have order in those moments, it really helps everything else run smoother. We decided to compile a list of helpful hints that have worked for the Sycamore Sisters and their families. We have included tips for night before school, morning routine, and homework time.

The first tip we have is to do as much the night before school as possible! You never know what the morning is going to bring! Whatever you can do to prepare will give you an advantage in the morning!

Make lunches the night before....

Making lunches is something that we truly love to do. In the Gallagher Household, it is something that we have to do, as we have food allergies, and it is the safest way to provide nutrition for our kiddos. We love putting together healthy lunches that the kids like to eat. We think that lunch is such an important part of our child’s day. It is when they get to socialize with their friends, they build their energy to get through their afternoon, & they get to relax a little.

We have found that putting together "ready to go snack bags" makes packing lunches go really quickly and smoothly. We even have lunch containers in our fridge to make it easier to put together a healthy lunch in a short amount of time.

Continuing with our “night before” routine, we always make sure our backpacks are set and ready to go by the door.

 

We also make sure to have our showers the night before and clothes laid out so they are ready to go for the morning. It just makes the morning routine go more smoothly. We even have clocks in our showers so that the kiddos can keep track of how much time they have left before they need to get out!

Speaking our “Morning Routine” - last year, we felt like our mornings were full of chaos. The kids needed constant reminders as to what to do next. They really had a hard time with time management in the mornings. We would frequently find ourselves rushing around at the last minute looking for shoes or brushing our teeth. We came up with “Morning Routine Tags” that tell, in order, what the child’s next task should be. They have really helped our morning run better. Here is what they look like. We keep them on our fridge, and then the kiddos carry them around as they get ready.

 

How many of you feel like your “second day” begins when you pick up your kiddos from school? We do! Many days, this is when we perk the second pot of coffee, make that tea or get that Diet Coke on the way to pick the kids up. There is something about the after school routine that urges you to make sure you're ready for it!

Homework time can be a stress inducing activity for all involved. The kids don’t want to do it and we, as parents, know they need to. We have found it is best to just knock it out right away and have “play time” after you get it all done. Work first, play later seems to work best for us. We have also found that making a “Homework Station” has been helpful. We both have more than one kiddo trying to tackle homework at the same time. Having a station where everything they need is right there streamlines things a bit.

As you know, the amount of paper to keep track of is insane. Each day, we are emptying the folders and keeping track of all the papers. What we have found to be effective is to have a box, hidden away in a closet, with each child’s name on it. When the papers come home, we go through them, and then put them in the box. Once a school year, we go through the box and weed out what we can.

The other helpful hint for paper control is our Family Binder. Anything really important such as: Food Allergy Action Plans, School Schedules, Contact information for teachers, etc., is contained in one place. Each family member has his/her own file. Each school has its own file. With kiddos in multiple schools, we have found this to be a life saver. There is only one place to look! We keep it in a central location so it is easy to find.

 

We hope that our Back to School tips help bring some order to your families. We are going to leave you with a few prayers for your kiddos as they are all headed Back to School!

A Mom's Prayer On the First Day of School 

Here we are again, Lord.  Their backpacks are loaded and their faces are scrubbed and their lunch accounts are full. 

And I know you'll walk with them, Lord.  You always do.  But a mom still has to ask. 

Will You walk with them?  Will You whisper to them what they need to hear, when I'm not there to whisper it?

Will You please, oh please, cover their school with the protection only You can give, and will You keep harm far away?

Will You make their minds strong and ready to learn?  Will You help them understand that hard work honors the One who created them?

Will You guide their teachers, giving them patience and wisdom and creativity and more patience?  Will You bless them for their efforts?

Will You love all those children there, the ones whose lunch accounts aren't full, the ones who feel alone?  Will You teach my children to be kind and unselfish and to love those who are different from them? 

Will You point them back toward home just as soon as you can?
Lord, I give them to You today and everyday, trusting them to Your care.

Amen.

          by: Shannon of Rocks in My Dryer

The Homework Prayer

Thank you, God for all your gifts: For the gift of understanding For the gift to be able to learn For the gift of knowing right from wrong For the gift of holy people who give great example, Help me to remember them.
For the gift of my guardian angel, Help me to follow his guidance.
Help me Lord, to follow Your holy will in my life And to be an example for others to follow.
Help me, Lord, to stay on track with the things You call me to do today... To spend time with you in prayer, To do my work in class and follow my teacher’s instructions, To do my homework without getting distracted, and
To get myself ready for tomorrow.
Sometimes, Lord, it’s hard for me to keep working. Help me to know when I need to ask for help And when it’s something I just need to work harder at. Help me to know when I need to ask for a break
And when I need to keep working. And Lord, help my parents to know when I really need a break And give them the wisdom to help me the way you want them to.
Most important, help me to remember above all, that You love me no matter what and you are with me every moment of every day.
I pray all these things through Christ, your Son. Amen.