Patch Blog: It's Back to School Time, for All Ages!

“Back to School” is an exciting time for your children as it means new teachers, clothing, supplies and extracurricular activities. This season can also be a great time for you to return to a more structured schedule and to encourage the grandparents to consider new endeavors as well! Here are some tips for jump-starting fall, for the generations in your family!

Closet Clean Up

Make an appointment with your kids to go through their closets to see what needs replacement and what is useable in the upcoming year. While you are at it, prepare storage space for school items such as backpacks and lunch boxes. Purging worn out clothing and making decisions about keeping weathered items is not much fun, so ease the pain with good music and tasty snacks! While everyone is busy cleaning up, you can gather the items to either donate to a favorite charity or store away for a cool weather garage sale.  

New Interests

After school activities and sports usually begin this time of year, and planning ahead is a wise idea, especially since classes can fill up fast. What busy mama couldn’t benefit from a little free time while her family members are in a class or activity? If the grandparents are active, you'll definitely want to check into senior centers such as Sparr Heights Community Center for programs, trips or volunteer situations. By coordinating these activities while the kids are busy with their functions, you may end up with a couple of uninterrupted hours!

Snack Attack

Summer snacks are hard to resist and all three generations can benefit from reducing the sugary treats and focusing on healthier options such as fruits and veggies. Plan a trip for the whole family to visit the Montrose Harvest Market so everyone can pick out smart snacking choices!

Swing back into reading

If books have not been opened since June, grab the kids and the grandparents to make a quick library run for reading materials. Set a daily book time for the kids to get back to a reading routine. Reading before bedtime is very relaxing and maybe your parents can help in this area for some nice grandparent/grandchild bonding time?

1+1=?

Get the grandparents going by enlisting their help to play games with the youngsters such as Yahtzee, matching activities or flash cards to rev up the math skills. This is another opportunity to link your parents with your children in a fun and helpful way!

Par-tay! 

Throw a school kick-off dinner event to celebrate the end of summer and new fall opportunities. Invite your parent(s) to participate and make fun foods like burgers, pasta salad or corn on the cob and a special dessert. Involving your kids and parents in the preparation process will not only help to lighten your load, but it may also provide a bonding opportunity between two diverse generations. After dinner, watch a fun movie or play a family game together.