The back-to-school season is upon us. It is hard to believe the school run madness will start again just in a week.
Looking forward to the few hours each day that will be left to concentrate on work, you must be wondering how to organize your daily routine in the easiest possible way. I am wondering too, because driving around Dubai between home, school and office can easily take an hour in the morning and another one in the afternoon.
In the interest of keeping things sane in your household, being able to stay on top of your job and ensure your kids get to school on time each day well rested and good looking, you must impose a self discipline upon yourself and follow a strategy. This is to ensure all goes smoothly from the first day of school until her last!
Here are three basic back-to school tips for working moms to follow without a doubt:
1. Meal Planning and Shopping
The last thing you would want to do on a weekday after hours in the office and behind the wheel is to drag a tired kid into a supermarket and do last-minute shopping for dinner meal and lunch boxes. So, be smarter – shop during the weekend for the week ahead. Dinner menus are easy to plan while pushing the trolley around shelves laden with all sorts of food while lunch box ingredients are cheaper when bought in packs by six or eight.
2. School Uniforms
We live in an era of extreme consumerism, especially those of us who are in Dubai. The schools are not concerned about your income or your savings, but about collecting payments for after-school activities, special trips, costumes for plays and long lists of mandatory uniforms that must have the school’s name and cost triple. You have no much choice but to comply with their requirements or otherwise the popularity of your kid could be endangered and you will have to suffer the consequences.
Don’t be a procrastinator and promptly oblige to all demands from the start in order to make your own life easier. Buy all of the PE and swimming kits and hats that will be used only once or twice during the school year. You will feel more relaxed if the modern day educators don’t bombard you with emails complaining about your kid not wearing a hat with the school logo during the lunch break. No, don’t even think to oppose! Save yourself time, nerves and additional expenses in advance.
3. Be Realistic
All of the planning and organization in the world will only make sure you stay on schedule and save yourself some time and sanity. The most important tip of all is to remain realistic. You’re a busy working mom, not a magician. Not everything will go smoothly, and most days you’ll be happy just to have made it to school dismissal on time. Take it easy on yourself!
