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Rhinebeck Bank works hard to connect with the community. That’s why they started the video series “Wake Up With Rhinebeck Bank” with Michelle Barone-Lepore. Their first episode of the new season kicked off with some great Back To School Tips in this video. The tips were so great, that we wanted to be sure you saw them too. Here they are:

Buy Bulk Snacks for Kids

After summer - when kids are free to snack anytime they want - the start of the school year is a good time to think about giving your children healthy snacks, and stocking up on good-tasting food. Kids love to snack and having their favorite snacks will help them feel comfortable in their new environment, and will give them fuel for the end of their day.

Set Weekday and Weekend Evening Routines

Now’s a great time to set up a routine that works for you and your children. Bath time, reading, supper time and bed. It’s great to try out audio books for soothing music that will lull your little ones to sleep, especially for those who are entering school for the first time.

Set your alarm for bedtime. Figure out the right balance for screen time, play time and reading, preparing for each child to transition into the Habits of Homework. By keeping your children in a routine, it may allow them be more focused in the classroom.

Establish a Set Family Time

Sitting around the table enjoying a meal inspires conversations and builds family relationships. It’s important to set aside time to talk about your day. Talking about highlights of your day brings you closer.

Have Your Kids Set Realistic Goals for the New Year

Pick which books to read for pleasure as well as study.
Getting in the habit of nightly homework.
Getting ahead on projects that may be due in a couple of months.
Figure out chores for your kids and set up allowance for the year. One goal could be reading 30 books. If that’s not your child’s goal, create something of interest to be their goal so they can feel accomplished at the end of the year.

As you know, childhood goes by in a flash. Start saving for your child’s college costs. Open an account or 529. You won’t just have smart children, you’ll be a smart parent as well.

Learn How Rhinebeck Bank Can Help You

Watch The Video

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Writing about others is very easy and delightful. Writing about oneself is very hard! It is what I teach business owners, artists and makers to do in my Tin Shingle life. Yet in my A Little Beacon Blog life, this is a much harder exercise!

But here it is - The Highlands Current offered me a monthly column in their newspaper, and that is such an honor. Anything printed is a much tougher choice with layout/design, actual word length cut-offs, limited picture runs, distribution of the paper (aka driving it around and dropping it into locations), etc. But people love paper, they pick it up, it always works and doesn’t need to be plugged in and recharged. Admit it. You pick up newspapers, and you read paper flyers on walls.

They wanted someone to speak about Kid Life here in the Hudson Valley, with a focus on Beacon and Cold Spring. So, we have my column, called “Kid Friendly,” that will do just that! Plus I’ll touch on life as a (self-employed) working parent.

September’s column is on newsstands now - but only until Friday! Then it switches out to their next issue. I focused on my favorite time of year - September - because it is the time to begin again. It is the Back to Business season. Yet is also Back to School season. Which makes getting into a work groove very tricky. The article works to dispel the myth that parents can work with kids at home (or very little kids at least). The picture used in the article tries to debunk the myth created by photos of very calm-looking mothers sitting at the dining room table working on their laptop with a baby on their lap. Doesn’t happen!

Additionally, the article explores how business owners with storefronts do it. Showing up to a physical location at a set time can be extremely challenging. I have encountered more than one storefront that was closed during an OPEN day with a sign in the window: “Sorry, the babysitter canceled, we had to stay home” or “Sorry, we had to make an emergency doctor’s appointment.” For this article, I interviewed Carley Hughes of Ella’s Bellas in Beacon, and Dawn Scanga of Cold Spring Fitness. Carley started her business when her daughter was in a stroller, and Dawn started hers when her four children were still in high school. If you ever do encounter these signs at a local business, go easy on ‘em. It’s challenging to run a business with kids!

Pick up your copy today! Right now!

PS: The column is also online, but reading the paper is more fun.