The Ultimate Back to School Checklist
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Getting your littles and your entire household prepared for a new school year is a daunting task. From school supplies to schedule alignment to giving your children confidence that they can succeed, there’s a lot on your shoulders as a parent. This checklist will help you get the right supplies for day 1, but will also give you tips and inspiration to mentally prepare for the school year. We’ve broken this guide into three parts: schedule and structure preparation, back to school supplies, and mental preparation.
Schedule and Structure Preparation
Back to school is a time of change for your littles, but it’s also a time of change for parents. We highly recommend starting to discuss schedules with your entire household 2-3 weeks before school begins. This gives you time to work through possible adjustments to schedules or activities. Work together to create a plan for each of these main areas:
Meal Planning
Stock up on quick, healthy breakfast options
Plan for weekly lunches for each child
Build a meal prep plan around busy evenings
Don’t forget to plan lunch for yourself, parents!
Daily Schedule
Who is in charge of pick-up and drop-off each day?
Can you schedule carpools for certain days of the week?
Set new bedtimes and wake-up times
Working parents, prepare your workplace/colleagues for adjusted schedule
Activities & Appointments
Schedule a doctor appointment/check-up before the year starts
Sign-up for fall sports and activities
Get school functions on the calendar ASAP (conferences, field trips, etc.)
Add everything to a shared family calendar
Clothing and Hygiene
Schedule haircuts!
Before buying new clothes, sift through wardrobes to see what has been outgrown, and where the biggest needs exist.
Wash and organize clothes that still fit.
Shop for fall school clothes (as needed)
Shop for winter school clothes (as needed)
Replenish hygienic items like deodorant, teeth cleaning, soap/shampoo, feminine products, etc
Back to School Supplies!
Items to consider reusing:
Before you finalize your back to school shopping list, do a sweep of your home for leftover items from previous years and/or siblings. Many items can be easily reused from year to year to save a few dollars. You may even want to check with older cousins or neighbors/friends for items that their children may have outgrown.
Binders
Backpack
Lunch box
Folders
Calculator
Notebooks (unused or partially used)
Back to school supplies shopping list:
Lunch box
Backpack
Pencils
Erasers
Highlighters
Ballpoint pens
Glue stick
White-out
Scissors
Pencil pouch
Notebooks
Folders
Graph paper
Protractor
Calculator
Sticky notes
Binders
Gym bag
Gym shoes + socks
Gym lock
Hand sanitizer
You can quickly build your back to school shopping list with Maple To-Dos
Mental Preparation
With the hustle and bustle of the new school year, it’s easy to get caught up in shopping for new items and organizing schedules and forget to mentally prepare your children for the school year. This comes in different forms for different children, but setting expectations can go a long way to building confidence for your littles. Here are a few ways to help your kids start school with positive momentum:
Help Them Understand What to Expect
Attend any available “meet the teacher” events
Do a walkthrough of the school or classroom
Do they have a locker? Practice opening it and drop-off items ahead of time
Print out your child’s schedule and put it on the fridge
Walk Through the Curriculum
If not provided, ask for a rough curriculum ahead of time
Have your child label folders/notebooks for each subject
Take a few nights to walk-through the first few topics on the curriculum, nothing builds confidence like knowing the answers early and acing the first test!
Attend Kick-off Events
Attend kick-off events for sports, art clubs or other activities
When possible, meet their coaches, band leaders or art teachers ahead of time
If your children are younger, consider a play date with other families in their class
Enjoy the End of Summer
Life happens fast. Plan a few fun family events to celebrate the end of summer. Build these beautiful memories while you can!