Back to School Tips for Parents to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

These back to school tips for parents are some ways to make the transition to back to school less stressful for you and the kids. This is FULL of practical advice, so let’s get started.

Get Ready for School - Back to School Tips for Parents

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A Few Back to School Tips for Parents

Family households all over the world will soon start getting into the swing of the back to school season. You are about to be very busy: packing lunches, setting alarm clocks, sorting clothes to wear, stuffing backpacks…

The truth is, back to school doesn’t have to be stressful. Back to school time can be a breeze, but it starts with a little planning.

Psst: we’re no experts, but we’ve found that these tips work best. If you have some to add, leave them in the comments below and I’ll add them to the article!

Settle Back into Routine

Hello, I’m Sarah. My daughter is 6 and there are times during the summer when she stays up until 10 o’clock.

It is not uncommon for the little ones to stray from their routine over the summer months. With all the sleepovers, camping trips and late-night barbecues, your little one is bound to have had some late nights.

Get them back into a bedtime routine where they go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning. Doing this well in advance of the first day of school will prepare them for what’s to come.

RELATED READING: Back to School Tips for Kids for an Awesome First Day Back

Make Lists

This isn’t just my hand-lettering-list-making-heart talking… Lists can be a saving grace when your little one is heading back to school!

Make in-depth lists that include a variety of the things you will need to plan like new clothes, school supplies, lunches, lunch bags, and water bottles, and backpacks. Writing a list will help to ensure that you don’t forget an important item and that you are well prepared for that first day.

Be sure to add one reminder to the list: not one of us is perfect. If you forget something, the stores will be open the day after school starts, too.

Don’t Wait

I was always so excited about back to school shopping, so I didn’t know people did this until… Well, until I had kids and realized exactly how much CRAP there is to do in life.

One of my best back to school tips for parents is to TRY not to leave all back to school shopping until the last second.

Spread it out over the months they are off school, chipping away at the lists a little bit at a time. When you leave the shopping and preparations for the last minute, you are bound to forget something important or necessary or find yourself rushing around from store to store. Shopping a little at a time helps to make preparing for back to school a little less stressful.

And if not, remember the reminder we put onto our list: the stores will be open the day after school starts…


Get a Good Backpack

While your little one may be more interested in one of those inexpensive theme backpacks, the truth is, they may not last. Worse yet: they may actually HURT them.

Here are some tips to read on how to choose a good backpack. Skim it before you head over to Amazon or out into the world…

The basics: choose a lightweight backpack that has adjustable, padded shoulder straps, a reflector, quality zippers, available pockets, and well-stitched seams.

Back to School for Parents #backtoschool #pinitforlater #firstdayofschool

Stock up on Food Ideas

True story: for years, my daughter loved sandwiches. Peanut butter, ham and cheese, – you name it, she loved them. One day, sandwiches must have picked someone else for the team, because they became the worst thing in the world.

School lunches became a challenge.

Depending on the age of your kids, have your kids help to plan the meals and snacks for the week ahead, providing them a variety of healthy options to choose from.

We love these reusable bags – the cute patterns absolutely saved us when the little one dropped sandwiches for a while.

RELATED READING: Start the School Year with These Adorable Back to School Cupcakes!

Organize the Night Before

Relieve some of the pressure from the first day back at school by preparing in advance.

The easiest things you can do to prepare are things like make lunches, pack backpacks, and choose outfits. It’s a little harder, but one of the best things to help organize the night before school is to open the dialogue with your child about how they are feeling about returning to school. They are working through anxiety and you’re the best person to help.

Doing these things, the night before will help to make the first morning of school a lot less stressful for you and your children.

Don’t Skip Breakfast

As an adult, intermittent fasting can be hugely beneficial. For kids, it just leads to hangry – and NO ONE likes hangry.

We know kids need energy throughout the day, especially on the first day of school and a healthy breakfast is of utmost importance. If you can, find the time to sit together and eat in the morning.

If you find that you are too rushed in the wee hours of the morning to make breakfast, there are many different breakfast casseroles and ideas that you can put together the night before.

RELATED READING: Back to School Crafts That Will Bring ALL the Smiles

Stay Calm

It is important to remember that we need to stay calm. Our children can always sense our emotions and if we are elevated, they will be too.

If you feel yourself beginning to get frustrated, take a second to take a few deep breaths and calm down. The transition to back to school is much easier if everyone is relaxed and ready. This really is one of the most valuable back to school tips for parents.

Over to You – What Are Your Best Tips?

What are your back to school tips for parents to help with this stressful time? Let me know and I’ll add them in – we parents have to stick together!

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These back to school tips for parents will help prepare the family for the hectic back to school time. #pinitforlater #backtoschool #school #endofsummer #firstdayofschool #startingschool

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