6 Tips For Surviving Back to School As a Working Parent
Summer break is winding down and the smell of pink pearl erasers, fresh haircuts, and back to school sneakers is in the air.
As a parent, making sure everything is purchased, packed and presentable for the first day can be quite a task – and as a working parent it can be downright stressful.But the working parents around DCC are here to help take the pressure off and give you our top six tips for making this back to school season a breeze.
- Get to Bed Early – NOW
Both Brandy and Melissa recommend starting the back to school bedtime routine before school starts.
“I like to start the back to school evening routine (earlier bath time, earlier bedtime) at the beginning of August, so that it’s not so jarring when school starts,” shared Office Manager, Brandy Robinson.
“I also start waking them up earlier each day starting at 8:00, then 7:30, 7:00 and 6:30 doing this makes sure my night owls get into a habit of waking up bright and early and refreshed the first day of school.” –DCC Senior Vice President, Melissa Amedeo.
- Pick Your Outfits the Night Before
“I would say that my only suggestion is – no matter how old my kids get, I still have them lay out their clothes the night before. Even with one in a uniform now, outfits and last minute searches for that one specific t-shirt can cause total chaos and make us late every time.” -DCC Account Supervisor, Jennifer Sekosky
- Order Online – Pick Up In Store
Production Manager Pam Morrow says “I did some price comparison online before purchasing, and found the best deals (at the time anyway) at Target. I used their order pickup for everything that I didn’t think my son would have an opinion on. Then another quick trip to pick up the remaining items. It was actually surprisingly short and easy.”
- Teamwork is Dreamwork
“Teamwork is essential to handling the back to school craziness. Being able to rely on others for support lessens the load on one individual. It shows my kids how to handle extremely stressful situations by openly communicating and teaches them that is okay to ask for help when they need it.” -DCC Creative Director, EJ Panganiban
With kids ranging from third grade to college, DCC President Kara Demirjian Huss has some very tried and true advice for all parents.
- Less Is More
Kara says “The first year doing anything such as back-to-school supply shopping, college move-in, and even camp, you always overdo and over buy because you think you need more. The truth is you just don’t need it. I think sometimes we do it more for ourselves and we get wrapped up in the excitement. But at the end of the day you can save a lot of time, energy and money if you just keep it simple!
- Work to Raise Independent Kids
Fostering independence for starting at an early age is key so that as they get older they can help you with younger siblings and eventually do their shopping on their own! (With a budget of course!)