Tips for Back to School

Wow, what a busy household! I am also a single mother with a 9 year old daughter. We sit down every Friday night and plan out our week's menu (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). This way my daughter gets to give input and I know that she will eat what is served. My daughter packs her own lunch on most days. The night before, we put what she is going to have for lunch on the right hand side of the middle shelf. That way there is no mystery. Occasionally, she'll even offer to pack my lunch! Beyond that, we have a dry erase calendar on the frig. to help us visually see when we have nights where we can relax and what nights will be hectic (which means planning ahead to get homework and projects done). Finally, we have a smaller dry erase board that covers chores. I am one person, but together my daughter and I are a family unit. I've expressed the need for her to begin learning life skills. She doesn't do it all, but I expect her to contribute and be a productive member of our family.

I hope this helps. May God bless you and your family!

M.

how come they are going to different schools...aren't middle schools 6-8 out here?

The OP said "magnet schools", which would explain the differences.

My stepkids are 4 grades apart, so one would be in elem. school and one in middle, or one in middle and one in HS.

If the older kid comes home alone in the afternoons, leave a list of things to be done before dinner. We might include homework, chores, checking on something we need them to have ready (like those million forms at the start of the year). We ask the kids to fill out any info they can on field trip and other forms, so my husband can review and sign. Mostly, it's just having a routine. If they get their work done before dinner, then we can have some quality time before bed. And if not, at least there's less to do after dinner. We might also have the kids work on projects in the kitchen so that while we are prepping dinner, they can get our help.

Somewhere around 12 yrs old, we got the kids making their own lunches and being responsible for some of their laundry. My husband gets up a little early to ensure that the kids catch the bus, get breakfast, etc.

I have three, ages 9 to 14, and this year they are in three different schools (elem, MS and HS). We are still trying to figure out the best morning routine to get everyone off to school with what they need and on time.

For after school, we have a rule that they can get a snack when they get home, but then it is on to homework, and that comes before everything else. Thankfully, they are usually done before I get home and before the scout and sport activities start. Chores are harder to keep track of, unfortunately. They are sort of done sporadically.

I also have a pocket calendar that I keep with me to help track all of the activities and so that I know who needs to be where and when. This has really helped me keep my sanity with all of the kids going in different directions!

Good luck!