Boys & Girls Club Back To School Supply Initiative & Tips #Tools4BTS #sponsored

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

School is back in full swing here in Georgia and Josiah is officially a first grade student. This has definitely been an adjustment for him and we've learned some great ideas to get ready for back to school and to be prepared. As a mom who wants my kids to have everything they need to be successful in school, I tried to do what I could do have them ready to go and as prepared as possible. How? Here are some of my tips for successfully getting ready for going back to school:

1. Keep working during the summer. It's important to continue working during the summer so kids can retain all of the important information they learned during the previous school year. We went over sight word cards, played phonics games and also practiced math problems.

2. Get your school supply list early. We were able to get Josiah's school list a few weeks early and were able to go ahead and start planning for what was needed. Not only was it helpful at the store so we didn't get items he wouldn't need, but it made planning fun for him. He was so excited to pick out his own book bag and lunch box. Plus, when the first day of school came around, he was ready to go!

3. Get extra supplies! After one day of school, Josiah came home and told me he had lost his scissors. I figured he would lose things occasionally, so I got a few extras just in case. This way he is prepared in this situation.

4. Make back to school time fun for kids. It's fun for kids to pick out their supplies and new clothes for school, but it also makes them feel more at ease to know some of the things to expect during the new school year like fun field trips, recess time and what ever else you think would get him/her excited.

5. Go to Open House Day/Night! Before school starts, they will have an open house, giving students a chance to learn the lay of the land. They get to explore the school and meet their new teachers. This was a great opportunity for Josiah to get a first-hand look at what was to come. Not only did he learn where to go when he came to school on his first day, but he got to see his lunchroom and library, too.

6. Start your back to school schedule a few weeks early. Most kids and families will stay up later during the summer months, so you can get back on track by going to bed earlier a few weeks ahead of time and getting up early, too. This way it isn't so much of a shock to the system when they go back to school.

What are some of your back to school tips for kids? 

We are excited to be a Boys & Girls Club (BGCA) Back-To-School Ambassador this year and we want all of our children to be successful, enjoy school, and get the most out of it. Did you know that 1 million students fail to graduate each year? This is why it is so important to support our youth, encourage them and help them succeed. This is what Boys & Girls Club is all about and that's why BGCA and Disney are partnering this back to school time for an online school supply drive!

Do your part to support our youth!

Thanks to BGCA and Disney, you can help donate school supplies to local BGCA locations by simply playing a pop-quiz style game online. For every 5 correct answers, donations will be made! How easy is that? Just by taking a short quiz, you can really help other children and your local Boys & Girls Club! Just go to the BGCA Back to School webpage and click on "Donate Supplies" to learn more about this initiative.

In addition to this great cause, the BGCA website is a great resource for children and parents, especially when preparing for children to go back to school. Be sure to check it out for some great back to school tips just like ours. In fact, they also recommend practicing schoolwork during the summertime!

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.