Managing School--Tips for Busy Families

**These ideas are courtesy of the Grand Rapids Press

• Set up a comfortable, well-lit homework area.
• Have a designated spot to stow backpacks.
• Use a month-by-month calendar with spaces big enough for all family activities.
• Color-code:  Assign each family member a color for any calendar items (let kids pick their own color).
• Dry erase boards are great for daily or weekly family activities
• Have a "school papers in" basket located in your family center.  Children should be responsible for placing all paperwork in this basket immediately after getting home from school.
• Keep a seperate school art basket/box/folder for each child.
• Put the date and grade on all art/paperwork that goes into the folder.  At the end of the year you can sort for the items that are super-special and saved for the long term. (Everyone asks me this...my children each have one inch of storage space per grade, per school year).
• Have kids fill out and keep their own calendar.  This will establish routines for middle school and later, life.
• Establish routines that are easier on children.  For example: each night before school, have kids pick out their clothes, pack their lunches, and pack their backpacks.  It makes the morning easier!
• Establish a bedtime procedure that includes downtime and an early bedtime.  Children in the 4th and 5th grades still require 10-11 hours of sleep per night.