Skip to main content

6 back-to-school tips for your grade schooler

Back to school time is extremely exciting for kids and parents. Kids get to see their friends, and parents get to enjoy a hot cup of coffee again. The transition from summer fun to school mode can take a toll on both parents and kids, however.

Whatever your family dynamic looks like, there are some things that you can do the week your children go back to school that can help everyone with the transition. Let’s check out 6 back to school tips for you and your grade-schooler to have an easier first week back.

A mom and child getting ready to go to school.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Create a calendar

It’s so useful to use a calendar or whiteboard to keep everyone’s schedules organized. Whether you want to do it by day or section it out kid by kid, having a calendar will make your life so much easier. Have it set up, have it color-coordinated, and go over everything with your kids. They may forget, they may not remember what was on what day, but they will know it’s updated, accurate, and there.

  • Make it colorful
  • Make it easy to read
  • Go over it with the kids
Recommended Videos

If you have a lot of kids or your own schedule is just as busy, create a separate calendar that they can check. Kids love to know what’s going on.

You’ll also find that everyone is a little less stressed when the week is planned out. Grade school-age kids love routine and knowing what’s going on. Plus, you don’t want to forget a kid somewhere the first week.

Pack the bags early

Make sure you aren’t scrambling the first day or throughout the week to get the school supplies packed up and ready. But let the kids be involved. Give them each their class list and their bag and let them pack it up. You can double-check them, but let them get excited about it.

Don’t do it the morning of or even the night before. You want to have the bags packed up before you think about doing your normal nightly routine. The more involvement, the better. The more prepped you all are, the less crying there will be in the mornings.

Don’t freak out about changes

The first week can either break you or be fun for everyone. Know that things might go wrong, schedules might need to change, or you might go to the wrong side for pickup.

  • Don’t get upset in front of the kids
  • Let them know life is constantly changing
  • Keep it light and fun
  • Have plenty of coffee (or tea)

If you need to drink all of the coffee (or adult drink) after the kids are in bed to deal with the fact that pickup took 30 minutes longer so the school could figure out the new traffic route, so be it. Don’t have a meltdown in front of the kids or they will dread pickup for the rest of the school year.

Kids running to a school bus.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Get plenty of sleep

Really, this should start a few weeks before school starts, but get that sleep schedule down. That first week is going to take a toll on everyone. Extra sleep is going to be key.

  • Mornings will be easier
  • Kids won’t be so cranky after school
  • You’ll feel better, too

This one isn’t just for the kids. That first week of school is rough on parents as well. You won’t feel so frustrated if the drop-off line hasn’t moved in 9 minutes if you’ve had a great night’s sleep. Your kids won’t fall asleep during dinner if they are rested.

Talk it out

Keep the communication open. Talk to your kids about your first week without them. Let them tell you everything about their first week. Even if it was rough (especially if it was rough), let them tell you what happened.

Share your ups and downs from the week. Talk about how you can have just as fun (or better) of a week the next week and the one after. You could even write it out. Let the kids make a list of their favorite things of the week and the things that didn’t go so well so you can figure out how to keep it going (or change it).

A mom and son getting his backpack ready for school.
New Africa / Shutterstock

Celebrate the first day

Do a little treat in the morning and something fun after to celebrate everyone getting through that first day. That first morning back (and the whole week, really) is going to be full of mad rushes, forgetting things, maybe learning a new drop-off/pickup routine, and probably at least one of you having a meltdown.

It doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant. Do a special breakfast or make it themed. After school, you can go for a quick ice cream. Just do something to celebrate the start of school and making it through that first week. You’ll enjoy the win as much as they will.

Maybe your schedule was a little more relaxed over the summer and now you have to tighten it up. Maybe your child doesn’t like mornings, and now the will-you-just-get-up battle that happens every single morning is about to start. Maybe you just want to get through the first week without needing three coffees a day.

Getting you and your children through that first week – without too many bumps – is important for the rest of the year to go smoothly. But if you just keep these tips in mind, you and your kids can have a great first week that will turn into a fun and exciting school year.

Dannielle Beardsley
Dannielle has written for various websites, online magazines, and blogs. She loves everything celebrity and her favorite…
Recognizing early autism signs in toddlers: 6 things to know
Which toddler behaviors are quirky and which are red flags for autism?
Toddler boys playing a party game

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that about 1 in every 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder. If your child is on the spectrum, the initial diagnosis can be upsetting, but early intervention following a diagnosis is vital. The early signs of autism in toddlers, though, can be easy to overlook. If you have a child you think might be on the spectrum, it's best to know the early signs as your toddler develops.

There is a long list of possible signs as the autism spectrum is wide and diverse. One sign may appear in one child, but not in another. Certain early signs of autism are more common than others, which is why knowing the red flags is important. The earlier a child receives a diagnosis, the better the support system will be for them.
Understanding autism

Read more
Is your newborn eating too much? What to know about overfeeding
Cues to watch out for to let you know if you're overfeeding a newborn
Mother holding baby in nursery

Every parent knows the excitement and anxiety that comes when it's time to bring their baby home from the hospital for the first time. Besides the sleep schedule, many new parents may be worried about whether their infant is getting enough to eat. But is going the other direction something parents should also worry about? Is there such a thing as overfeeding a newborn? The short answer is yes. Overfeeding a newborn is a possibility, but it doesn't happen often.

Every newborn has differences in appetite where one might drink a bottle or breastfeed longer than another. Before you stress, don't worry. There are signs to be on the lookout for when it comes to giving your little one too much food. Whether it's your first or third child, if you are concerned about overfeeding your newborn, we have the information you need to know.
Why overfeeding a newborn is something you don't want to do

Read more
Is the tooth fairy real? What to tell your kids about this magical tradition
Is it time to tell your child the truth about the tooth fairy?
Young girl smiling and showing her teeth

For many parents, one of the hardest parts of their children growing older is that they stop believing in those magical tales they've been told. They start to question if Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are real, leaving parents to think quickly on their feet! If your child has asked, "Is the tooth fairy real?" -- we have the backstory to give them. Whether you want to keep the fairy tale alive or give them the hard truth, we have your options covered.
If parents want to tell the truth

If your parenting style is to straight up tell the truth when a child asks you about something in the make-believe world, then drop this knowledge on your kiddo.
Short historical background
Around the 10th to possibly 12th century, the Norse people recorded the "tand-fe" tradition of adults paying children for their first lost tooth. For them, baby teeth held special powers that would protect them, especially if they wore a necklace of baby teeth on the battlefield.
When the tooth fairy was invented
The more traditional form of the tooth fairy we know today comes from a French fairy tale involving mice, called La Bonne Petite Souris (The Little Mouse). The story takes place in the 1800s and involves a mouse taking a child's tooth in exchange for a coin.
The first time the tooth fairy was mentioned in the U.S.
Here in the U.S., parents should thank Lillian Brown for being able to use the tooth fairy to get their kids to brush their teeth. Brown's article, published in the Chicago Tribune in 1908, first introduced the idea of a fairy that would gift your child 5 cents for each pulled baby tooth.
If parents want to keep the magic going

Read more