12 things you can do now to prepare for back to school

Last Updated on November 6, 2024

Does the thought of everything that you need to organise for back to school make you feel overwhelmed? If so, there are some things that you can do to prepare for back to school to make things easier.

For many of us, back to school means having to think about ordering school uniforms and supplies, packing lunches, keeping on top of school admin, and so much more.

Making all things back to school easier is something that you may want to do, and if so, here are some things that you can do to get ready for back to school, so both you and your children are ready for the next school term.

If you have a child who will be starting school for the first time, here are some tips to prepare for the first day of school that should minimise any worries you or your child may have during this time.

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Get back into a sleep routine

One of the first things you can do to prepare for back to school is to get your kids back into a sleep routine.

This involves getting them to sleep and wake up at the times they would if it was a school day the next day.

You can do this by gradually getting your children to sleep or wake up earlier over a few days, until they’re waking up and going to bed at the time they need to for a school day.

Check school uniforms

Checking school uniforms, school shoes, and PE kits to make sure they still fit, or can be worn, is something you could schedule for the end of each term, so you have enough time to order new items if needed before school starts.

If you want to be super prepared for back to school when it comes to uniforms and shoes, you may want to buy the next two sizes up for anything that needs replacing, so if your child unexpectantly grows during a term, you’ll have the next two sizes ready.

Check school supplies

At the same time as checking uniforms, shoes, and PE kits, allocate some time to check your child’s school supplies, and throw out anything that’s broken, sharpen anything that’s blunt, and purchase anything that’s missing.

Some school supplies you may need to repurchase include:

• School bag
• Lunch box
• Water bottle
• Pencil case
• Child‑safe scissors
• Crayons
• Coloured pencils
• Kid’s pens
• Eraser
• Pencil sharpener
• Glue stick
• Ruler
• Name labels to label uniforms, PE kits, and school supplies

A great tip for managing school supplies is to purchase multiple stationery items when they’re on sale, so you have back up supplies when needed.

Purchase fun educational books

This back to school organisation tip is a great one for longer holidays, such as the summer break, where you may like to buy some fun educational books to get your kids back into learning mode.

I know from personal experience that it can be hard getting my son back into a homework frame of mind once he’s been spending the holidays doing fun school holiday activities, so getting him to do fun educational activities slowly eases him back into a learning mode.

Get your calendar ready

Another thing you’ll need to do to prepare for back to school, and something that will help you stay as organised as possible during the school year, is to get your calendar ready.

There are so many things to remember during the school year, from school holidays, homework due dates, parent teacher interviews, inset days, library book due dates, costume days, PE days, school trips, photo days, and more, and you need to have somewhere to record these things.

Whether you use a planner to manage your time, a combination of a planner and Google Calendar to plan, or even if you use a family calendar to stay organised, you need something to remind you of upcoming school dates.

Discuss any concerns your child has

If your child is anxious about returning to school, talk to them about their feelings, and answer any questions they may have.

Doing this may minimise their worries, and you can also address them with their teacher on their first day so the teacher can help settle them in.

Set up a homework area

Having a homework area makes it easier for your kids to do their homework.

The size of the area you’ll need will depend on the age of your child.

For younger children a space at your dinner table may be enough, but older children may need a larger space to store a device, stationery, and notebooks.

Set up a school paperwork area

If you get lots of school paperwork, like permission slips, newsletters, event flyers, or anything else you don’t need to deal with immediately, make a space for them where you can store them all together, and can easily access them.

For example, I use a paper holder to store school paperwork in my kitchen right where I prepare school lunches, so I see what paperwork I need to deal with that day.

Have dedicated spaces for school items

Just like having a space for school paperwork, having dedicated areas in your home for school items not only helps you to keep a tidy home with kids, but also saves you time looking for things, because you know where everything is.

Some examples of this include having school bag storage, hanging coats and hats together, putting lunchboxes and water bottles on the kitchen counter, keeping shoes at the front door, or placing school uniforms on the sofa to be worn in the morning.

Plan school lunches and snacks

A great way to save time thinking about school lunches is to use the school holiday period to research school lunch ideas and school snack ideas.

Once you’ve done some research, make a list of the ideas that you think your child will like, then work through them when it’s time to make their school lunch.

To be even more organised when it comes to school lunches, see if there’s any part of the upcoming week’s lunches that can be prepared over the weekend.

For example, cutting fruit or vegetables, pre making sandwiches, or storing lunchboxes and water bottles on the kitchen counter.

It’s also a good idea to have spare lunchboxes and water bottles in case any of these items goes missing, or are damaged during the school year.

Prepare the night before

One of the ways I stay organised as a mum of two, is to prepare for things the night before, which means doing as much as you can for the next day, the night before, to minimise last minute stress.

Some things that you can do the night before a school day are:

• Lay out school uniform
• Make school lunches and store them in the fridge, then place it in your kid’s school bag with snacks the next morning
• Empty school bags after school and place them in your school bag storage area, ready for the next day
• Wash PE kits the day they’re worn

Get your kids involved

If your kids are old enough to be responsible for any part of their return to school, you can create a checklist detailing the things they’re responsible for each morning and night.

This could include:

• Getting their uniform ready
• Getting dressed
• Filling up their water bottle
• Packing their school bag
• Making sure their homework is done

How to prepare for back to school – a recap

There’s no doubt that the return to school can be overwhelming, there’s so much to think about and organise, but luckily there are many things you can do to prepare for back to school, to make this time less stressful.

One of the first things you can do to get organised for back to school includes getting your kids back into a sleep routine, so they start going to bed and waking up at the times they would during the school term.

Other ways to prepare for back to school include checking uniforms, shoes, and PE kits, to make sure they fit and are clean. Doing this at the end of each term is a great way to make sure you have enough time to order items in time for the start of school.

Similar to checking uniforms, shoes, and PE kits, make sure your child has all the supplies they need for their return to school, as well as considering buying some fun educational books so your child can get back into learning mode if the holiday period has been long.

Once school is back, there are a multitude of dates you need to remember, so making sure you have a calendar ready to capture them is important, as is setting up a homework and paperwork area within your home.

A couple of my favourite ways to prepare for back to school include making lists of school lunch ideas and school snack ideas to make school lunch prep easy, as well as doing as much as I can the night before a school day, to make mornings run smoother.

Lastly, discussing any feelings your child may have about the return to school with them, and getting them involved in going back to school, may help to minimise any worries they have.

What things do you do to prepare for back to school?

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