What are your hacks for being an organized parent during the school year?

[Anonymous]

Chuck E Cheese pizza is really good. I remember 20 years back it was all the rage. It needs a makeover now.

[Anonymous]

If you are celebrating kids birthday in the daycare, then buy cupcakes instead of a cake so that it is easy to hand out to the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These aren't hacks, OP. Staying on top health records, medical appointments, calendars and school lunches is what the rest of us call being an adult & parenting.

Exactly!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These two posters have completely derailed this thread with their cat-fight.

Meow

[Anonymous]

I bring fruit snacks for daycare birthdays. (He attends two different schools for AM and PM for his special needs, so it’s over 30 kids). They are easy to buy at the store, dirt cheap, easy to pass out at school, and my kid loves them. Also, he has a January birthday so I always score a Black Friday deal for booking the birthday venue and save 20-40 percent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bring fruit snacks for daycare birthdays. (He attends two different schools for AM and PM for his special needs, so it’s over 30 kids). They are easy to buy at the store, dirt cheap, easy to pass out at school, and my kid loves them. Also, he has a January birthday so I always score a Black Friday deal for booking the birthday venue and save 20-40 percent.

Fruit snacks are a chocking hazard at that age. Are you nuts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
No. I cared enough to get up on a weekend morning, forgo better ways to spend the day with my family, drive to whatever unimaginative Chuck E Cheese/Badlands birthday party location you came up with, listen to the exact same insipid conversations and gossip with airhead moms like you, watch my kid be served cardboard pizza and a supermarket cupcake, then fight with my kid on the ride home about throwing away your bullshit "goody bag" filled with whistles and sugary corn syrup candy. Because as sucky as this experience is for me, I love my child. DD has fun and can't wait for the other 15 parties, not including her own. You put in zero effort, but are this unhinged about a gift for a little kid? Because for you, it was really a gift grab after all.

This doesn't sound like "caring," exactly. Maybe just RSVP no and send good thoughts...if you can find any in there.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bring fruit snacks for daycare birthdays. (He attends two different schools for AM and PM for his special needs, so it’s over 30 kids). They are easy to buy at the store, dirt cheap, easy to pass out at school, and my kid loves them. Also, he has a January birthday so I always score a Black Friday deal for booking the birthday venue and save 20-40 percent.

Fruit snacks are a chocking hazard at that age. Are you nuts?

I teach at a preschool and fruit snacks are not on our choking hazard list (uncut grapes and cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, hot dogs, hard candy, popcorn). Maybe for 2 and under? But op didn’t state the age of her kids.

As a teacher, I would love you for not handing out those giant cupcakes with miles of colored frosting that gets everywhere and often comes in different colors so we inevitably have one or two kids sad because they didn’t get one of the two pink cupcakes. And then the kids are hyper as all get out and don’t listen to a thing we say. Bring on the birthday fruit snacks!!!

[Anonymous]

For in-class birthday parties do cake pops. No frosting mess and they’re small so the kids aren’t all hyped up on sugar.

PP who hates all birthday parties - you sound like a very angry and hateful person. I hope you get some help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've mentioned this before, but with the onslaught of birthday parties for DD's 16 classmates, at the beginning of the year I take DD to Five Below and we pick out about 20 gifts that range from gender specific to gender neutral. We then go to Dollar Tree and buy 20 birthday cards at 2/$1, a few packs of tissue paper, and gift bags. We keep everything in a bin/tote in the closet. When a birthday party comes up, I send DD to the "gift bin" to pick out a gift for her friend, grab a card to sign, and we're good to go.
The whole year costs me about $125 for all of the kids and I save TONS of time shopping.

So, I just dived into this thread, and see that most of it is arguing about this post-but as an experienced mom of a large family, I think it's a really good idea. Frankly, I'd much prefer my dd (my only little one still) get some craft/activity kits for her birthday instead of an annoying toy with 2 million little pieces (hello LOL toy items). My kids have enjoyed many of the craft/activity kits over the years. Five Below also has nice books for kids and other things.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and fruit snacks are NOT a choking hazard for preschool.

[Anonymous]

Some days I’m not sure if it helps or makes weekends too structured, but I have a “Weekend To-Do List” that helps my weeks function more smoothly. Includes things like getting gas, checking prescriptions for refills, all laundry, all cooking for the week, pay bills, etc. I don’t have to do everything on the list every weekend, but it helps me make sure things don’t fall through the cracks. Single mom, business owner—and during the week life is pretty hectic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a 5 minute clean-up 2 times a day, when everyone picks up and put 15 things away within 5 minutes. I set a timer. It is easy and things get done. If my house is clean, it is easy to become focused and organized.

Love this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some days I’m not sure if it helps or makes weekends too structured, but I have a “Weekend To-Do List” that helps my weeks function more smoothly. Includes things like getting gas, checking prescriptions for refills, all laundry, all cooking for the week, pay bills, etc. I don’t have to do everything on the list every weekend, but it helps me make sure things don’t fall through the cracks. Single mom, business owner—and during the week life is pretty hectic.

I suppose (?) this depends on what you make but this always strikes me as so gross unless you freeze the food that you make over the weekend and aren’t going to get to until Wednesday through Friday.