Headed Back to School? Not so Fast!

Summer vacation is over. You can tell by the grumbling of children everywhere. "Awww mom, do I have to go? But summer just started!" Sound familiar? While grumbling children doesn't make it any easier to get ready for heading back to school this checklist can help. After all as a parent I know I wouldn't want my child's heading back to school to be delayed. Not after spending an entire summer with them at home.

Back to School Checklist

1. Do you have all of the supplies? Are they labeled with your child's name if they need to be? While it may seem to be common sense to check on these things sometimes something ends up being forgotten. You go shopping and skip out on buying the pack of pencils because you can get them cheaper elsewhere. You fold up the list and stick it in your pocket and forget. Now its the day before school and your child looks in their pencil box only to see that there are no pencils in it. You head out to the drugstore to fetch a pack that has been overpriced for convenience. It doesn't hurt to check your list, check it twice, check it three times. And make sure that those pencils are sharpened.

2. Communicate with your child so that they are aware of the way they will get to school and get home everyday. If your child has been going to school for a while they may know the drill. Still kids sometimes need reminders as they tend to forget. If your child is young and in early elementary it is a good idea to go over this with them. You don't want a child taking a bus home when you are there to pick them up or vice versa.

3. Are your child's shots up to date? Even though older children do not need vaccinations every year they should still be visiting their doctors yearly. It appears there are new vaccinations that come out periodically that your child may be missing out on.

4. Heading back to school means that your child will either be paying for school lunches again or taking one from home. If your child will be eating school lunches then you will need to write them a check for lunch or you may check and see if your school has an online payment system set up.

5. Adjusting bed time for back to school. It is recommended that in order for your child to have an easier time with waking up earlier for school that you help them transition slowly a few weeks before school starts. Gradually send them to bed earlier and wake them up earlier each day until the first day of school. This way you won't have a grumpy gus when its time to wake them up for their first day.

6. Have you gone through your child's wardrobe? Before heading back to school you want to make sure that your children have decent clothes to wear. I'm not talking about spending a fortune buying new clothes. Have your child try on all of their clothing to check for holes, wear, and clothing that has gotten too small to wear. When you see all of the clothes that need to be replaced then go shopping with your child. Also keep in mind the school's dress code when shopping for new peices.

7. Does your child know where to go when they head back to school? Do they know the name(s) of their teachers and which room they need to report to? Of course older kids will not need to worry about this so much but the younger children will. Also if you are at a new school this year you may want to arrange a tour for your child to familiarize themselves with the school.

8. Is your child's backpack ready for back to school? I don't buy my children new backpacks each year especially when their old ones are fine and don't show a lot of wear. So it may easily slip your mind to consider the state of their backpack for back to school. Inspect the backpack for any holes, fraying straps, etc. before sending it off with your child on their first day of school.

9. Arrange for before/after school care if needed. Let your child know where they will be going before/after school so that they know what to expect and who they are going to stay with.

10. Make sure your children have your contact information and update your information with the school if it has been changed.

11. Let your child's teacher know about any concerns. If there are areas that your child is struggling in don't be afraid to let their teacher know. Also it may be a good thing to let their teacher know if they are shy so that they may be able to help them with making new friends.

12. Does your work schedule differ when your child goes back to school? Take a look at your schedule and see if you need to make any changes and notify your employer of any changes they need to make to your hours, if possible.

When it comes to going back to school it doesn't hurt to be as prepared as possible. By following this checklist you can make the transition from summer vacation to the first day of school an easier one. If there are any ideas you have of your own that could be included on this list please share in the comment section below.