☀️ Summer Back-to-School Tips

Are you ready for the back-to-school hustle? In this episode, we share tips that will help you transition from lazy summer days to structured school routines. Learn how to organize your home, set new rules, and prepare your kids (and yourself) for the upcoming school year. Whether you're a planning pro or struggling to let go of summer, we offer practical advice to help you thrive during this transition!

In this episode, we cover:
1. Transitioning from summer to school routines
2. Using the new school year as a reset for both kids and parents.
3. Setting new rules and routines.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Welcome to. Don't Call Me Midlife. This summer we're shaking things up a bit with our special series called Survive or Thrive. We know moms are extra busy during the summer, so we're bringing you shorter, bite-sized episodes, focused on one hot topic at a time. Join us as we share tips, stories and laughs, helping you decide if you're just getting by or truly thriving this summer.

Speaker 1: 0:25

Hi Nicole, hi Alex, how are you doing there at the end of summer? End of summer, we are good, we're good. We still have three weeks until school, believe it or not. I know your kids have been in school, so I can't wait to hear all about it. It's crazy. Can you hear the relaxation in my voice? No, maybe you just are a little jealous, maybe I'm jealous, I just can't like see through the trees or whatever.

Speaker 1: 0:50

Okay, so what is in your cup today? I've got some Earl Grey tea with a little bit of maple syrup. So still not doing coffee. But you know that AIP diet, but I do need caffeine because my mornings are early. So, yes, that's where I'm at. You're back to a new routine. You know, I actually don't have anything to drink right now Cause I'm still eating. I made these. You know I don't really like overnight oats, like the texture of it. So I made these blended overnight oats that I found a recipe and then I put some PB powder in there and some little mini chocolate chips, so it's so good. I'll send you the recipe. I guess I'll just say that that's in my cup today because I realize I have nothing to drink. That's not great of me. You better hydrate yourself, my friend.

Speaker 1: 1:35

So we are talking about transitions and you know, with school in my area, like going back, I have already transitioned, but Alex is transitioning Totally, totally. Everyone has different transitions. This month, I mean, my kids go back, like I said, september 6th. So tell me a little bit of how your transition went. Or what did you do to transition? Like were there certain things you were doing? Or you know, I know some people are like I'm just denying it, like I am definitely not doing anything right now. What? What were you feeling? Like I was like nesting, you know, like right before pregnancy, like getting ready, like I like to have all my ducks in a row.

Speaker 1: 2:13

So what do I do? I? I got the kids like going through their stuff to make sure that they have things that still fit them, and then we did some back to school shopping and shopping. They picked out their first-day outfits. Wait, that's so cute. They still do that. Yeah, especially my oldest. He had it all laid out. It was really cute. Wait, I used to do like when the kids were little, they all would have monogram polo shirts with an apple and their monogram on it.

Speaker 1: 2:49

And now, oh, I'm going to tell them, I'm going to say Nicole's kids are doing back to school outfits. Guys, do you want to do that? I mean, literally, I think they just pick up clothes off the floor. Now I'm like, whose child are you? Yeah, maybe that's my middle, but definitely the older one. And then with the younger, I just like lay it out so he's ready to go. But, yeah, I do it all.

Speaker 1: 3:03

I do like the snacks. I get all the snacks organized because my kids will eat all the snacks in one day. Is that I have to hide them? Oh, so I have. I have a bin in the basement. I'm just like it's not a clear bin, they don't know what's in there. So, yeah, I have like enough snacks for, like, after school and, like you know, lunches or whatever. And then I have like my backup stock, your back stock, my back stock, your back stock. I love that. So you're like restocking, you are like really organized about back to school. I haven't done any of these things. Well, I don't think I did it, unless it was like the last, the last week. So you got, you got two weeks. But the thing is like, when they go back to school, I want my life like ready to go with my routines and all that. So I just I don't want to be like backpedaling, like trying to think like, oh my gosh, what do we need? Like I want to like just have my time. So it's like you're organizing them to organize yourself right, so that you aren't like having to do it when they go back to school.

