Off to Kindergarten

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My cousin Janna and I each have one daughter, and our girls will be embarking on new school adventures this fall…though at quite different points. My daughter is starting kindergarten and Janna’s daughter is starting college.

Our girls are on different coasts, at different stages of their education, but both transitions require organization. These next few posts will highlight some of the ways we are getting organized.

I’m approaching this kindergarten milestone like I do most important projects. First, I gather information. I’ve been talking to my mom friends of older kids to get their input on what I should be doing. I love learning from others and have already gotten some great advice.

Second, I’m making a list and checking it twice. Here are the big topics on the list:

  • Paperwork! I know there will be a lot of paperwork from the new school. To get ready I know I need to clean out my files from the pre-school so this is at the top of my to do list.
  • Planning. I need to set aside some time to read through all the paperwork we’ve already received. I think there is a parent-teacher meeting before school, and some other important dates I’ll need to put on the calendar.
  • Purchases. I’ve jotted down the key things we need to purchase before school begins. From basics like a big-girl backpack and new lunchbox, to something special like a new outfit for her first day. I’ve started to schedule time on my calendar for shopping to ensure it really happens this month.
  • Projects. Everyone, even a professional organizer, has an area they need to to work on. Mine little secret project is the pile of artwork and school mementos from my daughter’s past three years of school that I’ve accumulated. I have the art folders from nearly every month, in addition to lots of other special projects. I want to get this organized before she starts school. More on this to come.
  • Play dates. Our town has a great family network which runs meet-ups for kindergarten families. I’ve got those on the family Google calendar, and plan to call a few other parents to set up some play dates.

That’s my strategy to keep it all together this month. Let’s see how it works!