You can make weekday mornings less hectic

"Mom, John can't find his socks."

"Judy, where are your gloves?"

Sound familiar? It's back-to-school time and parents can avoid much of that daze by getting organized. A free brochure from the J.M. Smucker Co. offers helpful tips and advice:

*When shopping for clothes, buy coordinating separates instead of outfits. That way tops and bottoms can be interchanged. Always buy the same color socks to avoid scrambling for a matching pair.

*Set up a schedule for bathroom use.

*Decide on the clothes the night before.

*When in a hurry, kids sometimes leave things behind. So consider giving an extra set of keys to a neighbor and keeping an extra pair of inexpensive gloves in the car.

*Quick-fix ingredients for lunch will save time.

For a free 'Back-to-School Survival Guide,' call 888-550-9555.

Source: North American Precis Service

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society