If you follow these 12 steps tips to prepare for “back to school”, you’ll be the most organized mom on the block!
The back to school shopping season can be busy and overwhelming, so we’ve simplified it into 12 steps to get you prepared smoothly. This post is sponsored, so extra thanks for reading and sharing.
It’s that time of year again — time to get your kids prepared to head back to school. Depending on where you live, your kids might be starting school in a couple weeks or you might have a full month left.
But regardless of what day the school bus starts rolling, you’ll want to get prepared now.
I’m Jennifer from the blog The Life of Jennifer Dawn and contributor here at 5 Minutes for Mom. I’m here today to help you get prepared for back to school with twelve tips to get you and your kids ready to tackle a new school year. We’re also sharing a fantastic company that offers school supplies, backpacks, labels, and lunch boxes all personalized with your child’s name. Stuck on You has dozens of great products that make back to school shopping a breeze.
So take a deep breath, and follow these 12 steps to prepare for back to school…
Step 1. Buy Clothes and Supplies
The first step to take when you’re getting prepared for a new school year is to take inventory of the supplies you still have from the previous year. It may surprise you how much can be reused. Beat the rush and buy anything else you need early.
Prices on school supplies are at their lowest during this time of year, so be sure to stock up.Â
Stuck on You has many of the supplies that your child may need like pencil sharpeners, colored pencils, pencil pouches, rulers, and scissors.
They even have backpacks that can be personalized with cute designs and your child’s name. Do you need an extra bag for dance lessons or soccer practice? Stuck on You has you covered on those too.
This is a perfect time to clean out your child’s closet and sell or donate any clothes and shoes they’ve outgrown. Buy some basic pieces that will mix and match together to create a versatile back to school wardrobe.
Step 2. Label Everything
Lunch boxes, water bottles, and school supplies always seem to wind up missing at some point during the year. It’s like they grow legs and wander off or something! Am I right? Save yourself and your kids a lot of stress and expense by labeling all of their lunch containers, bags, and supplies.
Stuck on You is a lifesaver when it comes to this prep step. They have bags, lunch containers, pencils, key chains, and more that can all be personalized with your child’s name.Â
The labeling is done for you! Order a pack of colored pencils or pens and it comes with each individual writing utensil personalized with your child’s name.
They also have customizable labels. There are iron-on labels for clothes, scratch-resistant labels for books, and even microwave and dishwasher safe labels for lunch containers and water bottles. How’s that for easy labeling?
Step 3. Get on a Routine
Chances are that schedules and bedtimes haven’t been enforced as much during the break from school. Get the kids back on a regular routine about two weeks before school starts. This helps to gradually transition them back to consistent bedtimes and earlier wake-ups.
Establish a routine for the family to follow before and after school. With just a quick search on Pinterest, you can find dozens of printable routine cards and schedules. Choose one that will work best for your family and set it out as a visual reminder of the daily schedule.
Even though we are a homeschool family, there are still mornings when we have co-op classes, extracurricular activities, or other events to attend. Once I put a visual routine in place for getting ready, our mornings started flowing much smoother.
Having a set routine for the hours after school ensures that homework, family dinners, and extracurricular activities all run like clockwork. You want evenings and bedtime to run just as smoothly as your mornings.
Step 4. Get Organized
As a homeschool mom, getting organized for us means setting up our homeschool room with all of the books and materials we’ll need for the year.
For you, it might mean creating a kitchen command center, homework station, or storage area for backpacks and shoes.
What area of your home or life needs a little organizational magic before the busy school days begin? What can you do to spruce it up?
Step 5. Encourage Independence
This step is ongoing, but back to school is a good reminder to let your kids do as much as they are able on their own. Do you have a child who is old enough to make their own sandwich? Can one of the older kids help their younger siblings get dressed? Have your kids been given opportunities to complete tasks on their own for when you’re not there to help?
Encourage them to be as independent as they are able. This takes a lot off of your plate and helps them build confidence and responsibility.
