Posts Tagged ‘Back to School’

Back To School on a Budget

Thursday, August 30th, 2012
School Equipment

Back-To-School season is an expensive time for families. With five little ones heading off this September, I put all my own tips and tricks in high gear.

It’s Inventory Time!

Go Through Those Closets: purge the stuff you no longer need, but keep an eye out for those little gems that are hand-me-down worthy. They are invaluable – we rely on hand-me-downs from older siblings, cousins, neighbours and pretty much anyone else who is willing to drop a bag off at our front door!

Consignment shops – do you have tweens or teens who want trendy clothes that cost more than anything you’d spend on yourself? Have a look around – there are many high-end second-hand stores that cater to this market. Search online as well – why spend five times more than you need to? Oh, and when your fickle teen is done with the shirt she has only worn three times, take it back to the consignment shop so she can make money for her next purchase.

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Top Back to School Product Picks

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012
Green School Mini Tote

Green School Mini Tote

1) Green school™ (www.green-school.ca) – I use a lot of their products, but my favourite is the one that helps me deal with the ridiculous number of forms sent home from school. Permission forms have to be returned for class trips, and I’m always sending in money for these, pizza days, milk and fundraising. I use the green school™ mini tote to ensure money and forms return to school safely and don’t get lost in the bottom of the knapsack black hole.

2) Ready Set Go! Board (www.tellychicago.com) – As a big fan of setting kids up for independence, I use the Ready Set Go! Board with my little ones so they can manage their morning routines. The picture icons are perfect for pre-readers and children feel pretty darn good about themselves when they have big kid responsibilities.

3) Water Bottle – I don’t send juice to school, so my kiddos always have a water bottle on hand. If you like your kids drinking filtered water, the Brita® Bottle for Kids is a squeezable, reusable bottle that filters water as you drink it, making it convenient for little ones to enjoy great-tasting tap water at school, camp and on the go.

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Is Private School or Public School Better For Your Child?

Tuesday, August 21st, 2012
<br /> There are good public schools and good private schools as well

Choosing a school for your child is a daunting, even stress-inducing task. With so many choices—small school or large school, school of the arts or a technology-focused school, public school or private—it’s easy to default to the most convenient (read: geographically closest) choice.

You want to give your child the best but you also have income constraints to think of. So how do you choose between private schools versus public schools? Put another way, how do you decide private education is really worth it?

Let us help you narrow down a very broad field by highlighting the benefits of the two major educational paths: private schools and public schools.

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Top Tips for Back-to-School

Monday, August 22nd, 2011
Telly Chicago Ready Set Go Board

Telly Chicago Ready Set Go Board

1) Set up routines kids will stick to

Tired of being a nag in the morning? Feel like a broken record barking out things like “Don’t forget your lunch!” and “Have you packed your homework?”. Stop the insanity. Set up a simple system that will get them out the door while keeping your frustration levels down. At our house, we have a “Before School Plan”, which is a chart listing all of their morning duties. My kids mark off each duty as they complete it and if they do them all without a verbal reminder, they earn a check mark in my wonderful and elaborate Check Mark Reward System. If you want to avoid messy charts taped to your wall, check out this little beauty. The “Ready, Set, Go Board” has visual cues that assist in self-organization.

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