RI Experts Advice for Back to School Sanity

Julie Lynn Cardinal 

Salesperson at Coldwell Banker Realtors

I now have one adult child out of the house, one who I just sent of to college, one in Elementary school and also a high school student.

Elementary is easy. I just let him enjoy his last days of Summer without the pressure.

I buy very few school clothes before October. Then you get the sales and they really do wear their shorts and Summer clothes anyway.

The High Schooler is a little tougher. Its back to very early mornings for him and he is a challenge to get out the door. I try to focus on the proper supplies for him and making sure he has his electronics in order.

Photo: Facebook

Pat Paolino Cruz 

Social Media and Special Event Consultant

The biggest problem I have with getting my teenage son ready for the upcoming school year is, getting his sleep and eating schedule back on track. Like many teenagers he adapted the horrible vampire habits of summer - stay up as late as he can and, sleep till noon. Fortunately for me, he's been a bit more interested in getting healthy and working out/physical fitness over the past month. 

I plan to use that to my benefit by making him do his own self-research about the importance of a good sleep and eating schedule when it comes to building a good physically fit body. In addition to getting him to make "himself" more aware of what is important, we will start the process of "lights out" earlier and, practice the horrific ritual of getting him up early prior to the first day of school.

He goes to The Met School in Providence so the start time of school is not so bad but it still takes a bit of getting used to after a free flowing summer.  

PHOTO: Facebook

Nancy Thomas 

President of Tapestry Communications 

Surely as the dog days of summer are here, the uptick in the pace of September can already be felt.  While my children are grown now and grandchildren yet to come, there is a natural "back-to-school" impact everyone experiences. Being the mom of young women, there is still the fall and winter clothes shopping and that involves more catalog shopping than in-store shopping these days, especially when it comes to items such as shoes, bags, and accessories. Christmas lists are already being made. Fall is my favorite time of year, so a foliage or fall enjoy New England trip is always on the list.

Working in public relations means you are always working 2-3 months, if not 6 months out...so by the time September comes around, I'm looking at Christmas and the New Year. It is all about organization. Planning that gets lax in summertime, goes into high gear - right - about - NOW.  This is the final quarter of the year and time to assess what you wanted to get done - and where you are on that timeline....can you coast or is it an all out sprint and time to pull out the stops. 

With this fall also having a presidential election, the clutter in marketing and advertising is a time to think creatively, too, about how you will deliver the message you want to. Recognizing that clients and the media will have children scurrying back to school and schedules will start to be full with rushing kids around to football practice and dance lessons - and homework time - it's all about being sensitive to those we deal with.  I actually find that we all get more efficient when time is shorter - and with holidays approaching, that is even more true.

When my children were young, I absolutely loved the shopping for school supplies - matching notebooks and book covers, etc.  Buying planners!  So, if you don't have little ones around anymore, nothing says you can't go out and buy the newest line of markers and notebooks, too, and get organized!

Robin Kall 

GoLocalProv Book Expert 

One of the best pieces of advice I can give about getting ready and staying sane for the upcoming school year is “gradual transition.”

My mother did this with us and it works just as well today. It’s impossible to jump right into “school mode” after a summer void of schedules and late bedtimes. 

With a couple of weeks until school begins it’s a good idea to get the bedtimes going in the right direction and getting back into the routine of the day. This might include making sure the math packets are completed and how can I not mention the summer reading? The last thing you want is unhappy children cramming in the summer reading. School begins in two weeks. Now is the time.

Robin Garceau 

Interior Designer

Having 3 kids aged 13-25 I've been dealing with this for a very long time..

Kids want to choose their clothes, so instead of arguing, I have drawers & hangers specifically for school. I have control over what's in them, but they have control over every day choices...

The other thing I'm big on is where items "live"..keys, notebooks, gloves, etc...then they are not searching for something last minute!

Kristin MacRae

GoLocalProv Organizing Expert 

During this back to school season, make life simple. Plan and prepare  anything you can ahead of time. Create morning and evening routines. 

Create organized spaces with simple, streamlined, functional systems  that everybody will follow. If your kids rooms aren't organized, this  would be a great time to declutter and organize their space! The less distractions they have around them, the easier it will be for them to  stay focused.

Cristiana Quinn 

GoLocalProv College Admissions Expert 

Get a healthcare proxy signed before your son/daughter goes off to campus. This is critical for students over 18, otherwise you will not have access to medical info in the case of and emergency (due to healthcare privacy laws). You need to be able to speak with doctors and make decisions remotely and quickly if anything happens.

American Psychological Association

Practice the first day of school routine: Getting into a sleep routine before the first week of school will aide in easing the shock of waking up early. Organizing things at home — backpack, binder, lunchbox or cafeteria money — will help make the first morning go smoothly. Having healthy, yet kid-friendly lunches will help keep them energized throughout the day. Also, walking through the building and visiting your child’s locker and classroom will help ease anxiety of the unknown.

Realsimple.com 

Get the kids to bed. Kids need more sleep than most people realize. While children up to third grade may require up to 12 hours per night, even high schoolers still need a solid eight to 10 hours, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Quickly address factors that may be resulting in sleep loss, such as managing a demanding schedule, feeling anxious, or using technology late at night. 

Christine Pafumi Donovan of Care.com 

Fall into Routine Naturally 

I used to start putting The Boy to bed at his school bedtime about a week before school started. Just in case. Nowadays, he stays up until who knows when in the summer and he sleeps until 9:00 or so. Thank. God. When school starts I figure his body will get the hint when he starts bumping into walls and falling down stairs by lunchtime, then everything will work itself out and he'll be fine.