BACK TO SCHOOL MOMS TOOL BOX FOR A FABULOUS FALL

South Riding, VA GO MOM^® !NC released today its Tool Box for Moms to start this fall with school success. Back to school activities are too often last minute, leaving Moms scrambling for supplies and a smooth transition into school routines, states Molly Gold, President of GO MOM^® !NC and scheduling expert for www.BlueSuitMom.com. By getting organized now, families can savor lazy days and backyard sleepovers until the very last Saturday night. Check out our Tool Kit for back to school success.

Restock the Tool Box: Go shopping now! Conquer back to school shopping in early August. This gives you plenty of time to shop while benefiting from late summer sales on warm weather clothing with the fall preview in full force. If clothes and kids don't mix, try catalog shopping. You'll find it easier to stay within a budget and it keeps the kids poolside. For supplies, many schools have websites that post the list in advance because it was sent home at year-end. If you've misplaced yours, log on or give your school a call.

Review the Blue Prints: It s all about strategy! One factor in having excited kids each morning is to help them be well rested. Start ten days before the first day of school to back your children out of their summer routine and into their school day schedule. Though it s hard to go to sleep while light outside, it s even harder to start the school year with tears of fatigue and a negative attitude. Early to bed, early to rise and breakfast on the side is our recipe for smart reward. And while you re up, take a test walk or bike ride up to school if that s your mode of transportation.

Hammer in the Details: With your planner in tow, attend Back to School night and get involved. Not only can you meet your child s teachers, but you ll also get an overview of what lies ahead. Transfer important dates from the School Calendar into your Planner followed by all extra-curricular activities. Talk with your child s teachers about their method of communication. You ll know when to look for a weekly newsletter or if you'll need to e-mail the teacher regularly to stay in the loop. Plan now to attend parent/teacher conference days and take stock of the many volunteer opportunities offered both in class and by the PTA. If time away from home or work to help out in person is not an option, then offer to send in any necessary items throughout the year. Supplies are always in demand and greatly appreciated by both teachers and students.

Organize the Shop: Get your desk ready now for the paper wave that is about to hit. Identify one in-box and instruct all family members to place important papers there daily. When you review this box daily to update your planner, apply the rule of one touch. After you pick up the paper, you must either act on it or file it. When acting on it, use your day planner to schedules calls or actions. When filing, place papers in activity specific folders by family member, such as Joey school or Mary soccer. Select a storage method for artwork and special papers that come home all year. Leave the refrigerator clear and find a special way to display the most treasured items on the main level of your home, such as large picture frames, where you can change items regularly.

Use Super Glue: You are the glue that keeps your family's schedule together, so give things time to gel. Allow yourself an entire month after school starts to get your routine down to a science. Not only does everyone need to adjust physically, but also mentally there are lots of new experiences for all. Allow for the emotional adjustments that go along with meeting new friends and working with a new teacher or possibly a new school altogether. And be patient with yourself as you factor your own personal schedule into the new one dictated by all the great opportunities this school year will bring. Soon enough you'll know when the best time of day is to sneak in that power walk or steal a few moments to read your favorite novel.

GO MOM^® !NC promotes the use of The GO MOM!^® Planner, an ultimate catchall day planner for everything that is family. With The The GO MOM!^® Planner, Moms maintain a family overview while working in personal needs and work obligations around family schedules. Through the promotion of the Planner and its website resources, GO MOM^® !NC strives to make life easier for moms.

GO MOM^® !NC is based in Northern Virginia. To learn more about how GO MOM^® !NC is working to make positive mothering a daily reality, visit www.GOMOMINC.com. For interviews with Molly Gold, call 919.387.3848 or via email

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