1. Purpose
1.1. Proverbs 22:6
1.1.1. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
1.2. Engage your child in the back-to-school process
1.2.1. For your child...and you
1.2.1.1. Value of giving
1.2.1.2. Value of patience
1.2.1.3. Value of planning
1.2.1.4. Value of budgeting
1.2.1.5. Value of team work
1.3. Be encouraged that God has a plan for you and your family!
1.3.1. My prayer is that you will pour everything you can into raising your child...with intention. God had a plan for your child before he was formed in the womb. Never forget you have been wonderfully chosen to care for God's gift!
1.3.2. He will leave your home and go into the world with what has been getting poured into him...from birth.
1.3.2.1. good or bad
1.3.2.2. positive or negative
1.3.2.3. With or without your encouraging him to build relationship with God
2. Change Agents
2.1. Parents
2.2. Other family members raising children
2.3. Members of the community
2.3.1. Teachers
2.3.2. Caregivers
2.3.3. Anyone who has access to share information with parents!
2.3.4. Church members
3. School Supplies
3.1. 1. Obtain the list of school supplies for the upcoming school year as soon as it is made available
3.1.1. Even if the school supply list is not immediately available, you can still plan and budget for commonly included list items
3.1.2. School supply lists ahould be obtained from the school
3.1.3. You can go online and find a "suggested" list of school supplies (Disclaimer: Contact your respective school to receive the confirmed list, though.)
3.1.3.1. Website: "Suggested" School Supply List 2016-2017
3.2. 2. Before shopping, check your home for existing supplies
3.2.1. Who says school supplies must be brand new
3.2.1.1. Some do, obviously. Hello, tissue!
3.2.2. Ask your children to bring home all of their supplies at the end of the school year
3.2.2.1. They will need to also check their inventory for existing supplies
3.2.3. Should you decide that your child will have all brand new supplies, still check your existing inventory. There are plenty of children without supplies who would love to receive them as donations
3.2.3.1. Please make sure your child knows there are children who do not have any supplies. Your family may consider participating in a school supply drive and/or perhaps, you already know a family who needs such a gift.
3.3. 3. Have a conversation with your child(ren) letting him know that you will be working together as a family to get ready for back-to-school
3.3.1. Review the school supply list together
3.3.2. Activity
3.3.2.1. Play a guessing game where you / your child or your children try to estimate how much it will cost to purchase school supplies for the upcoming year
3.3.2.2. Actually keep track of their estimate(s), too!
3.3.2.3. Let them discover who came the closest to the actual cost once shopping is done
3.4. 4. Begin to budget for school supply shopping...WITH your child
3.4.1. Establish the funds to be used for the purchase of school supplies
3.4.2. I encourage you to have conversations with your child at a very early age regarding personal finance and wise money management
3.4.2.1. FIRST, you MUST BELIEVE and KNOW your child is completely capable of learning more than ABCs and colors
3.4.2.2. Children have an INCREDIBLE ability to learn
3.4.2.2.1. good or bad
3.4.2.2.2. positive or negative
3.4.2.2.3. With or without your encouraging him to build relationship with God
3.4.3. You need a budget, your child needs a budget, your household needs a budget...EVERYONE needs a budget
3.4.3.1. A budget is simply a money related plan
3.4.3.1.1. I have been working since the age of 15. I am 35 yrs young as of 5/30/16. I started to effectively budget at the age of 34. It is NEVER too late.
3.4.3.2. Tool I use: You Need a Budget (aka YNAB)
3.4.3.2.1. By the way, YNAB is free for college students!
3.4.3.2.2. This tool is a GOD send. No, really. I prayed for it. I prayed for a solution that would help ME. God knows me better than anyone, including myself. He sent this solution my way rather quickly after asking. Up to the age of 34, I had not asked him to help me manage my current income better, I had been asking Him for more money. Of course, He knew, more money was not the answer to my problem. Changing my money related behavior is the answer. I thank Him for it!
3.4.3.3. You will hear more from me about YNAB...believe me!
3.5. 5. Take your child with you as you bargain shop for school supplies
3.5.1. We are still in the planning phase, not ready to purchase
3.5.2. Let them help you keep track of prices at various stores
3.5.2.1. Check for upcoming sales, coupons, etc
3.5.3. Ask them for their ideas on how they can purchase more with less
3.5.4. Get creative with this experience!
3.6. 6. Ready to purchase!
3.6.1. Take your pick!
3.6.1.1. Take your child with you while you make purchases
3.6.1.1.1. Plan for the trip(s)
3.6.1.1.2. Age dependent: Allow your child to take the list as you follow along with them while they shop.
3.6.1.1.3. Come on back home and take a look at purchases together
3.6.1.2. Do not take your child with you while you make purchases
3.6.1.2.1. Plan for the trip(s) with your child even though he's not accompanying you
3.6.1.2.2. Come on back home and take a look at purchases together
3.7. 7. Organize the supplies and put them away for the first day! You're done!
