As the summer hurries to a close, one thing is slowly becoming top of mind again for parents across the country: back to school. Regardless of how many times you enjoyed beach days with the kids or visits with their grandparents, you’re likely eager to return to the typical school routine and do so in a way that’s less hectic than in past years. 

Managing the back-to-school transition can be tricky because your family grew accustomed to the slower pace and responsibilities of summertime. So today we’ll talk through some ways to prepare you and your kids for the new school year.

1. Create and Practice Morning Routines

One of the biggest shocks of going back to school is the hustle and bustle of getting kids ready to leave each morning. This can be a source of stress and uncertainty, so we recommend implementing a morning routine for school days and spending a week before school starts practicing the new flow. Set times for everything from waking up to showering to breakfast to leaving the house. Leave 10-15 minutes of buffer time for each step to account for someone falling behind in their routine. 

During your practice week, your kids may be confused about all your efforts to get them ready earlier than usual, so make this practice week more fun by taking them somewhere each morning at the time they’d need to leave the house for school. Practicing will help both parents and children get in the groove of school morning routines and make the first days and weeks of school a smoother experience for everyone.

2. Meal Prep

Part of the everyday rush involves food prep. This can be as simple as a sandwich and some snacks in a lunch kit or a daily fight with your kid about their food preferences. Reduce the mental and physical load of daily meal prep by involving them in the menu creation process. 

Start during the end of summer, and sit with them weekly to plan meals for that week. Limit to a few repeatable meals and come prepared with some standard options your kids can choose from. For instance, maybe you’re planning cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and hot meals for dinner; limit your kids to two sandwich options for lunch, two different proteins you can pair with easy-to-heat vegetables, and let them pick one cereal for the week. Once the menu is locked, meal prep as much as possible. Some sandwiches and hot meals can be made in a large batch and refrigerated for easy meals. Your kids may be especially excited to pick snacks for the week so be sure to use the snack selection as a way to get them excited for this process. Once kids get the option to pick their own meals, they are more likely to happily eat what you enjoy and want to help you with meal prep in the future.

3. Preview The School Calendar and Extra Curriculars

Depending on your child’s age, they may have a handful of school activities and extracurriculars planned for the new semester. It may be a few one-off class trips or a commitment to a sport or play which may require months of evening practices. Sit with your child and talk through these commitments and remind them of how activities will affect their schedule and yours. This will give you both an opportunity to mentally prepare for the upcoming semester, identify potential scheduling issues and tackle them early. You may need to arrange things like after school care or for a neighbor to pick up your child after a late school activity—having any additional help or arrangements made before school starts will ensure a smoother experience for you and your family. 

4. Purge, Purge, Purge!

It’s likely that your child has school-related items they don’t need and having those items in the mix can slow them down as they prepare for school. Along with your child, go through their clothes, donating items that won’t work or don’t fit anymore. Do the same with things like shoes, notebooks, craft supplies, and items needed for extracurriculars. Take inventory of what needs to be replaced and go about doing so. You may find that you don’t need to replace everything you got rid of and the extra space helps clear up mental space for you and your child. Simplicity is key! Often your child will struggle to sort through their many shoes or shirts, some of which don’t fit, and that can slow them down each morning. 

Taking inventory of what your child has or needs makes it easier to prepare a list of things to buy. Often, small items are needed for your child during the semester, resulting in endless and unnecessary trips to stores and malls, eating up your extra time and your child’s.

5. Create A Nighttime Checklist 

Mornings may be notoriously difficult on families, but evening preparations can help set everyone up for a great morning and day. We recommend establishing a checklist for you and your child to follow together, so they feel a sense of ownership over evening prep. This list may include:

• Completing all homework
• Laying out clothes, shoes, and books for the next day
• Doublecheck for any special needs like school trip permissions slips or sporting uniforms
• Setting the morning alarm

We also recommend reducing or eliminating access to screens right before bed. Some parents restrict wifi access after 8pm or 9pm to ensure older kids don’t engage in social media scrolling which disrupts their sleep and can make it difficult for them to wake up on time and focus in class the next day, according to the Sleep Foundation.

Transitioning back to school can be stressful but change always brings a sense of anxiety. We hope this fall is filled with ease and cooperation from all your kids as you help get them a great education!