Back to School Hacks for Mums

Organising the kids once they start going to school is pretty much a full time job!

So, we thought we would share all of our best back to school hacks for mums to make your life that bit easier. 

GET ORGANISED

This is our number one tip. There is so much to remember, organise and sort out when you are a school mum!

Set up routines and systems and make lists. Use a lunchbox planner (you can download ours for free - it's in our Back to School book below). Get a large wall calendar and write everything down. 

We love the Prepp'd Kids range for helping us stay on top of everything and encourage the kids to take responsibility for their time.

SET UP A SCHOOL STATION

One central place to store all the school stuff is just genius. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be functional. This makes it much easier on the kids when things are labelled and organised too.

Set up a tray on your school station for all the school correspondence.

We love this school station (pictured) from Bec Haynes.

APPLE HACK

Cut up your apples and then hold them together with a rubber band to prevent browning. 

We love the b.box lunchboxes because they have a special stretchy silicone section to fit pieces of fruit. 

PREVENT HEAD LICE

Trust us, you will want to be using this nit spray every day on the kids to prevent head lice. Treating them once you have them is a nightmare! 

DIY NIT SPRAY

• 125ml water
• 2 tablespoons of natural conditioner
• 10 drops tea tree oil
• 10 drops lavender oil

Pop everything into a spray bottle and shake vigorously. Spray onto the hair and comb through. You can use it on wet or dry hair and it doesn’t need to be washed first. Use it every day! 

FUN FRUIT

Marketing people are very clever and you will notice that they package up junk food with fun colourful characters. Of course the kids want Wiggles yoghurt. It tastes better than regular yoghurt!

Our hack is to buy some stickers of your kid's favourite characters and pop them directly on fruit or snack containers. 

 

BUY IN BULK 

Set yourself up with some really good snack containers or bento boxes and buy food in bulk for lunchboxes. You will save an absolute fortune when you stop buying individually portioned foods.

Check out our Squeasy silicone containers which are great for food and drinks!

Want more tips for budget lunchboxes? Don't miss this blog post.

FREEZE SANDWICHES

So many people swear by batch freezing bulk sandwiches to make lunchboxes packing super easy. They defrost perfectly and don't end up soggy! 

Choose your fillings that hold up well to freezing - spreads, ham, chicken, mashed egg, cheese etc. Use a good amount of butter, spread right to the edges. 

COMMUNICATION FOLDER

A simple but great idea from Mummy of Four! Buy a plastic envelope, punch a hole in it and attach to the backpack with a carabiner. Notes won't go astray!

LABEL EVERYTHING

To prevent things going missing, make sure you write the kids' names on everything that goes along to school. You can order customised labels or stamps or just use a permanent marker (even on uniforms!). 

CLEANING HACKS

Drink bottles can get very manky! Did you know you can clean them with hydrogen peroxide and rice? Find out how here.

And what to do when the lunchboxes get that smell of old fruit? Try these hacks. 

HAVE AN EARLY DINNER

Many mums find that little kids especially are ravenous when they get home and need a solid meal. Having dinner after school can improve behaviour and avoid snacking all afternoon and not eating dinner when they are tired later. Do snacks later at a regular dinner time! 

MAKE FOOD FUN

Getting kids to eat all their lunch can often be a struggle. While full on bento boxes are fantastic if you have the time, the reality is that many of us don't. 

But a little effort can yield big rewards! Use something simple like a sandwich cutter or fruit and vege cutters. They are easy to do and fun food can tempt even the fussiest eater. 

A whole orange or apple can feel often feel overwhelming to little kids especially. But cut up fruit on a STIX is suddenly a lot more appealing.

WRAP HACK

Wraps are a great in lunchboxes but they can be a little messy. We have two great options for you!

Use a silicone band to keep them together or use a silicone wrap pouch. Both make less mess and are easy for little hands to eat wraps.

DITCH THE CONTACT!

Covering school books with contact is enough to send you around the bend. 

Make your life easy by using book covers! They are an inexpensive solution that can used over and over again and will definitely save your sanity. 

CALM DOWN

Going to school can make some kids (and let's face it, us mums too) very anxious, so use the amazing Mood Calming Stickers!  The all natural essential oils are safe in this format and will have you all zen. They work for up to 8 hours. 

HOMEWORK HACKS

Get a caddy or basket for school supplies and use it for homework time. Dedicate a quiet place in the house for homework so the kids can focus. 

FIRST DAY PHOTOS

Trying to get a nice photo on the first day of school when everyone is already anxious can really test your sanity! You can always pop the uniforms on and do it the day before or after. Nobody will know it wasn't actually the first day!

INSULATED FOOD JARS

These are great for all sorts of things! Keep salads and fruits nice and chilled or use them for keeping dinner leftovers hot. 

Read our food jar blog for all the hacks on getting the most out of them. 

SCHOOL HOLIDAY BAG TIP

At the start of the school year, set up an alarm on your phone calendar for the afternoon of the last day of school at the end of every term.

This is your prompt to make sure the kids have unpacked their bags and lunchboxes. Nobody wants to deal with rotting food after weeks of holiday! 

GET SOME WET BAGS

A wet bag or two are so useful for  swimming stuff, toilet accidents, wet and muddy shoes or leaky lunchboxes. It will avoid ruining everything in the backpacks. 

WANT MORE TIPS?

Read some more of our back to school blogs:

Our top tips for a stress free back to school 

Budget lunchbox ideas

How to pack a nude food lunchbox 

How to choose the right lunchbox for your child

Get your hands on a copy of our Back to School ebook below!