Sponsored: Growing Minds

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post but the views and opinions expressed are purely my own.

In less than 3 weeks, schools in WA will be back in session.  The Lil’ Tiger will be going to Kindy this year and I have been given her school supplies list.  I am not sure who is more exited to get this list, me or the Lil’ Tiger.

Like last year  I am taking my list to Officeworks again to use their School List Service . I was really impressed by how fast they work.  It was literally drop your list and then pick up in the next couple of hours or so.  Of course if you are a lover of all things Officeworks or you happened to have a child free day, you could browse the isle and pick up everything from your list. I do have to say, they have a lot of cute stationery, lunch boxes and water bottles in store at the moment.  LOVE!

School stationery sorted. Check.

Next on my “to-do” list that I would like to share is how to get your child school ready.  My mum was a pro at this, being the mum of 3 daughters; I am guessing she needed a sense of control over our daily life.  I however have only 1 child and already I am wondering how she does it with 3!  So here are my “How to get your child ready for school and not look like you are struggling” tips.

1. Routine.  Routine.  Routine.  Very important in my life and in the Lil’ Tiger’s life.  This is so she knows what is expected of her and sometimes, I can hear her mumble to herself as to what she has to do next.  I am quite strict of our routine on school nights but I do know that life happens and I need to be a little flexible.

2. Shared calendar.  I have a physical diary (a cute one from Officeworks of course) and also a shared electronic calendar with my husband.  It is my non-negotiable rule to write down whatever appointment or plans that we have in our calendar, especially the shared one.  This is so it is easy for me to organise who goes where with whom.  This also will avoid us double booking ourselves to parties or catch ups.

3. Healthy Meals.  Healthy meals create healthy minds.  Most days, I cook our meals at home from scratch with the help of my Thermomix of course. Haha.  I try to cut out processed food from our meals at home.  With her lunch box, I try to do the same thing.  She always has a sandwich, I make my own bread most weeks, a piece of fruit (usually whatever is in season, currently it’s mangoes) and a tub of homemade yoghurt.  Her school has a policy of a shared fruit bowl for morning tea so we also add another fruit in her lunch box for the fruit bowl.

4. Having the right and good quality stationery.  If you buy cheap stationery, it will break and sometimes be rendered useless after one use.  So always have the right and good quality stationery in hand.  Officeworks also offers “Parent’s price promise”.  This means if you find another supplier selling it cheaper, Officeworks will beat the price by another 20%.

5. Take time out to have fun.  After school, I usually encourage the Lil’ Tiger to either run around in our front yard, ride her bike, blow bubbles or play with her dolls in the house.  This is so her mind can relax after all that learning in school.  There is also another benefit to this, it allows her to play independently from me so I can get on with cooking our meals, sharpens her imagination AND get her to use whatever energy that she has left in her tank.  This will ensure a smooth bedtime routine. HEHE

Do you have any tips to share? Please share them with me here or on my Facebook page 

The good people of Officeworks also have this new app called "The Great Minds App" on the Android and iPhone stores.  The games are set in a number of different school-related environments, including a science lab and playground, with activities such as a dynamic card game and virtual dodgeball to keep the learning interesting.

Each game encourages students to work different cognitive functions of the brain, including memory, attention, speed, knowledge and flexibility, by presenting a variety of fun problem-solving puzzles. 

I had a couple of plays on it and it was so much fun.  

Lastly, did you know that Officeworks Glebe and The Smith Family Foundation is having a “Back to School Appeal”?  Officeworks Glebe is encouraging local residents to help children in need succeed in the 2015 school year by supporting its Back to School Appeal for The Smith Family children’s charity, who help disadvantaged young Australians to get the most out of their education.

During the Appeal, which runs from January 1 to February 15, you can go in-store and buy a stationery donation card, write your name on it and place it in the store’s display to show your support. Alternately, donations can be made at the register or online at officeworks.com.au.

A National Fundraising Day on February 12 will see all 153 Officeworks stores host various fun activities for the local community. All contributions will go towards The Smith Family’s 94 Learning for Life communities to provide disadvantaged young people with school supplies and support to help them participate fully at school.

Please show your support.