Back to School Prep: 5 Ways to Gear Up and Get Excited (Like a Superhero)!

Time to gear up for back to school! Here’s how we get organized with back to school prep, and try to get excited for it as well!

Back to School Prep: 5 Ways to Gear Up and Get Excited (Like a Superhero)!

Honestly, life goals there. Kindergarten and first grade were easy transitions for both kids, but they were hard for me. My kids are thriving and excited to start second and fifth grades! And I’m trying to piece together all the transitions! One thing that makes the changing of seasons, grades, and years easier for me is to get organized but in a fun way. That way, I stop feeling overwhelmed when Labor Day weekend ends and school begins. In that big whirlwind!

Gear Up and Get Excited:

Plan before you shop.

We always get psyched up for a new school year by shopping for it, especially with amazing deals and gear, but we found that we need a little planning before we go. Back-to-school sales start in mid-July and peak in August. It helps the family budget to plan ahead. We assess each kids’ clothing, shoe, toy, school supply needs and develop wardrobe lists for new clothes.

So Des LOVES all of these characters. Lately, he’s been super into Spider-Man—who takes down crime with incredible web-slinging, wall-crawling super powers! And we can’t forget Captain America, who has his iconic shield at the ready and charges into the battle for justice! Of course, there’s Hulk—because when Bruce Banner gets angry, there’s no way to stop the Hulk! We all know that my husband likes to dress up as Iron Man—the tech-powered hero!

Gather your paperwork.

Now that I have two kids in elementary school, it’s double the paperwork. Both kids have summer birthdays, so we don’t often have their annual well visits until right before school starts. That’s the perfect time to get the medical records right there! We need immunization records, transcripts, physical forms, and more. Gather it now so you’re not scrambling in September.

Do a dry run, or two.

How are your children getting to school? When? Will it require two different drop-off times, two different buses, two different parents? Practice that now because it will be here before you know it and then it’s GO time.

Create calendars, schedules, and clean up family systems.

Now is the time! Create a menu plan, conquer the clutter pile, and create a master schedule.

Plan for wholesome meals.

If you’re packing lunches from home, get your supplies ready. Start researching creative/quick/nutritious ideas for making your meals healthier for you and also fun! We, of course, use our brand new Marvel lunchbox. And the kids love homemade parfaits (yogurt, granola, fruit) in a thermos—kept cold. We use fun sandwich cutters to make sandwiches more fun. I like to add notes for them to see. Other winning ideas are almonds, if allowed, kid protein bars, drinkable smoothies, and fun vegetables and dip.

So all in all, we just like to feel prepared. And when the kids get their new gear – especially with backpacks and lunchboxes – the rest seems easier after that. Excitement is infectious!