As mothers, we naturally want to nurture and take care of our kids, but we also need to be willing to step back and allow them opportunities to make their own choices and do some things for themselves.
Step 6. Create a Lunch and Snack Station
Speaking of encouraging independence…create a station filled with the supplies and healthy foods for the kids to prepare and pack their own lunches and snacks.
For this step in preparing for back to school, designate a bin in the refrigerator and a cabinet or drawer as the holding area for lunch items. Water bottles, food containers, bags, utensils, napkins, spare condiments, and healthy food choices can all be kept in those designated areas to make packing lunches fun and easy.
Step 7. Use a Calendar or Planner
Start by filling out the start and end dates for the school year. Then add-in any important school-related events. Make sure to include holidays and vacations. The school’s website will typically have a calendar that lists all of this information. Take a look and add those dates to your own calendar.
A planner will also help you keep track of appointments and extracurricular activities. You’ll feel more pulled together and organized if you have a clear idea of what’s coming up each week.
My husband and I even have a weekly meeting where we go over the calendar and make any necessary plans for the week ahead. It’s a great way for us to stay in communication with each other and support our kids’ education as a united front.
Step 8. Get on a Housekeeping Routine
Cleaning schedules and menu plans will help you stay on top of running the house during the busiest months of the year.
Enlist the kids’ help, too! Assign them chores and tasks to do around your home. Many hands really do make light work!
Step 9. Prepare the Kids
Schedule a one-on-one time which each of your children before school starts. Spend this time doing something fun together. Ask their thoughts and feelings about starting a new school year. Talk to them about what to expect this year. Do they have any questions or fears?
This special time together can help settle “beginning of the year” jitters and open up an honest line of communication that’ll hopefully remain open for the rest of the year.
If any of your children are showing signs of behavioural issues, particular sensitivities, or any challenges that might indicate have any learning differences or conditions, talk to your doctor or another specialist.
- You might want to discuss any possible indicators of ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- If you are concerned that your child may be falling behind their peers in reading, consider having them screened for dyslexia.
- If they are struggling to form printed letters or write legibly, also consider testing for dysgraphia.
- Many people aren’t even aware that math learning disabilities, called dyscalculia, are very common as well.
Dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia are all types of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs).
Having your child tested for developmental disabilities or learning disabilities is truly a gift for them and for you. Understanding their unique learning profiles will allow you to advocate for any accommodations that can improve their learning environments.
Step 10. Set Goals
Have each person in the family brainstorm a few attainable goals they’d like to accomplish during the year. Make sure to write them down somewhere to check progress and refer back to periodically.
Being goal-oriented is an excellent way to get the year off to a positive and productive start.
Step 11. Prepare the Night Before
You’ve made it this far… now it’s the night before the first day of school!
Get yourself and the kids into the habit of preparing everything you’ll need for school the night before. Pick out clothes, pack bags, and even prepare snacks and lunches.
Having these things done the night before will make your mornings much less stressful.
Kids with ADHD sleep problems will need even more time to try to adapt to schedule changes.
Step 12. Stay Positive and Make It Fun!
Your final step is have fun.
Have you ever heard the saying, “If mom isn’t happy, nobody is happy.” There is a lot of truth to this. Moms set the mood for the rest of the household. If you are positive and upbeat about school, the kids will be as well. Learning and school should be exciting!
Make it a point to inject some fun into the process. Have a back to school celebration! Or even buy your child something special that will get them excited about starting school again.
Back to School Checklist
Are you feeling more prepared now? The beginning of a new year can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
To help you get super prepared, enjoy this FREE printable. It walks you through the 12 steps to get the school year off to a great start for you and your kids!
Free Printable with 12 Steps to Prepare for Back to School
Click Here to Download a Print Ready PDF Version.
Pin it for Later
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Stuck on You. All content and opinions are my own. Written by 5 Minutes for Mom contributor Jennifer Dawn. Jenn blogs about living a beautiful and creative life at The Life of Jennifer Dawn.
