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It feels like school just ended, but believe it or not, it’s already around the corner. I know we’re all sad to say goodbye to summer (or not, if you live in Florida and you can’t wait for temperatures to go back to being able to walk outside without feeling like you’ve just walked into an oven), but let’s face it-parents everywhere are letting out small internal cheers because this means their kids will be in school and back to a structured schedule. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll get to go to the bathroom at least one time during the day without an audience. The bad news: you, dear parents, have to get them prepared with all of their stuff. Most schools or school districts provide lists for school supplies, and even teachers provide more personalized lists for their classrooms. Amazon is a great place to start for school supplies because 1) you avoid crowds in your local stores, 2) what don’t they have?!, and 3) it’s shipped right to your door-no need to schlep anything! So, you handle the school supplies, and I’m here to provide you with a checklist of how to get your schitt back together for the start of school.
- Bedtime Routine. A couple of weeks before school begins, start getting your kids back into an earlier bedtime routine. Maybe with this new school year or new age, your child’s bedtime increased by 30 or 60 minutes. Start enforcing the new bedtime so that when school rolls around, you won’t have to roll them out of bed to get to school on time.
- Summer Homework Assignments. If your child was assigned any work to complete over the summer, allow a week or so before school begins to make sure the assignments are complete and are ready to be submitted to their new teacher.
- Backpacks and Lunch Boxes. I find the best selection of backpacks on Amazon-they have so many different sizes, colors, and meet the needs of every age. We’ve had the same Wildkin backpacks for the last three school years, and they are durable and a great size for fitting a folder, lunch box, water bottle, and snack and still have plenty of room for more!
They come in really cute patterns and multiple sizes and have matching lunch bags. 
If you’re using the same backpack from last school year, make sure it doesn’t have a funky smell and is clean and ready to go for the first day of school. Most backpacks and lunch bags are machine washable. Toss it in the washer on a gentle or delicate cold cycle. Let the bags air dry on a drying rack and they’re good as new and won’t smell like a gym locker.
I have been using these Bentgo Boxes for the last three school years as well and they have been great! They’re durable and keep the food super fresh for a long period of time. They come in three colors, pink, blue, and green and are dishwasher-safe. I recently purchased a couple of these Bentgo inserts that come with a transparent lid so that I can make lunches up to two days in advance and save time in the mornings. - Clothing. Make sure to review the school dress code and review it with your child to avoid violations. If your child is required to wear a uniform, make sure you have the appropriate sizes and pieces in their wardrobe. Prepare a set or two of extra clothes to leave at school in case of an accident, and make sure all items are labeled with your child’s name. I like to keep an extra pair of inexpensive shoes for my twins at school in case they get theirs wet. There are some good finds at Walmart for around $10-$15 and then you can donate them when they’ve outgrown them.
- Schedules. Review your child’s school schedule. Go over which classes they will be taking and mark your calendar with any school holidays or closings. I like to set an alert in my phone for days that the school is closed so that I’m reminded of upcoming days off. In addition to reviewing their school schedule, make sure you review their sports or extracurricular schedules.
- Sports/Activities. Look into the sports and activities that your child has expressed an interest in participating. Check out your options and the schedules and sign up early to ensure a spot. If your child is in therapies, make sure you have your time slots reserved with your therapists so that your weekly schedule is mapped out.
- Carpool/Bus. Review your bus schedule and coordinate carpooling schedules. Make sure you have your transportation for your child lined up in advance of the start of school.
- Lunches/Snacks. Summer is a good time to have meaningful and productive conversations with your child(ren) about school lunches and snacks. If your goal is to expand their palate, you can sit down with them and discuss new options that they’d like to incorporate into their lunches and snacks. I’ve included a handy PDF that you can print out and fill in with your child. It helps planning out lunches ahead of time. You can either do it by the week or the month, this way you’re organized and they’re happy (or helping) with their lunches.
- Physical Forms. Many schools and sports teams or activities require that your child’s health forms and records be up to date. You can contact your child’s school to request any forms that may need to be completed by your pediatrician and returned to school. Use the weeks leading up to the start of school to get the paperwork completed and submitted to the school.
- Weeknight Dinners. If you want to set a really lofty goal and completely have all of your schitt together, you can be an overachiever and meal plan in advance. I have included a handy PDF that you can fill in for weeknight dinners. Obviously, sports and other extracurricular activities will dictate whether you cook or carry out, but if you have meals planned out in advance, it makes your grocery shopping that much easier.
So, there you have it. This list is not meant to be completely exhaustive and comprehensive. But if you can accomplish even just one item on this list, you’re well on your way to getting your schitt together before school starts. Sit back, pour yourself a nice big glass of wine, take a swig and enjoy the waning, lazy days of summer. Until one of your kids calls your name because they need you to do something for them. Cheers!
Tamar Blazer is an attorney-turned-twin mom, with a passion for her family, friends, writing, good food, home decor and laughing. When she’s not lamenting on her lack of sleep, you can find her doing one of the too many projects she likes to take on, usually with a twin on either side.
