My Back to School Checklist
August 11, 2014It is hard to believe that summer is winding down and school is right around the corner. I talk to many other parents this time of year who have a wide range of thoughts regarding the back to school routine. Some ask “where did all of the time go” while others cannot wait to get their cute little monsters out of the house and out of their hair. If you are a parent with school-aged children, you are likely experiencing a similar feeling of disappointment/relief.
I don’t completely look forward to the joys of waiting in car lines, scrambling to feed the kids, dressing the kids, and making sure the dog doesn’t eat the kids or their homework. (Of course, when I say that “I” don’t look forward to doing these things, I really mean my wife the superhero who pretty much does the bulk of that work all while trying to manage a business and her adult child at heart who somehow managed to convince her to say yes to marriage 14 years ago!) But in honor of the upcoming school year, I did a little self-reflection (which is always a little scary) and here is a list that I came up with of things that I look forward to doing as a parent. And yes, I am a financial planner so some of these items suspiciously look like something a money person would come up with. But who knows, maybe some of these “to-dos” could be a good fit for your own checklist for the 2014-2015 school year:
- I will save more for college (without sacrificing my own saving goals for retirement).
- I will be more realistic when it comes to working in those pesky (but occasionally rewarding) kid-related expenses into the family budget.
- I will say NO more often when it comes to impulse buys and going out to eat.
- I will value family experiences over stuff.
- I will give my children weekly “earnings” for doing household chores rather than a guaranteed “allowance” (the “everyone gets a trophy/congrats for showing up” culture doesn’t work in our household).
- I will say YES more often to spending time with the family and try my best to tune out technology when we are together.
- I will continue to encourage weekly family meetings to discuss the experiences of the previous week, express gratitude, and plan the logistics of getting everyone where they need to be the coming week.
- I will automate contributions to the kids’ 529 college saving plans.
- I will plan meals better and shop for groceries smarter (basically this means I should just stay away from grocery stores whilst hungry).
- We will live in the moment, plan for the future, and thrive as we seek a purpose greater than ourselves.
Sound cheesy? You bet! But that’s how I roll and the challenges of parenthood are far outweighed by the rewards that my kids add to the life experience.
Best wishes to all of the parents out there with children headed back to school. Have an enjoyable school year! If you have a spare moment, take some time to write down your “to-do” list for the upcoming school year. Feel free to borrow some of these ideas if desired.
Interested in some other back to school ideas? Here are some previous blog posts you may find interesting and helpful:
Personal Finance Tools for Busy Parents 5 Savvy Ways to Save on Back to School Supplies Back to School: Part 1 Back to School: Saving on Supplies Back to School: Part 3