Getting ready to go back to school is quite the process, we need to get them back into a better sleep routine and make sure clothes still fit and replace those that are too small or worn
We start school sleeping schedules 2 weeks before school starts.
we have prepped a couple of lunches over the last couple of days to prepare for the beginning of a new school year.
Writing out a schedule and posting it on the fridge really helps.
We prepare as much as possible the night before to be ready form the next day!
We make lists, and take it all one step at a time.
Start getting them use to going to bed early a couple of weeks before school starts.
Shopping all summer for school items when I do my regular shopping. With multiple school age children. It lightens our load.
Thanks for the chance.
We do our shopping for back to school items in the weeks before school starts and not the day before.
I treat my boys to a fun day back -to-school shopping where we go for lunch, and buy fun new clothes and school supplies. It is a celebration and a special mother son time for us!
We pack our lunches and clothes the night before to make it go smoother in the mornings.
Start preparing early
We get school supplies early so we are not scrambling at the last moment.
Make sure the children get enough rest and eat healthy.
Getting back into a routine about a week before school starts & get as prepared as possible
We have mini school morning drills where we get up at the times we will get up for school, get dressed, eat breakfast and grab backpacks. This way we get a good idea what to expect when school begins and helps them to ease into the new school year routine.
I start serving my kids lunches in their school bags the week before school to make sure they can open their items independently.
getting into a regular routine
If you have several kids you are shopping for supplies for – make one master “list” of everything you need at the store. Shuffling between 2,3 or more pieces of paper to see how many pencils each child needs, then how many glue, and so on takes forever, especially since teachers don’t all list the supplies in the same order. Then when you get home with all the bags of stuff – lay it all out and sort it by the individual lists, going through each childs full list at once and grabbing from the pile of purchases. You will regain HOURS of your life.
Shop early for back to school deals! Even year round
We put out clothes and make sure backpacks are near the door the night before school.
We get out everything we need for the day the night before so we are ready to get up and out the door.
Get them back on a schedule.
We try to plan in advance to take advantage of back to school sales
I would say get the back to school shopping done early and bags packed up the night before.
My best tip is to plan in advance and write a lot of lists.
I always did school shopping throughout the summer so I wasn’t stressed last minute
We pick out clothing for the next day the evening before.
We try to get them more excited and prepared for school by doing light reading and printable activity sheets.
The best tip is to get an accurate list of supplies your child needs for the class. Get extras when you spot a great deal!
Going to bed on time, packing lunch the night before, picking out the outfits for the entire week on Sunday.
We shop in advance to beat the rush!
we start preparing early each summer so we don’t have to rush when it gets close to back to school time.
bottled water, sunblock, caffeine, chocolate any bribe that will work to convince the kids it will be ok to go back to school halfway thru summer when their online friends still have 2 months to go yet
This will be the first year of us preparing for my son to go to school. My only tip so far is that to email the teacher before the beginning of classes to make them aware of any dietary, allergy, behavioural needs your child may have.
We prepare by starting bedtime routine a couple weeks ahead of time and get school supplies ready and have them labeled.
I’m all about making lists and checking things off…Starting early too.
We try to do as much as we can the night before so we don’t have to rush around in the morning.
Getting all the school supplies ready. What can be reused and making purchases in early August.
Stock up on grocery essentials
Every year I have a plan to get back on track but somehow we never follow it…hopefully this year will be different!!
A tip that helps us get prepared every year is to get organized during the 2 weeks leading up to school. We have our semi-annual dentist appointments and annual eye exams in August, and we also book in a hair cut for everyone about 1 week before school. We go through the kids’ closets to see if there are any clothes or shoes (including jackets and boots) that may need to be purchased due to growth or wear and tear. We get all our school supply lists checked off (although we are already done that this year, with still 3+ weeks to go, yay!). We check backpacks to make sure they are still useable, ditto for lunch bags and containers. And the weekend before school we stock up the fridge and cupboards with our go-to foods for school snacks and lunches. Then when the first day of school arrives we feel all prepared and not panicked about missing/needing anything.
