There was one almighty panic last year. This time it's a smoother ride.
When it comes to the back to school season, we are doing things differently this year. After last year’s back to school fiasco, I’ve decided that organisation and forward planning is key. It wasn’t just that we didn’t have school uniforms prepared or new lunch boxes bought last year. It was far worse than that. I’d forgotten to check the exact date that the schools reopened and we nearly missed the very first day of the new academic year.
I’d simply been far too relaxed about the whole thing, not wanting the new school year to worry my daughter too much, and I basically put things off as I have a tendency to do at times. But I was perhaps too laid back as leaving everything to the last minute proved near-disastrous.
My plan, quite simply, was to go uniform shopping, shoe shopping and lunch box shopping the day before the school was due to re-open. That way we could get it all done in one very rushed day.
The horrendous last minute panic
But then. Disaster. A friend’s phone call about inset days alerted me to the fact that I hadn’t checked the school calendar. The day we were due to be out buying uniform was the day the school reopened. We had left it all too late. So it was all one horrendous last minute panic.
I am sure I am the only parent who sent their child to school on the first day of the new academic year with shoes that didn’t fit, a uniform that had been grabbed from the nearest supermarket and was noticeably too big, and who added to the mix a very poor excuse for a packed lunch.
This year we did much better. The back to school date was ringed on my calendar for quite some time. Well, since last year in fact.
Always check the holiday dates
The moral of that particular experience, you would think, is to always check the holiday dates. Except three months later I had failed to learn from my mistake and booked a short city break in the run-up to Christmas. On closer inspection of the school’s holiday dates it turned out that the schools were still open during that particular week.
My daughter was reluctant to miss her school nativity play and end of term party, so I went away for very relaxing four nights my own. I’m a little tempted to get the holiday dates wrong again this year. There are some advantageous to being incredibly disorganised, I’ve discovered.
Are you more organised than me when it comes to back to school, or is everything left to the last minute?
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mum
07 September, 2011
I've never quite done that. I've done the opposite though - thinking they were supposed to be at school when they weren't.
And I always leave uniforms until the last minute when there are only tiny or huge ones left in the shops.
mum
07 September, 2011
Ellen, despite being better organised this year I did have to dash out to the shops yesterday at the very last minute to buy a school cardigan. The woman in the shop rolled her eyes a little when I politely asked if she would mind going to the stockroom to see if they had my daughter's size. They did, thankfully.
mum
07 September, 2011
Our school actually printed the wrong start date on the official school calendar. They did send out a letter pointing out the error but several families didn't realise and went with the calendar date - and then got a call from the school at 10am on the day reminding them that their kids were meant to be at school!
mum
07 September, 2011
Cathy that's awful. I've had a problem with inset days not being on the calender (or in the newsletter) and then a letter comes out giving me 24 hours notice, but that's another post!
mum
07 September, 2011
I haven't even got the girls their new shoes yet! I'm ashamed to say they're still wearing last year's. Well, they still fit .... and we have quite enough shoes in the house :) Lovely post as ever
mum
07 September, 2011
Thank you, Alice. I went to get my daughter some new trainers (a special treat) and discovered with horror that her feet had grown a whole size, which meant I had to fork out for school shoes as well. That's the last time I promise new trainers.
07 September, 2011
had last minute date panic this year, the school had two inset days at the start of term, of course nothing on the school website but managed to get two blazers the weekend before school starts, phew.
mum
07 September, 2011
Thanks Neil. The schools here opened today (Wednesday) because there were inset days Monday and Tuesday. Thankfully I'd made a note (very unlike me), but you have reminded me I need to note down when the remaining inset days are.
admin
07 September, 2011
I've been caught out too - I have (more than once) got everyone ready for school on an inset day, made plans that I've had to cancel because my children are actually at school on that day, sent them in school clothes on a mufti day because I didn't check their bags for newsletters... my list is a long one :-) I have vowed to be more organised this year!
Glad its not just me,
Leigh
Ready for Ten Team
mum
07 September, 2011
Leigh, that reminds me of World Book Day when my daughter was only child not in a costume. How the rest of the school knew they could dress up for the day I have no idea.
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