3.7.1. Value of giving
3.7.1.1. Consideration of and giving to families without supplies
3.7.2. Value of patience
3.7.2.1. School list arrived on day 1, but purchases were not made immediately..instead, planning commenced.
3.7.3. Value of planning
3.7.3.1. Planning took place during this entire process
3.7.3.2. Your child participated and witnessed what it feels and looks like to have a desired outcome (school supply shopping done before the 1st day of school), plan (budgeting, shopping plan, etc) and the actual outcome (supplies sitting nice & snug in the closet waiting on the first day of school).
3.7.4. Value of budgeting
3.7.4.1. Your child participated and witnessed what it feels and looks like to plan for a purchase.
3.7.4.1.1. You included him estimating the costs
3.7.4.1.2. Also, allowed him to make the purchases while remaining within the budget
3.7.5. Value of team work
3.7.5.1. This has been a team effort from the very beginning!
4. School Clothing
4.1. First and foremost, know this beyond the shadow of a doubt.
4.1.1. "My family already has every single necessity and more."
4.2. 1. Before shopping, check your home for clothes that still fit and are in decent condition
4.2.1. Who says school clothes must be brand new each school year...and at the beginning of the school year
4.2.2. Ask your child to check every item of clothing they own for fit and degree of wear & tear (You should do the same for your closet, as well.)
4.2.3. Donate the purged clothing to a charity or directly to a family of your choice
4.2.3.1. If you can, take your child with you when you are dropping off donated clothing
4.2.3.2. Please make sure your child knows there are children with very little clothing.
4.3. 2. Begin to budget for school clothing shopping...WITH your child
4.3.1. Take your pick!
4.3.1.1. See step 4 of School Supplies (expand all of it)
4.3.1.2. A very fun alternative
4.3.1.2.1. 1. Give your child a virtual budget
4.3.1.2.2. 2. Ask him to hop online to "purchase" clothes for school while staying within that budget
4.3.1.2.3. 3. You may decide to make purchases online based on his selections. If so, you're ready to purchase!
4.4. 3. Take your child with you as you bargain shop for school clothing (See step 5 of School Supplies - expand all of it)
4.5. 4. Ready to purchase!
4.5.1. Take your child with you, if you can.
4.6. 5. Organize the clothing and put them away for the first day! You're done!
4.6.1. Value of giving
4.6.1.1. Consideration of and giving to families less clothing
4.6.2. Value of patience
4.6.2.1. School list arrived on day 1, but purchases were not made immediately..instead, planning commenced.
4.6.3. Value of planning
4.6.3.1. Planning took place during this entire process
4.6.3.2. Your child participated and witnessed what it feels and looks like to have a desired outcome (school supply shopping done before the 1st day of school), plan (budgeting, shopping plan, etc) and the actual outcome (supplies sitting nice & snug in the closet waiting on the first day of school).
4.6.4. Value of budgeting
4.6.4.1. Your child participated and witnessed what it feels and looks like to plan for a purchase.
4.6.4.1.1. You included him estimating the costs
4.6.4.1.2. Also, allowed him to make the purchases while remaining within the budget
4.6.5. Value of team work
4.6.5.1. This has been a team effort from the very beginning!
5. Summer Grow & Stay Active Ideas
5.1. Each minute is a valuable, irreplaceable gift. Use each one wisely!
5.1.1. Make a plan!
5.1.2. Bible Study
5.1.3. Meditation (Individual, personal, undistracted quiet time)
5.1.4. Create a vision board
5.1.5. Read a book
5.1.5.1. As a family, read a good book and have conversations!
5.1.6. Visit or volunteer a homeless shelter
5.1.7. Visit or volunteer at a nursing home
5.1.8. Visit a library
5.1.9. Open a bank account
5.1.9.1. Introduce YNAB and/or budgeting to your child!
5.1.10. Begin to learn a new skill
5.1.11. Explore a new hobby
5.1.12. No Electronics Time
5.1.12.1. For an hour each day or other time period: No devices or other means of electronic stimulation
5.1.13. Get physical! Keep the body moving for at least an hour a day!
5.1.14. Take a creative class or at-home arts & crafts
5.1.15. Age dependent: Allow your child to create the family grocery list, budget for purchases, and go grocery shopping. (Feel free to tag along, but allow him to really execute the task.)
5.1.16. Age dependent: Allow your child to pick an activity for which he'll need to plan, budget, and make arrangements. (Feel free to give him guidelines, such as price range-if there is a cost, locations (radius), date range, etc.)
5.1.17. Rest
6. The Logical Organizer
6.1. LaWanda Hodges
6.1.1. Believer in Jesus!!!!!
6.1.2. Owner
6.1.3. Change Agent