Get organized and buy what you need before school starts.
We are trying to to get into a routine of waking up early and getting back to school shopping started.
Best tip is to do all your shopping in July so there is no stress in September
Make sure to not leave things to the last second!
We make an end of summer bucket list so we can all go back knowing we spent the last of it having fun!
We start getting back on the school year sleeping schedule several weeks before school starts.
As soon as I spot the back-to-school sales are starting, I stock up. I try to get extras of pencils, erasers, looseleaf, etc in case there is a need partway through the school year when the regular high prices are in place.
we shop for clothes and supplies
We start our going to school routine of going to bed earlier and getting up earlier about 3 days before school starts.
We set short and long term goals and establish a schedule early on.
We start a return to our schedule, going to bed early, getting clothes organized and donating outgrown items to charity.
I get everything done the night before as often as I can!
I have a Kindergartner so we’ve been going to the school playground so he can get used to the area.
A tip that helps my family prepare for the beginning of a new school year is to start with the bedtime and waking routines about 1 week early.
we do some math/reading work book exericses
The main thing we do, we start about 4 weeks before school starts. If say the kids have to get up at 6:30 for school, we start 4 weeks before making them get up by 7:30. We back it up 15 minutes each week so when school starts they are ready to get up and get going.
Set up a sleep routine a couple weeks before school starts. This helps to make a smooth transition into the school year.
We’re going to start getting up and ready for the day at school time for a couple weeks before school starts so we’re ready for the early mornings.
I used to get things ready the night before, that way no hurrying in the morning. Also a couple of weeks before school start going to bed earlier and waking up earlier.
We go through clothes and older school supplies to see what is usable and then make lists for Back to school.
A few weeks before, we gradually start going to be earlier and getting up earlier to get back into school times.
always have some things ready the night before and get enough sleep to be energized for the day!
We do dentists visits and haircuts before the summer is over and then we start trying to get back on a schedule or routine.
We try to schedule dental and optical visits before the start of the new school year.
We get ready for the school year by preparing ahead of time. Bedtime rituals and times, lunches, packing backpacks, practicing skills, etc. all start a few weeks before school does.
We start sleeping earlier at night a few weeks before to get used to the early mornings for school.
Plan ahead, make a list if necessary! and just keep things simple!
We start talking about it so they have plenty of time to get used to the idea of going BTS. We also start putting them to bed a little earlier every night. And we also get them excited about BTS shopping, which helps.
Shopping early and on sale!
We start waking them up early like they would be going to school and the whole routine about a week before so they will get moving once school starts. We also get backpacks and clothes together so it is done and nothing is missing.
We shop early so there is no rush
Always take advanatage of sales. Keep you r supply list with you at all times. grab things slowly when you find them cheap!
The last week of summer we try to get bed times back to normal for one
This year I’d like to freeze up some thermas lunches that week as well this way it’s take it out the night before to defrost
Getting a schedule planned out and all the curriculum for the year helps us get ready for a new homeschool year.
Organize the house, it helps so much!
This is our first school year (kinder). We have just been practicing taking turns and getting school supplies.
We pack lunches and bags the night before school.
Shop for your cloths and supplies early
Getting back to the early bedtimes and wake ups a few weeks before school and having them get in the habit of having everything possible ready the night before.
When I’m unpacking things at the end of the year, I make a list of things that we need and put it on the fridge. Over the summer, I buy the items as they go on sale. Being organized is key!
Besos Sarah.
by the last week before school starts, I get back into our school routine, I don’t keep them as busy during the day, earlier bed time etc.
We slowly start to go to bed earlier each week.
when the sales start up at Staples for school supplies and Office Depot we start buying them and same with back to school clothes watch for the sales and go shopping
We get back into the “school routine” and make sure we have all of our supplies!
the last two weeks of summer we start shedding off a few minutes of bed time so that when school starts it wont be so hard to get to bed early for the school mornings , thats our tip
We start getting back into our bath and bed routine.
I have my kids go to sleep early 2 weeks before school starts.
