Every year, I tell myself that this will be the year I get completely organized for back-to-school.
This will be the year I buy everything early.
This will be the year everyone’s clothes are ready, the supplies are labeled, the forms are completed, and nobody is frantically searching for a missing shoe the night before school starts.
And every year, I do some of those things.
The rest?
Well, we get there eventually.
I’ve learned that I don’t need a perfect back-to-school system.
I just need to handle the things that are most likely to make the first week easier.
Start With the School Supplies
I like to get school supplies out of the way first.
Once the list is in hand, I try to:
- Check what we already have
- Buy the missing items
- Label what needs to be labeled
- Put everything together in one place
School label pack – I’ve bought my kids labels from this Etsy shop for the last couple of years in a row. The pack includes a few different sized labels for things like water bottles and lunch containers, as well as a separate set of labels for clothing. They stick on the clothing and water bottles through the washing for the entire year.
The key is not letting supplies live in random shopping bags all over the house for the next three weeks.
Ask me how I know.
Check the Clothes
Before buying a whole new wardrobe, I like to see what still fits.
Kids have a special talent for growing approximately three sizes when you’re not looking.
I check:
- Pants
- Shirts
- Shoes
- Jackets
- Socks and underwear
- Gym clothes
Then I make a list of what is actually needed.
Not what is cute.
Not what is on sale.
What is needed.
Get Lunch Stuff Ready
Even if your child buys lunch sometimes, it’s helpful to know that you have the basics ready to go.
I like to check:
- Lunchbox
- Water bottle
- Reusable containers
- Ice packs
- Snack containers
Hydroflask insulated thermos – I’ve tried a million and one thermoses and this one works the best. It actually keeps the food warm, so long as you activate it with hot water for 10 minutes before putting the food in.
I also try to have a few easy breakfast and lunch options available for those mornings when we are already running behind.
Put Important Dates Somewhere You Can See Them
Once I have the school calendar, I like to add the important dates to our family calendar.
Things like:
- First day of school
- Early dismissal days
- School holidays
- Picture day
- Open house
- Activities
- Important deadlines
Because if something is not on my calendar, there is a very real chance I will forget about it.
Practice the Morning Routine
We don’t need to do a full practice week.
But it can help to start shifting bedtime and wake-up times before the first day.
A few days before school starts, we start talking about:
- What time we need to wake up
- What needs to happen before leaving
- Where backpacks go
- What time bedtime will be
The goal is not perfection.
It’s just making the first morning feel slightly less shocking.
Prepare for the First Week to Be a Lot
The first week of school is exciting.
It is also exhausting.
Everyone is adjusting to new schedules, new classrooms, new expectations, and a whole lot of stimulation.
I try not to overbook the first week if I can help it.
Easy dinners are perfectly acceptable.
Early bedtimes are encouraged.
If everyone is a little cranky, that seems pretty normal.
My Biggest Back-to-School Tip
Don’t try to do everything at once.
Make a list.
Pick one thing to do each day.
Get the supplies.
Check the clothes.
Look at the calendar.
Get the lunch items ready.
Slowly, the list gets shorter.
And eventually, you find yourself standing in the school drop-off line wondering how summer went by so quickly.
If you’re preparing for a new school year, I hope you remember that you don’t have to have everything perfectly organized to give your kids a great start.
You just need to keep moving forward, one backpack, lunchbox, and missing shoe at a time.
Big Kitty Corner 
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