Speaker 1: 4:06

What about school supplies? Do any of your kids need school supplies still? So my little one, he got his school supply list like a week or two before and so we like had the day and we went and he picked everything out and then with my middle schoolers and high schoolers, they don't get their supply list until the first week with their syllabus. So I don't like to buy anything because the teachers are really specific. I don't know about your school, but they want like a red folder for this and a green folder. It's like I don't know. So I just I don't buy anything for them. They pick out backpacks and that's it. So what about you? Our school? You know now that I'm thinking about it. They do give you lists, but last year when I sent Walker with the stuff to middle school, he didn't use half the stuff. So I have like a bit in my basement of like extra school supplies, so I may wait too, even with John. I mean, really all they need are like some pen and pencils and backpack for the first day. Right, wait, listen to this really cute idea.

Speaker 1: 4:58

And speaking about backpacks, I a couple of weeks ago had my girlfriends from college here for the weekend at my husband's family's summer house, and the girls who are going to be seniors in high school were like picking out their backpacks. And I'm looking and it's like Care Bears and like Snoopy and I'm like you guys, what are you doing? So they have this tradition I didn't know if it's at every school where they pick out backpacks that are like what they would choose when they were kindergartners. Isn't that the cutest thing ever? So cute. I've never heard of that. It's such a cute idea.

Speaker 1: 5:31

And then you know, they're like thinking about it and there's groups of friends that are doing different things, like maybe some of them are doing those like Stony Clover ones or whatever you know, or they're doing Barbie or they're doing Disney, and I was like you guys, this is so fun. I mean, school supplies are so fun. I could do a whole episode just on school supplies. I know it just brings back such nostalgia, just like walking in it's like you have the whole store just to pick and you can just customize it. But I don't know, I think boys are just a little bit different. I did love getting the little backpacks, like the dinosaur backpacks, oh my God. And they're like, they're like bigger than their head, like they're so cute. Yes, they were so. Oh my gosh, I miss that. As I get older, the girls get so much more creative and it's so fun. I know I know. So it sounds like you're doing a lot of like task oriented stuff, like I love that. You're inspiring me. This is like helping me. I hope you're inspiring our ladies who are listening. What about?

Speaker 1: 6:27

I like to use back to school as a time also for like setting new rules, which probably is annoying for my kids, but we are going back to this transition period of routines and you know we have to go back to like different screen time rules and like different things. Do you look at this transition as that too, or how do you approach that right now? Yeah, it's like a new year. The new school year is like the new year, so new routines, new rules. I mean we try, we try to enforce it, but screens off by this time and blah, blah, blah. I do look at the new school year as a reset, because summer is just a free for all and kids are going to bed so late, and so I enjoy this time of year. I love the fresh start, and it's a reset for the moms too, right, so we can fall into new habits for ourselves.

Speaker 1: 7:25

I know you've been really good with your health and wellness this summer, but maybe it's an opportunity for us to sort of change up some things. I do use it as a restart too. I think like every season should be a little bit of a restart. I think we're allowed that right. Yeah, we can do whatever we want. I'm already thinking like I mean, I still have a couple of weeks left, so I'm still good, I'm not about to kill. I'm not going to kill my kids yet.

Speaker 1: 7:45

I guess August has not been sort of. I didn't do any camps in August, I didn't do anything. You know, we went to Mexico in the beginning of the month, so it's been a little bit. Give me another week and maybe I'll be like very ready for them to be back to school, but I'm not yet. But I am thinking about it because stores like Target already have like Halloween stuff out. I mean it's like ridiculous. Oh, I know PetSmart had Halloween stuff. I went the other day. I'm just like even the pets have Halloween decor. It was so funny.

Speaker 1: 8:14

But yeah, let's see how you're doing in the next episode, because the next episode the kids still won't be back to school, right? Nope, not till September 6th, would you say you are thriving or surviving Girl? I'm thriving. My kids are in school and my routine is on point. All right, I'm surviving. I'm going to be there soon. I'm not ready for it because we've had less summer than you guys, but I will be there soon.

Speaker 1: 8:37

But I love all your tips and we want to hear from the ladies. How are you sort of dealing with transition and what are you doing? Any tips or tricks that you have for this transition back to school. Let us know, right? Yeah, let us know. All right, hang in there for those of you who don't have kids in school. You've got it. You've got it All right. I'll talk to you later. Bye, bye, and that's a wrap for today's episode of Don't Call Me Midlife. We hope you had as much fun as we did. If you're just waiting in the carpool line, don't forget to follow the show, and if you're feeling extra spicy today, leave us a rating and review Before we, part ways, join our newsletter to stay in the loop with all things Midlife, magic, bonus content and more. Head on over to the show notes for how to sign up. We can't wait to keep the conversation going. No-transcript.