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.

Have A Back-to-School Eve Party 

Most schools have a welcome back week a week before schools start, and you will get a chance to go to school and pick up textbooks, PE clothes, and any other school materials they need.And if your school doesn't have a back-to-school week, visit the school with your kid(s), and find out who their new teachers are, if possible, and where their new classes are going to be, so they won't have the anxiety of finding their new classes or teachers the first day of school. If possible, find out who their new classmates are and touch base with them.

Visit the School

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 to the doctor, research with your kids about all the precautions they can take to avoid getting sick.

Have A Back-To-School Check Up

<ul><li>Have a back-to-school theater night. Ask your kids to take turns and play their favorite teacher, and you be the student.</li><li>Or pretend you are a reporter from The Times and interview your kids about their goals, wishes, and fears about the new school year.</li></ul>You would learn so much about your kids, and you would be able to help them with their jitters.

Back-To-School Theater Night 

<ul><li>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.</li><li>Let your kids choose small but fun rewards or treats for after school, like ice cream or a favorite candy. When you have something to look forward to, your day is always better.</li></ul>

Give Them Some Goodies 

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.

Create a Wish Jar 

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 your child organize their schedule and decide when they need to do things like catch up on their homework, study for tests, and complete extracurricular activities. By doing this, you can make sure that your child has all the time they need to do everything they have to do and have a positive experience when school starts again.

Plan For The First Week Of School

The night before school, when kids go to bed, decorate their rooms or their doors with back-to-school banners and balloons. It will be a great surprise when they wake up in the morning to a decorated room. It will cheer them up and will get their minds off of back-to-school jitters.You can also buy back-to-school signs and t-shirts and take memorable photos of your kids holding their signs in their new back-to-school clothes.

Decorate Your Kids' Rooms

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 part of the fun.If you can't afford to buy new school gear, let them buy new school supplies like notebooks, pens, pencils, and all the supplies your kids would need at school. You can always shop online if you are short of time.

Buy New School Gears & Supplies

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 at school will actually look forward to going back to school.

Plan Play Dates Before School Starts

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 their homework.

Create A Homework Nook

Back to school resources & advice for parents

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Learning & Education

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Mental Health

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Back to School Basics for Parents

How To Prepare Your Kids for Back-To-School For most parents, back-to-school season is the most exciting time of the year. After all, it’s a new school year with brand new possibilities and opportunities for your child. But while you might look forward to the fresh start, your kids may not share your enthusiasm. For many kids, after spending summer playing and having fun with friends, returning to school can feel like a letdown. If you think your children have reservations about going back to sc