3 Ways Your Executive Assistant Can Make Back-to-School Simple and Easy (Revised)
With summer ending and schools starting back in person, you may be feeling panicked and overwhelmed by the endless to-do lists.
Beyond the usual requirements of school supply shopping and coordinating schedules, you still have an actual job with actual deadlines and people who rely on you. Along with other family and personal commitments, there never seems to be enough time in the day.
That’s exactly why having an executive assistant is such a game-changer.
Despite the pressures of society and your various roles, you do not have to do it all. As a founder and/or CEO with many demands and deadlines, having one of our EAs handle the back-to-school work will help you enjoy the process with less worry and stress. Here are three ways your assistant can help ease the back-to-school frenzy:
1 - School Supplies
Every year, the lists come with all the back-to-school supply requirements. Whether you have an only child or multiple, managing the different ages, classes, schools, and activities quickly becomes overwhelming and time-consuming.
Luckily, this doesn’t have to cost you hours of referencing lists or finding and adding items to five different online shopping carts. Ask your EA to take on the planning by handing over the shopping lists (or asking them to contact the school and get a list!) and making note if there is any shop in particular that you want the supplies from.
If you want to brave the stores (online or in-person), ask your EA to block out time in your calendar and schedule childcare.
Researching new products or getting a side-by-side laptop comparison are other ways your EA can save you time gathering back-to-school supplies. Being a superhero parent for ordering those special edition mechanical pencils that everyone is using doesn’t have to be time-consuming.
Quick checklist: Ask your EA to help…
Create shopping lists with all the needed supplies and clothing based on school requirements.
Online shopping to compare prices, place orders, and ensure everything arrives on time.
Double-check the school supplies list to make sure your kids have everything they need.
2 - Schedule Management
Gathering academic calendars can feel like an endless task. Between sports, clubs, volunteer work, and field trips, keeping things straight may feel near impossible. Asking your EA to incorporate the new school schedules into your master calendar will help keep things on track. They can also link calendars for schools, children, and caregivers to ensure you don’t miss important parent-teacher conferences or sporting events.
Your EA can also help ease morning routines by scheduling transportation for pick-ups and drop-offs each day and can alert you to scheduled school closures or early dismissals.
A skilled EA will ensure that nothing is missed with more time available to you. That means fewer canceled events, no double-booking, and less work pushed to another day due to forgetting about that 5:00 PM soccer match. Oops.
At Execly, we make sure all our VAs are master calendar wranglers. Back to school often seems like an impossibly busy time, but having an EA in charge of your calendar means you’ll have more time to focus on what matters and achieve the work-life harmony you want.
Quick checklist: Ask your EA to help…
Coordinate calendars, syncing school schedules with your work calendar to avoid conflicts and ensure you never miss an important event.
Set reminders for key dates such as parent-teacher meetings, school holidays, and extracurricular activities.
Plan your work schedule around important family events, ensuring you can be present when it matters most.
Bonus TIP: EAs can plan for the unexpected. Kid gets sick? Give your EA permissions and numbers to call for the school, their doctor, and a list of any sick day policies. You get sick? They can cancel and move your meetings or projects and coordinate school drop-off and pick-up while you get much-needed rest. Snow day? They’ll have your backup caregivers with schedules for you in a flash.
3 - Communicating with Teachers and Administration
As much as we love our teachers and school administration, communicating with them is sometimes an overwhelming task. Whether it’s the high volume of emails, scheduling challenges, or the need for consistent follow-up and document management, this part of back-to-school can be tedious.
The emails often require personalized and thoughtful responses, which can be time-consuming for busy parents, especially if you have several teachers you’re communicating with. Asking your EA to step in on that communication can save time and reduce stress, ensure efficient coordination, professional communication, and allow you to get back to the tasks that truly require your attention.
Quick checklist: Ask your EA to help…
Draft and send emails to teachers to keep up with your child's academic progress, ask questions, or address any concerns, so you can stay informed and at inbox zero.
Set up parent-teacher conferences and other important meetings, making sure they fit into your busy schedule.
Organize and keep track of important school documents, so they are easily accessible when needed.
Follow up after meetings or communications with teachers.
Coordinate teacher appreciation by organizing thank-you notes, gifts, or special events.
Ready to simplify the back-to-school season and focus on what matters most – your family? Let your EA take care of the details, so you can enjoy a stress-free transition into the new school year. Discover how you can reclaim 20+ hours a month with Execly.
