How to Get Ready for Back to School
My boys started school yesterday! I officially have two in school. It’s crazy to see how time flies by and our kids grow up right before our eyes. Getting two ready and out the door in the morning is a lot different than just needing to get one child ready. Here are ways to help you know how to get ready for back to school and into a successful school year.
How to Get Ready for Back to School
3 weeks before school starts – Start shopping for back to school clothes. This will give you time to wash and organize their next size up if you need to change sizes and will make sure you have enough time to return items, if needed. Don’t forget to stock up on socks, underwear, new shoes, uniforms if needed, and other outfits to round out their wardrobe. You often don’t need to completely restock their clothing, a few new outfits can make a big difference in giving your child confidence and to feel excited for a new school year.
2 weeks before school starts – Shop for school supplies from crayons, notebooks, school glue, pencils, etc. Don’t forget to pick out a backpack, lunchbox, water bottle, and the optional requests from your child’s teacher like kleenex, disinfecting wipes, and hand sanitizer. You may want to purchase a little bit extra on the often used up supplies to help your child’s classroom restock throughout the year. Glue sticks are often the first thing requested, but may of these inexpensive supplies will be asked for through the school year.
1 week before school starts – Start your back to school routine by getting to bed an waking up following your typical school schedule. You can even help your child get on track with the lunch schedule by serving lunch and snacks at similar times to help them prepare for their upcoming schedule.
3 days before school starts – Fill backpacks with all the necessary school supplies and hang the backpack by your front door or a designated area for backpacks so it’s ready to go. If your school is hosting a meet the teacher night, you can usually bring all the supplies that night to help your child lug in all their necessary supplies.
The night before school starts – Lay out an outfit or school uniform for the next day including their socks and shoes so everything is easy to find in the morning. Consider laying out an easy breakfast or prepping ahead of time a more filling breakfast like an overnight breakfast casserole. Your child is likely to be excited for their first day and nervous too, having this little steps ready will help the day run smoothly.
If your child is worried about heading off to school, whether they are going to a new school or starting school for the first time, keep open conversation about what they can expect at school and assure your child you’ll be there at the end of the day excited to hear all about their first day of school.
This year, we headed in to our local Target for all of our back to school shopping. My soon-to-be Kindergarten an 2nd grade boys were both most excited about picking out a new backpack! As soon as we walked down the aisle approaching the back wall of backpacks, they had already spotted exactly what pack they wanted for the new year!
One picked a Spiderman backpack and excitedly showed me how it sparkled and lit up! My other son picked out a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle backpack which included a matching lunchbox that clipped right to the outside of his backpack.
Target had everything on our school supplies checklist and everything was neatly organized in a back to school section easy to find. We even found these awesome water bottles that were hands down my boys favorite thing we picked out! They’ve been using their new water bottles every day since we got them, even before school started.
I was really impressed how Target had all the fun characters and styles that are in right now that made it fun and exciting getting ready for back to school. My boys will both be sizing up to the next size clothes next month, so we put off our big apparel shopping trip for a few weeks, but we will be heading into Target as I know they’ll have everything we need for back to school.
Every little thing is a really big deal.
Do you have any tips for how to get ready for back to school?
Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Target via Glam Media.聽 The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Target.
Getting all the new school supplies was always my favorite part of the whole year! It was my version of Christmas when I was a kid lol
I can’t believe that it’s already time to go back to school! Love the post and pictures.
I’ve already started prepping my oldest!! Time does fly! Love those backpacks!
I get all my supplies at Target! My youngest is entering preschool and we’re all set already.
Great tips! Very cool backpacks those handsome young men have.
We always get back-to-school supplies from Target. My son would love their backpacks!
Great tips! We go back Sept 2 and I’m kind of dreading it to be honest! Not only do I enjoy having my kiddos home there’s so much to do, buy and prepare for! Gah. Hopefully this helps!
It looks like you’re all ready for back to school. I’m an empty nester, so I don’t need to worry about this anymore. I did help out a neighbor boy with money for school supplies though.
My kids are much older so back to school is nothing stressful anymore. They buy there own clothes and we buy supplies when they go on sale.
Getting ready for back to school season can always be stressful! These tips are wonderful!
I will have 3 in school this year. It definitely helps laying stuff out the night before.
My daughter just started Kindergarten this week! We made a trip or 3 to Target and we were ready to go!
That Ninja Turtle backpack is SO awesome. I even shop for school supplies…without a kid to send back to school! I just love this time of year.
Lots of great advice. My oldest daughter starts school in just a few days! She has her backpack picked out. I still want to get a few more outfits.
So cute and so fun! I always enjoy filling the backpacks!
This is a really great time line! I need to get started on the clothes shopping it sounds like. 馃榾
These are great tips. My daughter started back to school on Monday.
Those backpacks from Target are so cute! Backpacks make such a big difference in their excitement to get ready for back to school. I also agree with laying things out the night before- life.saver.
These are such great tips. I love how you broke it down in a timeline to make it easier and less stressful!
Great tips. We got to Kindergarten this year, big changes!
water bottles, we go through so many water bottles. i might spend more money on nothing else every year. LOL
This reminds me, it’s time to go shopping for clothes. I have two going to school next month and it will be an adjustment for us all.
These are some great tips for getting ready to go back to school. I love the week before school one… getting back into that routine is hard, so going to bed earlier and getting up at the time you should is important to do.
We are working on getting the boys back to bed at school time hours. I think my husband may be having the hardest time with it.
We shopped at Target for back to school too. I was amazed at how huge the selection of backpacks was!
I’m going to make use of these guidelines. Today is my year! No more shopping for school supplies three weeks into the school year or forgetting to pack a lunch or…well, you see where this is going.
These are some good guidelines. My nephew would love either of those backpacks your guys picked out!
Fantastic list. Very helpful for back to school.
Thank you SO much for this list! My son starts preschool 2 weeks for tomorrow and he is my first so this mommy is nervous! I hope I get everything and everyone prepared for all of this in time!
I love that you have such a well-thought out schedule. Much better than my “panic at the last minute” plans, haha.
I can’t believe we are already thinking back to school, but alas it’s that time. These are great tips! Thank you!
You certainly look well prepared! I am surprised by myself this year, because i am pretty well prepared too! Just need a few more things!
We are just about 3 weeks out from the first day, so this was great timing! I haven’t done anything yet to get my kids ready!
We still have one month of Summer! I wonder what backpack my son will pick, the character ones may not work anymore for middle school.
These are such great tips! My kids go back next week and I imagine it will be a learning curve having two in school instead of one. I always lay out clothes the night before though. It keeps things less hectic in the morning.
This year I made sure everything has been done and ready in plenty of time.
I can’t believe school is already starting.Looks like your boys are excited!
I definitely try to place everything out the night before. My son isn’t in school, but we do have to take him to daycare (and it’s much trickier when my husband is back in school – he’s a literacy coach.)
I buy all my kids school supplies at Target. My little man would love that TMNT backpack. I better get over there and see if they have any left.
I’m so with you on laying things out for the next day. It helped us SO much!!!! I love that they found cute character backpacks!