Decorate Your Kids' Rooms

Create a jar and let your kids write their goals and wishes starting the first day of school and put them in the jar (with their names).

At the end of the school year, they will have so much fun reading them.

• Buy cool snacks that your kids really love and pack for the first day of school with their lunch. Let them choose their favorite snacks to take to school.
• Let your kids choose small but fun rewards or treats for after school, like ice cream or a favorite cand...

• Have a back-to-school theater night. Ask your kids to take turns and play their favorite teacher, and you be the student.
• Or pretend you are a reporter from The Times and interview your kids about their goals, wishes, and fears about the new school year.

You would learn s...

The kids may still have anxiety about getting sick at school. Taking a trip to your pediatrician might be a great idea to ease their worries.

Let your doctor explain to the kids about all health concerns, and what they can do to avoid getting sick. If you can't take a trip ...

Kids always get excited to see their friends, and one way to get them excited about going back to school is to get them excited to see their friends at school.

A week or so before school starts, arrange play dates with your kids' friends so that they re-bond. Kids who have friends a...

Even if your kids still have their old backpack, lunchbox, and water bottles from last year, it is a good idea to buy them new school gear to get them excited about going back to school. Take your kid(s) shopping for back-to-school gears and supplies and let them be a par...

Celebrate the start of the new school year with a fun School Year's Eve dance party, or dinner party, and ask your kids to make a list of fun memories from school to share with you.

Let them talk about good memories from the years before, and what they most missed about school.

Most kids hate doing homework, and if your kids are like most kids, they will hate it more if they don't have a comfortable homework station to do their work.

Create a neat, cozy, and fun homework nook, and let them know that they can count on you if they need any help with...

If your child is in elementary school, then they probably don’t have too many expectations. However, if your child is a tween or teen who has more specific expectations regarding their schooling, then the first week of school will be more important.

You can help...