Posted on August 8, 2023 by Miller and Smith Blog Team
Back-to-school season is here!
It’s a time of transition as children step into a new grade and experience new adventures and opportunities.
Soon, summer will end and fall will begin.
Your Miller & Smith home can be the perfect place—the perfect home base—for your kids to excel.
To get you ready for back to school, too, we’ve put together a few tips that will help make everything easier.
Here are some ways to get your new home ready, as we welcome your kids back to school at Miller & Smith.
Shopping sales for back-to-school items is incredibly important. With stores offering discounts and deals, it becomes much more affordable to purchase the necessary supplies for a successful school year. By taking advantage of these sales, families can save money while still ensuring that their children have everything they need to excel in the classroom.
One major benefit of shopping sales is that it allows families to stretch their budgets further. Back-to-school shopping can quickly become expensive, with costs adding up for items like backpacks, notebooks, and new clothes. However, by waiting for sales, families can purchase these items at discounted prices, saving them valuable dollars. This means that there will be more room in the budget for other essential expenses, such as extracurricular activities or educational resources. Shopping sales can also provide an opportunity to teach children about smart spending habits and the importance of finding value in their purchases!
Creating a homework station for children is of utmost importance as it provides them with a dedicated space to complete their school assignments. This specially designated area ensures all their necessary supplies are readily available and well-organized, making it easier to focus on their work. By having a designated spot for homework, children are able to establish a routine and develop good study habits from an early age.
With all their materials neatly arranged and within arm’s reach, kids can avoid the distractions of searching for pens, papers, or rulers. This allows them to fully immerse themselves in their studies without wasting precious time or losing focus. Additionally, having a consistent homework space helps children create a clear distinction between study time and leisure activities, promoting a sense of discipline and responsibility towards their education.
A communications center is a dedicated spot that serves as a hub for all the crucial information that needs to be shared among family members. It’s incredibly important for keeping your family organized and informed. By having a designated area, such as a corkboard or dry erase board, you can easily post important dates and events, ensuring that everyone is on the same page.
One of the main benefits of a communications center is its ability to keep track of school and extracurricular activities. With a calendar prominently displayed, parents and children alike can stay up-to-date with upcoming events, deadlines, and commitments. This not only helps prevent any scheduling conflicts but also fosters better communication within the family. Additionally, having a central location for essential information reduces the chances of forgetting important details, such as parent-teacher conferences or band practices.
Heading back to school normally means the lax bedtimes of summer come to an end. But they shouldn’t come to an abrupt end. It’s all about starting before school even begins to ease everyone into the new schedule. By gradually adjusting bedtimes and wake-up times, you can prevent your kids and yourself from being extra tired on that first day.
But it’s not just about avoiding that initial exhaustion. By establishing a consistent bedtime routine, you’re setting the foundation for healthy sleep habits throughout the school year. And you can’t expect your kids to take it seriously if you don’t lead by example. Even if you just retire to your spacious primary suite (like those you’d find in our new townhomes at The Retreat at Westfields) early and spend time there streaming your favorite shows, presenting a united front will show your kids A) how important a good night’s sleep really is and B) how important their education is to the whole family.
One essential item that often gets overlooked is the importance of gathering healthy snacks for our little ones. It may seem like a small detail, but the food we put into their bodies plays a crucial role in providing them with the energy and nutrients necessary for growth and learning.
When kids consume nutritious snacks, they are better equipped to concentrate in class, retain information, and engage in physical activities during recess. By offering wholesome options such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, we are giving our children the best chance at staying focused and energized throughout their busy school days. Remember the saying, “You are what you eat,” and prioritize gathering healthy snacks for your amazing back-to-school kids!
Don’t let the summer end and school start again without having one more great adventure. It will be especially cool if you live in a Miller & Smith home in Birchwood at Brambleton or Cascades at Embrey Mill to be in charge of your grandchildren’s final summer memory before they head back to school.
One experience we recommend is Smokin’ Saturdays at Cox Farms Corner Market. Enjoy old-fashioned BBQ straight from the smoker, chug local root beer, devour fresh kettle corn, and bring some local produce home with you. You’ll also be able to visit with farm animals, listen to live music, and bask in the glory of the one-and-only Foamhenge! Plus, on certain Saturdays, you can also learn how to drive a tractor for one final end-of-summer memory.
Living in a Miller & Smith home gives you all the back-to-school advantages you could imagine. Not only are they in great school districts, but they also have all the spaces inside to make learning more fun, homework more comfortable to do, and everything back-to-school easier. Good luck in the new school year!