We always look for good deals and shop early.
the week before start to get back on schedule with earlier bedtimes and scheduled meals
prepare schedules in advance
We would always get the school supplies ready early so it was one less thing to think about when starting day came close.
We try to get on our new schedule about a week before school starts so we’re ready.
We start school bedtimes and a schoolday schedule up a week before the kids head back so we are well-rested and adjusted to more structure.
we go into school schedule a week beforehand
We start getting back into the school year routine a few weeks before the first day.
Stock up during BTS sales.
My advice is to buy school supplies and start going to bed earlier a few weeks before school starts.
This year we maintained a normal school day bed time, keep our Dinner Time meals at the same time..hope this helps.
I have my daughter start going to bed early a week before school starts. It helps so much!
Around 2 weeks before school starts I have the kids go to bed a little earlier each night and then wake up the time they will be getting up for school.
Make sure to look for previous products you already have, sometimes you forget you have things already. Like a pack of unopened markers/sharpies. It’s wise to check before you go back to school shopping.
We always try to get more into routine the couple weeks leading up to school. Going out less and making sure to go to bed and wakeup at school times!
I find it helpful to “pick away” at the school supply list slowly over the summer, buying a thing here and a thing there, so it doesn’t seem so overwhelming in September!
Don’t spend all of your back to school clothes budget before school begins, saving some for growth spurts. You can get by with two or three pairs of neutral jeans that you mix and match with everything. One year my daughter grew 8 inches. We were able to keep up by buying two pairs of jeans each time and a small number of shirts. New shoes were needed, too. You can’t always know when those years are going to happen, but if they don’t, it can be fun doing some shopping here and there to refresh wardrobes. Watch for great sales.
Try to be as organized as possible
We get ready by prepping all the school materials and that’s pretty much it. We relax until the school days come. I get lunch box meal ideas ready and make sure my kids have a snack when they get home.
Our school actually has a program through Staples that provides all the neccessity for school supplies on the list and makes it so you can purchase it all online without stepping foot into a store
I get my calendar filled out and all of their supplies ready to go.
We always prepare backpacks and lunches the night before!
We get the kids on their back to school nighttime routine about 10 days before school starts. This way, there are no more arguments about staying up later on the night before school starts. We do let the kids stay up later through the summer. Thanks for the awesome giveaway opportunity.
We buy our supplies as we see them on sale in the stores.
We start getting into a school routine about 2 weeks before school starts.
Starting to get ready the week before, we hold on to summer as long as we can but switching bedtimes back a week early helps the transition
We pre-prepare lunches and make sure that our backpacks are ready to go the night before. I hate a rushed school drop off.
Make sure to shop with your student instead of giving them money
We plan ahead and start shopping right at the end of the year.
We start the sleeping schedule about one week before
My advice is to get back on an early sleep schedule, plan outfits and such and set them out the night before, and to do small learning activities with your children even when they aren’t at school and even if it isn’t homework.
we put out every thing we need for school the night befor that way it helps save time
We get back in the swing of things by making a schedule and following it.
We start adjusting bedtime to closer to what it is on school nights and we encourage the children to refresh themselves with their school books.
We start by getting clothes and school stuff ready. Early bed and waking on time
A good tip & what always worked for me is to purchase all school supplies & whatever else you need in advance. It makes life so much easier.
we start my son by getting him to go back to sleep on his school time bedtime a few weeks before school
I always started a week before school started in getting the kids schedules adjusted. Also, going over the bus rules and how to watch for traffic not stopping for the bus is a must.
We try to start getting into a routine of going to bed on time and getting up early a couple of weeks before school starts!
I get my kids into their morning routine a couple weeks before school starts.
Thank you for the giveaway. We try to hit some of the great sales going on for her school supplies.
We read and work on letters, maths, and organizing the books.
We start the sleeping schedule a week before it starts. I try to keep a steady for that week so they are better acclimated for it.
We start going to bed a little earlier each night as we near the first day. It’s a lot easier than trying to do it the night before.