Top 5 Tips for Parents at Back 2 School Time (plus a @Staples Giveaway!) #sponsored - iNeed a Playdate Top 5 Tips for Parents at Back 2 School Time (plus a @Staples Giveaway!) #sponsored iNeed a Playdate a Blog for Northeast Ohio Moms

8.22.2013

Top 5 Tips for Parents at Back 2 School Time (plus a @Staples Giveaway!) #sponsored


This is a sponsored post from Staples.  The opinions are 100% my own.

Where has this summer gone? I mean, really, where has it gone! It seems like just yesterday we were starting the summer and today we are school shopping! Ugh!

I hate back to school time! Having to work full time, the summer allows for relaxing, low key fun with the kids; quality time to just be. Back to school means, strict schedules and homework. Ugh, I didn’t like homework when I had to do it and now I have to help someone do theirs?

Google “back to school” and you will find a ton of how to get your kid ready for the first day of school but very few on how to get mom and dad ready. Mom and dad need to prepare too, we are paying for their education after all and although I am not paying tuition, I do have to pay for all the other supplies and miscellaneous expenses.

Top 5 Tips for Parents at Back to School Time



1. Start going to bed early.


Sure the kids should be going to bed earlier to prepare for the school year but I am the one getting up even earlier to make the lunches that I did not make the night before.

2. Meet the teacher(s)!


Thankfully our school year starts with a meet and greet and bring your supplies to school day which does ease the fears of the kid going back but it also allows us to meet the teacher and really suck up, er, make a good impression.

I also learned the hard way that there is no “permanent record” and all those clever things that the teacher the year before figured out was not shared with the next teacher.

3. Have a special day


I am seriously sad about the summer ending so I made sure that we have a special outing the day before school starts to end the season right.

4. Give yourself permission not to buy the name brand items on the teacher’s supply list. They will not send your child home.


There, I said it.  I am sorry to the teachers reading this but sometimes it is not in the budget to get it and all the other things.  

5. Stock up on everything 

(including coffee and wine) 

Staples gave us a $25 gift card to spend for back to school shopping and we got almost all of his supplies and only went over by $.57!  This included deodorant for mom and dad - Staples really does have it all!

The only things we could not get at Staples are things specifically for lefties. I knew they wouldn't have scissors, rulers, notebooks or  pencil sharpeners made for left handed kids so I ordered them online. I think if any store had a section, even a small section, geared towards lefties I would fall down.  They did have everything else and at great prices.


I was asked to go out to the Elyria store because they have an expanded assortment of educational supplies, from top educational brands like Crayola, Leap Frog, and Melissa & Doug, but I was actually not all that impressed with this store's expanded selection.

It was clean, bright and big but I had to ask the sales associates to help me find things (they are fantastic and friendly!).  Maybe I was expecting to see a giant sign over this expanded selection with neon arrows showing the way, alas I had to search all over the store. (okay, maybe not neon arrows)

They did have this really cool Crayola wall where you can pick the crayons you wanted instead of getting a boring box.  That will be worth the trip back!


I also did not find Leap Frog or Melissa & Doug products but I was also not really looking for them since we were very focused on the supply list.  All in all it was an excellent trip to Staples and we saved money!

Now, I did forget something and decided to stop at the Staples a few blocks from my house and it was what I had in mind - still no Leap Frog or Melissa & Doug to be found but everything educational was in the middle of the store and super easy to find. The sales associates were also crazy nice and helpful which makes me so happy. Back to school is stressful, shopping for it should not be.

The third grader's favorites

Staples is giving away to one lucky mom or dad a $25 gift card via Rafflecopter!  

What are your tips to parents this back to school year?




This will be open until August 31, 2013 until 11:59 PM.

a Rafflecopter giveaway





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