OK–so there are a lot of years of back-to-school shopping before you get to this wonderful day! This is my fourth child, Lane, on his graduation day.  Four down–two to go.  School shopping has been going on in my family for 23 years and I figure another six to go. Hopefully in all those years, I’ve learned a few things that might help someone else!

Back-to-school time brings excitement for some–anxiety for others. Either way, there are some things that can be done in preparation, including school shopping, to increase the anticipation and fun.  Maybe you have never considered that getting organized for the shopping would be helpful. Let me share a few things that might help!!

1. ACCESS where you are right now. For each student, what do they already have? What needs repairs or replacement? What can be passed along to another child in your own family? What needs to be donated or sold? Make sure to involve your student and have them actually try anything on that is in question.
2. CREATE a list of what you would like to buy for each child. Make sure to list by the type of item, the size, the color options and style. You might think about letting your kids look through magazines or online for ideas on what they like. This is a good time to talk about your family standards as far as what is acceptable. At our house–skulls are out!

This is also the time to take a look at the family budget and consciously choose what funds are available. You will find that clothing needs for older children tend to be more expensive and extensive! Also decide about using cash vs. credit and don’t forget the school supplies, backpacks, lunch money, school fees, etc., that will also be needed. Make sure your student is aware of what their individual budget is and is given some wiggle room within the budget to make some decisions. Great practice! Carrying a small notebook to record purchases as you go will help you stay out of the red!

TACKLE the job. Plan the actual shopping trip by considering:

• do you want to do it one-on-one with each child?
• would it be worth hiring a babysitter for a bit?
• do you want to make it special day with lunch out?
  
• is shopping online a good idea?
• are your kids old enough to shop with their friends, put some things on hold and they return with you for final decisions and payment?
• how much time will be needed (you may find that doubling what you believe it will take will be about right!)
• will you shop for everything for the year now or just for this season and go back later to finish up?
• would it be smart to go early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid crowds?

Once you have made the purchases, take advantage of this teaching moment to teach your children how to store and care for their clothing. If they are attending school, they will have some capability for learning to hang or fold clothing and how to determine when it needs laundering. Remember that “M” is for Mother–not Maid!

If you would like to listen to our audio show on “How to Organize Your Back-to-School Shopping,” please visit us at The Organized Woman Show! And be sure to leave your own ideas below — You’ll have some that we haven’t thought of, too!