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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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!!!

Just ask for small sized chocolate or vanilla and all the same. Any parent with common sense sends all the same kind so its not an issue. Those are absolutely choking hazards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!!!

Just ask for small sized chocolate or vanilla and all the same. Any parent with common sense sends all the same kind so its not an issue. Those are absolutely choking hazards.

Costco mini chocolate muffin. You can take a picture of the ingredient list and send to the parents before the party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry these dcum cats are shredding you, OP. I liked your list and got a few hot tips. I keep paper copies of health forms handy too because every bloody camp requires it!

I agree with having a different big tote bag assigned to each extracurricular, one for library books, we also have one for grandma’s house since she lives close by and babysits often, so we send things like extra kid clothes, clean tupperware from leftovers, etc. back and forth in a tote bag.

We also have one-on-one kid meetings 3 times a year:
DH and I sit down with each kid individually and talk about their goals and desires for the next few months (and follow up on previous goals and desires) and talk about what needs to happen to make those plans turn into a reality.
In August we discuss the coming school year, class schedules, BTS shopping budget, social goals for the year and spring extracurriculars.
In January we check in on grades and social stuff and summer vacation/ camp plans.
In May we follow up on grades and social stuff, plan fall extracurriculars and create a summer “bucket list”

I am sure some will say that is an extra task and therefore not a “hack”, but I find it really helps with planning and with behavior and cooperation. So often the scheduling stuff happens behind the scenes and kids feel like life is happening to them. We get far fewer arguments because whatever is on their calendar is something they have committed to.

Love this.