Back-to-school season is the second most profitable time of year for retailers. (Behind Christmas, of course.) Advertisements, "special deals," and in-store displays are designed to lure you off course, tempt you to spend more money, and specifically prey on your desire to "finally get organized!" But, "back-to-school" organization is much more about systems than it is about stuff, so it does not matter *where* you go to buy school supplies. What matters is that you do not get tempted by the "loaded" new binder or "pretty" new notebooks. There is usually a very high correlation among school and paper-management supplies: the more features something has, the more expensive AND ineffective it tends to be. Below, you will find a list of supplies, broken down into three categories of systems: Time Management, Supply Management, and Paper Management. All of the items below are inexpensive and available from most retail and on-line locations. **Time Management** Time Management is an issue for students AND for their families; it is very difficult for a student to manage his time well in a family that does not. Ten minutes a week can resolve this issue. Grab the family calendar and have an informal "Sunday Summit." Coordinate schedules for the week: upcoming sports practices, after-school activities, scheduled appointments, test and project due-dates. Have your children make notes in their planners. The key to an effective Sunday Summit is to make it a conversation, not an interrogation. This means you must share your schedule, too. Do you have a big deadline at work? Are you planning to finally get to the gym to do a workout? Share you deadlines and your goals with your kids. You may be surprised how receptive they will be! At the very least, you will all start your week on the "same page." Supplies Needed
- Family calendar (basic monthly calendar)
- One academic planner for each child (The best planners are slender -not bulky- spiral books with a monthly calendar and space for daily assignment entries. Planners are often supplied by schools.)
- Front pocket of a bookbag OR a pencil case
- Bucket or basket for household school supplies (Chances are very good you already have the perfect container somewhere in your house.)
- Standard supplies. (Back-to-school season is a great time to take advantage of deep discounts and stock up on the standard supplies, but don't overbuy...then you create another organizational nightmare for yourself!)
- 1-inch binder
- Plastic binder folders, one for each class
- Looseleaf notebook paper
- Box or crate to leave at home for the Paper Station