It’s almost August, which means it’s Back-to-School time. I enjoy fun, relaxing summers, but I also love getting back into a routine after spending all summer without a schedule. Every school year my family strives to start with a clean, organized home and a strong, daily routine. This Back-to-School Checklist for your family is a great way to start the new school year.
RESET YOUR ROUTINES
In the two weeks before school starts, my family starts preparing for the new school year. We do four essential activities: cleaning, organizing, shopping and scheduling. This reset has been part of our yearly Back-to-School routine since my son was in elementary school.
If your kids are anything like mine, there is always a little anxiety before school starts. My son wants to know his schedule, if his friends are in his classes, and who has lunch with him.
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We find the answers to all of those questions before the first day of school, but I have also learned that my son (and our whole family) is less anxious when we have a clean, organized home and set daily routines before the school year starts.
A tidy home and set schedule helps eliminate some of our stress. We don’t have to search for a missing sock, shoe, or book. No one is trying to rework the afternoon schedule because we didn’t plan ahead. Everything is in its place and everything is on the schedule.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL CHECKLIST
Here are some suggestions for how to make Back-to-School a little easier for your family this year. You can download the checklist for FREE below!⬇️
CLEANING
My entire family is more relaxed when our home is clean, so we make sure to thoroughly clean the house before school starts. We also change out the candles and hand soaps so that the home smells more like fall with the aroma of apples, cinnamon and cider. It’s a scent that triggers Back-to-School time for my family!
ORGANIZING
Organizing your mess reduces your stress! Clutter and the inability to find things when you need them are stress factors that can be minimized by organizing your home. Organizing your home and car not only makes you happier, it gives you back your time. Think of how much time you have spent looking for that missing shoe, pair of scissors, or recently in our family- the missing AirPods that were found under the back seat of my car! Having an organized home and car will help your mornings go smoother as you try to get to school and work on time!
One of the most important items we organize before school starts is clothing. We pull out any clothes, shoes, socks or underwear that no longer fit and either discard, donate or sell based on the condition of the item. This helps me see my son’s clothing needs before we go shopping for new school clothes.
SHOPPING
Back-to-school shopping is one of my favorite things to do! I love shopping for new clothes, shoes and school supplies!
We don’t spend tons of money on new clothes, but I do feel it’s important for him to have a new outfit that he finds comfortable and makes him feel confident on his first day of school. Our state’s tax free weekend is a great time to save money on school supplies, clothes and athletic equipment.
SCHEDULING & ROUTINES
The most important activities of our Back-to-School checklist fall into the scheduling and routines category. Two weeks before school starts, we start our daily, school year routines. After spending all summer staying up late, sleeping in, eating at all hours, and not following a schedule, it’s nice to get back to a normal routine. Here are some of the key routines that we begin implementing before school starts:
Regular Sleep Routine
Set a sleep schedule that works with your family’s fall schedule. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning to get your body back in a healthy sleeping pattern.
Regular Meal Times
My teenage son eats 24/7 during the summer! We also eat meals at weird times depending on the activities of the day. We start eating at “normal” meal times one week before school starts to help us get back into a better eating schedule.
Meal Plan & Meal Prep Routine
Since we eat out frequently during the summer, I don’t meal plan or meal prep as regularly during the summer months. But the week before school starts, I restart my weekly meal planning and meal prep routine.
Having dinners planned out, veggies cut, snacks pre-portioned and ready-to-eat, and lunches made makes the week go much smoother for me. I don’t rush around after work trying to throw together a meal. I’ve already planned and prepped it out for the week.
On weeks that are super busy, I buy pre-cut veggies or pre-made meal kits to help me put a quick and healthy dinner on the table. My meal planning also includes reviewing my family’s next week’s schedule to determine what days we can eat at home and what days we need to eat out.
Set Up the Command Center
We don’t use a command center during the summer, but it’s essential during the school year. The calendar helps everyone in the family stay on the same page! We write all of our appointments, games, and meetings on the calendar so we all know what is happening that day.
Since my son is older now, our command center is not as extensive as it used to be. Our command center has extra school supplies and a dry-erase monthly calendar. We also have a basket for important papers, but it rarely gets used now that most communication comes through email or the student portal. The calendar is the critical piece- we would be lost without it!
Preparing Your Children
If your kids are anything like mine, there is always a little anxiety before school starts. We try to minimize Back-to-School jitters by answering these questions and completing these key tasks before the first day of school:
What’s my schedule?
Every kid wants to know what classes they have, if they have nice teachers, if their friends are in their classes, and who they’ll sit with at lunch. We research and find out the answer to these questions as soon as the schedules are posted!
Where are my classes located?
Knowing when and where to go for each class can help eliminate first day anxiety for your child. Help your child map out a route to take for the first day especially if it’s a new school.
How will I get to/from school?
Make sure your child knows exactly how they will get to and from school. If they ride the bus, make sure they know the route and times. If they are driving themselves, make sure to review the teen driver laws and your rules for riding with other kids. Also work out a back-up plan for pick up in case an emergency happens.
Where’s my locker?
Help your child find their locker and make sure they can unlock it. When my son first started using lockers, we had to work on how to use combination locks. Not being able to get into your locker in between classes can add stress to your child.
Get sports physical.
If your child is in athletics, he/she will be required to have a physical prior to starting the school year. The closer it is to the start of school, the harder it can be to get an appointment with your physician.
Get medications and care plans to school nurse.
If your child has a medical condition like allergies, asthma or diabetes and is required to have medication at school, it’s important to provide the school nurse with the medication and care plan before school starts.
Get a haircut.
My son lets his hair grow wild over the summer! He has to get a haircut before school starts so he will be in compliance with the school dress code policy.
YOUR FAMILY IS READY FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR!
Using this Back-to-School Checklist will help you get your home in order, re-establish routines and schedules, and help eliminate some of the first day jitters for your children. Cleaning, organizing, shopping, and setting routines are four activities that can help your family have a great start to the school year.
