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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, is your family plagued with health issues? Why do you need all doctors' information at your fingertips at all times?

This! Including the...dermatologist?! You know what I do? I just look the numbers up online on my smartphone if I need to.

You never know when a zit emergency is going to require an emergency visit, thank heavens for the preprinted excuse forms in the glove compartment.

I say the award goes to the lady whose kids all wear white socks. THAT is a hack.

[Anonymous]

Back to school derm exams for all the kids? Seems weird. Why not full-on ortho and spinal while you're at it, maybe a full body MRI too?

[Anonymous]

My husband and I share apps on our phones. We have a shared PW manager that we keep all our passwords in so we can both add money to MySchoolBucks or other kid related stuff. We use ToDoist to track household projects and to-do lists. We have our own lists and shared lists. I use OurGroceries app to keep lists for Costco, Target, Trader Joe’s, Grocery and gift ideas. We have a shared Google Drive with scans of important documents.

Having a spouse who can seamlessly take on part of the mental load of dealing with kid stuff is a huge help.

[Anonymous]

Who offers flu shots in August?

[Anonymous]

Sorry, my what? “Hacks?!?!”

[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.

What kind of gifts are under 5.00?

[Anonymous]

I give every kid a Barnes and Noble gift card for their birthday. I buy a stack of 10 or 15 at a time for the same amount and put it in a tiny gift bag and colored tissue paper. I also have tiny personalized happy birthday cards with my kids name on it so I can have a gift ready in a minute without a second thought.

[Anonymous]

Op seems to have mastered thecart of being busy just being busy.

Most of your hacks are every day life.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Extra house keys in lunchbox? Sure if you never want to see them again.

[Anonymous]

I have a school lunch supply drawer in the kitchen. I don't keep our normal napkins, reusable containers, baggies, utensils, sandwich knives etc in the same spot. I put some of these for lunches together so we aren't opening 10 different cabinets to make lunches in the morning. It seems silly, but it's really helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

What kind of gifts are under 5.00?

She’s buying junk at five below

[Anonymous]

I put doctors' contact info in my phone. It's a hack! LOL

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who offers flu shots in August?

CVS minute clinic.