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	Back-To-School Made Simple

	by Stephanie Calahan

As the carefree days of summer are coming to a close, it's time to start thinking about sending the kids back to SCHOOL. While some parents are jumping for joy, others view this time of year as hectic and stressful. Now is the time to pave the way to a GOOD school year by setting up an organized routine and an organized house.

EVERYONE PITCHES IN

The key is to have everyone in the household INVOLVED in the daily tasks. Encourage independence. Let them help in what ever age-appropriate tasks they can. "The more kids are involved in the household, the less strain there is on the parents," said professional organizer Stephanie Calahan, president of Calahan Solutions, Inc.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR SOLUTIONS

"Organizing is about finding what you need when you need it," Calahan said. "Different people have different thinking and communication styles. The science of organizing is the tip; the art of organizing is in knowing which tip will work best for you." She offers the following tips for reducing your anxiety level and making the school days run more smoothly.

ENSURE EACH CHILD HAS A TASK LIST

The list should include all of the activities that need to be accomplished in order to be ready for a great day at school. The list helps you provide STRUCTURE with out having to nag your child. Feel free to customize each child's list by adding or deleting tasks as appropriate.

EMPTY BACKPACK

Each child should empty their own backpack into a simple SYSTEM. Don't overwhelm your kindergartener with an elaborate filing system. Consider using a plastic vertical file that hangs on a wall next to your backpack storage. Designate a specific spot for each child as well as an "ASAP" spot. This is for any paperwork or homework that would require immediate attention (notes from the teacher, items for the parents to sign, permission slips, etc.) This provides you some guarantee that notes and papers get to you in a timely manner. Parents remember to review the files daily!

PUT BACKPACK AWAY

There should be a designated SPOT in your home for backpacks. This could be a hallway bench, hooks in a garage, shelves in a laundry room or any location close to where the children will be exiting the house. By placing the backpack near the door before bedtime, you eliminate the mad rush backpack search in the morning.

DO HOMEWORK AND PUT IN BACKPACK

This may seem obvious, but often, kids notify their parents about assignments as they are being tucked in for bed. By including it on the assignment CHART, it is harder to overlook. Each child should have a designated study time. It does not matter if you are an adolescent or an adult, you benefit from a routine.

MAKE LUNCH

Even if your child is too young to make his/her lunch by themselves, they should be able to HELP pack fruit, beverage, dessert or chips. By making lunches the previous evening you will have one less thing to do on the morning.

CHOOSE CLOTHES

Teach your child to listen to the weather forecast for the next day so that they can pick out APPROPRIATE clothing. Make a rule that they must stick with their clothing choice the next morning -- no stalling because they did not feel like wearing what they chose the night before.

PACK FOR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

This might include sports equipment, band instruments, or field trip extras -- whatever SUPPLIES or equipment they need for non-academic pursuits.

HAVE A DESIGNATED STUDY AREA

After establishing the morning and evening routines, parents need to make sure that they have an area set aside for their child to study. Just WHERE and WHEN a child should do their homework depends on the child, but again, it should be a part of the routine. Make sure that each child has a designated study area -- not at the kitchen table or the computer desk (when possible). Ensure that they can spread out their materials and preferably it should be away from the television and radio. While some students work well at a kitchen table around noise, most require quiet, low-traffic areas to study. You may need to try a few different areas before you find the one that works best for your child.

ORGANIZE YOUR SUPPLIES

Once you have designated a study area, make sure that your child has all of the MATERIALS and resources needed. Make sure that the study area has a dictionary, thesaurus, pencils, erasers, paper, assignment book, glue, stapler, rulers, calculator, pencil sharpener, tape, scissors, index cards and whatever else he/she needs that is age appropriate. Also make sure that there is adequate lighting for proper concentration.

CLASSES BY COLOR

As you are setting up the area, remember COLOR. Color affects our mood and memory. Let your child pick out the colors for their folders and notebooks. If blue reminds them of science, they will be able to pick out the blue folder right away for their notes.

COLOR CODED MASTER CALENDAR

Record each family member's activities on the master family calendar in a different color. That way, your kids can easily pick out their own activities and parents can see CONFLICTS at a glance.

SOME OFFICIAL GUIDELINES

The U.S. Department of Education's daily HOMEWORK guidelines are 20 minute maximum for grades 1 to 3, 40 minutes maximum for grades 4 to 6 and two hours maximum for grades 7 to 9. The National Parent Teacher Association has recommended 10 minutes of homework per grade level. Other ways you can help your child get off to a good start with schoolwork include these guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education:

SET A GOOD EXAMPLE

Let your children SEE you reading and writing. They will be more inclined to pick up these habits themselves when they have a role model to emulate.

SHOW AN INTEREST

ASK your children questions about their homework. Ask them about what they are studying in class. Ask them about their friends and what they did that was fun.

MONITOR ASSIGNMENTS

Ask about the school's homework POLICY -- what kinds of assignments will be given? How long are children expected to complete them? How does the teacher want the parents to be involved?

BE AVAILABLE

Attend all regularly scheduled parent-teacher MEETINGS. Look over completed assignments. And monitor television viewing. Good luck this school season!

Stephanie Calahan is a professional organizer and speaker as well as founder of Calahan Solutions, Inc. -- a premier professional organizing and consulting firm, serving a national and local clientele in corporate settings, home-based businesses, and residential environments. You may visit her website at www.calahansolutions.com.

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