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By Alexandra Petti, AZFB Communications Intern

Back to school season is right around the corner. Back to school is a stressful time for the teachers, parents, and even the kids. I have a few tips that will help keep your cool in this back-to-school madness.

The key to keeping calm is to keep on top of things and to be organized but also have a little fun with things as well.

The first thing that I do each year before the start of school is going through all of the school supplies from last year, as well as all of my old school clothing to see what is still usable and what still fits. Once you have gone through everything you will have a better understanding of what you will need to get.

Next, I would always make a list of the things I need to get: clothing, school supplies, backpack and lunch box, etc. Many teachers put out a list of things that the students will need weeks ahead of time, and stores, like Walmart and Target, have started partnering up with local schools to make lists for school supplies by grade level. This is a big help when it comes to knowing what your child needs for back-to-school in the classroom. Also, keep an eye out for deals on school supplies. Target is offering a discount for teachers in the month of July.

After shopping for school supplies it’s time to declutter the house. This may seem like a task that has nothing to do with going back to school but trust me it does. For the first couple of weeks, you are building a routine with school and activities and you will be crazy busy. It will be nice to come home to a clean, organized home. The decluttering will also give you and your child the opportunity to set up a study space where they can study and do homework, the clean area will give them a place so they can concentrate on the task at hand.

Lastly, having a designated place for school clothing and backpacks. In the morning it can be crazy trying to get everyone ready for school, lunches packed and backpacks packed. So, if you designate a place for these things you are less likely to forget important homework or your lunch.

Amazon and many other stores sell a clothing organizer that hangs in the closet. I used one of these all the way until I was in high school. Every Sunday I would wash all of my laundry and pick out my outfits for the week. This left me extra time in the morning to get ready for school and was a life saver for my mom.

Along with that we also had a designated place for our backpacks. Wherever our study space was we would have a place next to it for our backpacks. This would ensure that out backpack would always stay with our homework. When we were done with homework we would just put it back in our bags.

Top Tips to Back to School:

• Take a deep breath
• Declutter
• Go through old school supplies
• Make a list of what to get
• Organize
• Create a daily schedule
• These simple tasks are sure to keep you cool in the back to school madness and help you feel like you’ve got it down. Pinterest offers many good ideas for back to school organization.

Check out the Fill Your Plate Blog for articles about healthy eating. Ever wonder what produce is in season? Check out the Arizona Produce in Season section.