Back to School Tips for the New School Year

Make a Smooth Transition to the First Day of School and Beyond

Jul 30, 2009 Julie Londrigan

Getting back into a routine can be a challenge after a leisurely summer of fun. Families can ease back into a more structured schedule with simple back to school ideas.

Back to school means less family time, more schedules, and commitments such as homework and extracurricular activities. The change from summer to fall can leave parents and children with mixed emotions. By anticipating the changes that come with the first day of school, parents can head off much of the anxiety.

The School Calendar

Summer vacation seems endless to children. Preparing them for the switch from vacation to school routine will help the change seem less abrupt. As the first day of school draws near, start preparing kids for back to school by posting the school calendar in a prominent place in the home. Make the calendar more attractive by letting kids decorate it with stickers and scrapbooking supplies. Refer to the calendar on a daily basis and make note of the current date and the date of the first day of school.

Unsure where to find a calendar for school? Some school districts mail a school calendar to families prior to the beginning of the school year. A more recent trend in many districts is the practice of posting the school calendar on the district website in an effort to reduce spending and reduce paper waste. A school calendar can typically be printed, a month at a time, from the school website.

Back to School Shopping

Back to school sales typically start midway through the summer. This leaves plenty of opportunity for smart shopping and stocking up on back to school specials. As the school shopping begins, there are three main categories in which to hunt for bargains.

• School clothes: finding bargains on school clothes is easy as retailers are in fierce competition with one another for consumer attention. Little research is needed to discover all sorts of money saving bargains. Compare the Sunday ads and discover the deals. Also consider joining the email lists of stores such as Old Navy and Kohls to be the first to know of sales.

• School backpacks: school backpacks vary widely in quality and price. A school backpack with a price that seems too good to be true will probably not fare well over the course of the school year. Regardless of the price tag, carefully examine the stitching that connects the straps to the bag. There should be tight, tiny stitching and no loose threads. Also check the capacity of the main compartment to ensure plenty of room for textbooks, gym clothes and lunch. Jansport and Land's End are well known brands for quality school backpacks.

• School supplies: zeroing in on discount school supplies requires comparison shopping. Office supply chains such as Staples or Office Depot often offer deep discounts on notebooks and other various school necessities. Target, Walmart and Kmart also host huge sales on various school supplies starting in late July. Watch and compare the ads to get the best deals.

Homework Center

Setting up a homework center in the home prior to the first day of school is a great way to help kids start off on the right foot as they anticipate the school year. Find a place in the home that is far away from the television that can serve as a study area for the kids. Stock the homework center with school supplies and let the kids add special touches such as a cork board and a white board to use during the year. This homework center will become a central part of the daily routine once the school year is under way and setting it up prior to the first day of school will serve as a gentle reminder to kids that homework is an expected part of school.

Enjoy the Rest of the Summer

The first day of school comes as less of a shock to kids when they are subtly prepared for it as summer vacation draws to a close. However, preparing for school does not have to mean an early end to the carefree fun of the summer. Introduce the idea of the approaching school year but be sure to let the kids enjoy the end of the school vacation. One last summer hurrah (a camping trip, a backyard barbecue, a day trip to the beach) will keep the kids smiling right onto the bus.

The copyright of the article Back to School Tips for the New School Year in Parenting Resources is owned by Julie Londrigan. Permission to republish Back to School Tips for the New School Year in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Back to School Tips