Getting Back to School

School will be back in session before we know it. Are you ready? It's hard to believe summer is almost over with many Valley schools starting as soon as July 28th. I would like to share a few of my tips to make the start of this school year painless.

Be sure to get your child's eye's examined before schools starts. Eye exams can help diagnose vision problems such as nearsightedness and farsightedness or amblyopia (lazy eye). Newborns have their eyes examined prior to being discharged by the hospital. Babies and toddlers will continue to have their eyes examined at their well checks but pre-school and school age children should have their eyes examined by an ophthalmologist every two years if no vision correction is needed and every year if vision correction is necessary.

In my home bedtime is more lenient in the summer. To get my kids ready, I adjust their bedtime about three weeks prior to school starting. They also have to wake up every morning at the time they will for school.

Get organized! We clean out our closets and take inventory. Clothes that have been grown out of or are too worn are bagged for donating or saved for hand me downs. We usually need to buy a few new pieces of clothing, tennis shoes and backpacks. Pay close attention to what clothes can be handed down to your younger children. Stores will be having fantastic "back to school" sales so make sure to keep your eyes open.

Meet the teacher. It's important to meet your child's teacher even if it means taking a day or a few hours off from work. At the school's open house you usually receive information regarding supplies needed for your student and/or classroom, school year schedule and how homework will be assigned. Be sure to have all proper documents ready when enrolling your child beforehand i.e. shot records, and birth certificates. Most importantly, you will get to meet the person your child will spend most of their waking hours with every day.