12 Brilliant Back To School Hacks -CatchyFreebies

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So, you’re probably happy that the kids are going back to school. Not that you don’t love spending unlimited amounts of quality time with your adorable children… But at the same time you’re also probably dreading getting everyone ready for the new school year and back into their routines. Because it’s hard: shopping, planning and packing lunches, and getting everyone out without too much drama. Try these back to school hacks and ease right in to the season!

Create a schedule with your kids. Work with your kids to make a schedule for wake-up time, homework time, bedtime, and anything else that has to be worked into the school day. Having the kids be a part of the planning gives them some control over their schedules and keeps you from being the bad guy who has to enforce everything.
Break in new shoes. Have the kids wear shoes with thick socks and use a hair dryer to heat up the tight spots. This will help stretch them and avoid blisters.
Keep buttons on shirts. OMG, is there anything worse than a button falling off a shirt on a busy morning? Apply a coat of clear nail polish over buttons and they’ll stay on.
Get the right supplies. If you haven’t gotten a list from your child’s teacher, consult online supplies lists that are organized by grade.
Color code each child. To stay organized, each child has his or her own color. Use stickers on lunchboxes, notebooks, backpacks, etc, and avoid mixups.
Keep your kids healthy. Make sure they know how to properly wash their hands, and forbid sharing of brushes or hats to avoid lice.
Keep lunches hot. I love this one! If you’re worried about food staying hot until lunchtime, try this trick: fill a Thermos with almost boiling water and cover it. Leave it for a few minutes (you can heat up the food or serve breakfast in this time), then spill out the water and fill with lunch.
Keep lunches cold. To keep the contents of sandwiches cool and fresh until lunch, make the sandwiches on frozen bread. The bread will thaw by lunchtime and the inside will be perfect.
Keep drinks cold. At night, fill a water bottle halfway and place in the freezer on its side. In the morning fill it up water and it will stay cold all day as the ice thaws. Putting the icy water bottle in a lunchbox will keep the food cool, too.
DIY ice packs. Soak sponges in water, seal in ziploc bags, and freeze. These make great ice packs for lunchboxes because as they melt the water gets reabsorbed by the sponge and everything stays neat. Refreeze and use again!
Avoid hair accessory drama. Store hair ties and clips in sectioned craft boxes and everything’s always neat, which makes mornings a whole lot easier!
Kiss up to the teacher. I’ll admit, this might be cheap, but it never hurts. Send in extra supplies, write a nice note, or anything that makes the teacher feel appreciated, and score points for your child.