"My sister and I are seven years apart, yet we still managed to be in school at the same time. When I was in elementary school, she was transitioning to middle school. This means my mom had double the amount of supplies, clothes, teachers, and schedules to consider. Iām sure it didnāt help when I made the first week of school difficult by refusing to get out of bed the first time she asked. Honestly, I canāt believe I thought my mom effortlessly navigated back-to-school season.
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Going back to school can be a lot to navigate with one kid but what happens when you have multiple children to get ready for back-to-school? There can be positivesālike one drop-off/pick-up and one school calendar to manage. Plus, you’ve likely already been through at least one school year before.
But Iāve also realized that it doesnāt matter if youāre a seasoned mom or one who is experiencing this for the first time, the beginning of the school year can bring up a lot of emotionsāfrom excitement to nervousness. We talked to some moms who’ve managed back-to-school with multiple kids. Here are some of their best tips.
How to Navigate Multiple Kids Starting School at the Same Time
Prepare Early
Iām sure youāre familiar with feeling as if your kids donāt seem to care about your schedule or plans. At this point, I think we can agree thereās an unspoken rule that motherhood requires flexibility. In the case of my sister LaShun, a full-time healthcare professional, advanced preparation has been her saving grace as she navigates having two young children that started school together this year. āMy son, 6, and daughter, 5, attend a classical charter school, so we [my husband and I] began preparing for the school year during spring,ā she said. She went on to mention that the kids have to wear uniforms, which means they had to be ordered ahead of time. āHad we chosen to wait until July to order their uniforms, they would not have arrived until after school began,ā LaShun said.
Stay Up-to-Date With School Deadlines and Communication
You’ve probably seen the internet memes and jokes about the overwhelming amount of emails sent to parents by schools. However, it is actually important to read what they send.
Another way to stay informed about the year is to stay up-to-date with school announcements via email or Facebook groups geared toward the school. Even though it may feel overwhelming to receive a lot of school-related messages, this gives you an opportunity to be informed so you’re less likely to be caught off guard. Also, since youāre more than likely always on the go, itās helpful for teachers as well as the school to transmit messages rapidly. “Some schools and teachers even use apps like Remind that will send text messages instead of emails,” said Kathy Sisson, a mom of two school elementary schoolers. “My email inbox has thousands of unread emails, so signing up for the app reminders helped make sure I didn’t miss anything.”
High School English teacher Daina Petronis of Mondays Made Easy said, “For me personally, I appreciate communicating with parents before challenges arise. This sets a positive tone for the relationship. The conversation can be about goals we might have for the student, or it can even be an opportunity to know a bit about the parents.” Additionally, Daina said, “If I know a bit about the parents (where they come from, what they do for a living, what their passions are), I can find opportunities to make connections between classroom content and what I know about my students’ families.”
Plan Your Back-to-School Budget
With multiple kids starting school together, costs can multiply quickly. Kate Dillard, a mom of two, said, “My daughters were able to pick clothes within a budget I set for them. I helped them understand the importance of it by comparing it to coloring within the lines of a drawing.” However, she also said it can be tough when you have one child who’s older and wants to have the latest trends. “I allow for 1-2 items outside of the budget but explain to them that it’s just not feasible for us to spend an excess amount of money,” Kate said.
Find an Organization System That Works for You
Keeping up with multiple kids’ school commitments, activities, parties, etc. can be a lot. “I’m a planner by nature but having two kids in school at the same time has made things challenging,” said LaShun. “I have to keep track of contact information about my kids’ school in my phone and an Excel sheet.”
In other words, it helps to find a system that not only works for you but takes the pressure off you. You can only remember so much which means it’s easy for contact information to get lost if it’s not kept in a memorable place. Also, “mommy brain is real,” Kate said with a laugh. She continued, “the last thing you want to do is place more weight on your shoulders by trying to keep your kids’ school information in your brain. It’s OK to write things down or put them in your phone. I even take screenshots of things.”
Split the School Load With Your Partner
Britnee and Dorian Alphin said that communication along with daily check-ins have helped them learn how to determine which parent is in charge of certain activities for their kids. For Britnee, she enjoys cooking so she prepares their kids’ lunch, snacks, and dinner. As far as volunteering for school events, such as classroom parties, Britnee and Dorian both make an effort to be present.
If you’re not in the position where you or your kids’ other parent can both be present to volunteer for school parties, it’s important to regularly check in to do your best to show up for your kids.
Outsource and Automate What You Can
LaShun and Kate suggest you utilize apps that allow you to schedule curbside pickup. “Sometimes parents don’t have time to go into the store and look down aisles for certain things,” Kate said. Life happens which means you’re going to forget something at one point or another. Remember that retailers like Walmart, Kroger, Publix, or Target still offer curbside pickup to save you time.