Move over, summer–a new school year is coming! With the start of school, families face new organization challenges. School bells ring–and so do early-morning alarm clocks. Paper piles swell as hand-outs and homework stream into the house.

Shorter autumn days bring a hectic round of sports, activities, events, and calendars filled with cryptic notes. Can the holidays be far behind?

Get organized now for the best school year ever! Use these ideas to prepare your home and family for the busy days ahead.

Making the First Day Easier

  • If your child seems nervous, remind them that there are probably a lot of students who are uneasy about the first day of school, which may be at any age. Teachers know that students are nervous and will make an extra effort to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible.
  • Point out the positive aspects of starting school to create positive anticipation about the first day. Your child will see old friends and meet new ones. Refresh their positive memories about previous years, when they may have returned home after the first day with high spirits because of a good time.
  • Find another child in the neighborhood with whom your student can walk to school or ride on the bus.
  • If it is a new school for your child, attend any available orientations and take an opportunity to tour the school before the first day.

Backpack Safety

  • Choose a backpack with wide, padded shoulder straps and a padded back.
  • Pack light. Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back. The backpack should never weigh more than 10 to 20 percent of your child’s body weight. Go through the pack with your child weekly, and remove unneeded items to keep it light.
  • Always use both shoulder straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles.
  • If your school allows, consider a rolling backpack. This type of backpack may be a good choice for students who must tote a heavy load. Remember that rolling backpacks still must be carried upstairs, they may be difficult to roll in the snow, and they may not fit in some lockers.

Traveling To and From School
School Bus

  • Children should always board and exit the bus at locations that provide safe access to the bus or the school building.​
  • Remind your child to wait for the bus to stop before approaching it from the curb.
  • Make sure your child walks where they can see the bus driver (which means the driver will be able to see them, too).
  • Remind your child to look both ways to see that no other traffic is coming before crossing the street, just in case traffic does not stop as required.
  • Check on the school’s policy regarding food on the bus. Eating on the bus can present a problem for students with food allergies and lead to infestations of insects and vermin on the vehicles.
  • If your child has a chronic condition that could result in an emergency on the bus, make sure you work with the school nurse or other school health personnel to have a bus emergency plan.​

​Car

  • All passengers should wear a seat belt and an age- and size-appropriate car seat or booster seat.
  • Your child should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belt fits properly (usually when the child reaches about 4′ 9″ in height and is between 8 to 12 years of age). This means that the child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her legs bent at the knees and feet hanging down, and the shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat; the lap belt is low and snug across the thighs, and not the stomach.
  • Remember that many crashes occur while novice teen drivers go to and from school. You should require seat belt use, limit the number of teen passengers, and do not allow eating, drinking, cell phone conversations (even when using hands-free devices or speakerphone), texting, or other mobile device use to prevent driver distraction. Limit nighttime driving and driving in inclement weather. Familiarize yourself with your state’s graduated driver’s license law and consider using a parent-teen driver agreement to facilitate the early driving learning process.

Bike

  • Always wear a bicycle helmet, no matter how short or long the ride is.
  • Ride on the right, in the same direction as auto traffic, and ride in bike lanes if they are present.
  • Use appropriate hand signals.
  • Respect traffic lights and stop signs.
  • Wear bright-colored clothing to increase visibility. White or light-colored clothing and reflective gear are essential after dark.

Walking to School

  • Make sure your child’s walk to school is a safe route with well-trained adult crossing guards at every intersection.
  • Identify other children in the neighborhood with whom your child can walk to school. In neighborhoods with higher traffic levels, consider organizing a “walking school bus,” in which an adult accompanies a group of neighborhood children walking to school.
  • Be realistic about your child’s pedestrian skills. Because small children are impulsive and less cautious around traffic, carefully consider whether or not your child is ready to walk to school without adult supervision.
  • If your children are young or are walking to a new school, walk with them or have another adult walk with them the first week or until you are sure they know the route and can do it safely.

Eating During the School Day

  • Studies show that children who eat a nutritious breakfast function better, do better in school, and have better concentration and energy.
  • Most schools regularly send schedules of cafeteria menus home and have them posted on the school’s website. With this advanced information, you can plan on packing lunch on the days when the main course is one your child prefers not to eat.
  • Look into what is offered inside and outside of the cafeteria, including vending machines, a la carte, school stores, snack carts, and fundraisers held during the school day. All foods sold during the school day must meet nutrition standards established by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and they should stock healthy choices such as fresh fruit, low-fat dairy products, water, and 100% fruit juice.
  • Each 12-ounce soft drink contains approximately ten teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories. Drinking just one can of soda a day increases a child’s risk of obesity by 60%. Choose healthier options (such as water and appropriately sized juice, and low-fat dairy products) to send your child’s lunch.

Developing Good Homework & Study Habits

  • Create an environment conducive to doing homework starting at a young age. Children need a consistent work space in their bedroom or another home part that is quiet, without distractions and promotes study.
  • Schedule ample time for homework; build this time into choices about participation in after-school activities.
  • Establish a household rule that the TV and other electronic distractions stay off during homework.
  • Supervise computer and Internet use.
  • In high school, it’s not uncommon for teachers to ask students to submit homework electronically and perform other tasks on a computer. If your child doesn’t have access to a computer or the Internet at home, work with teachers and school administration to develop appropriate accommodations.
  • Be available to answer questions and offer assistance, but never do your child’s homework for them.
  • Take steps to help alleviate eye fatigue, neck fatigue, and brain fatigue while studying. It may be helpful to close the books for a few minutes, stretch, and take a break periodically when it is not too disruptive.
  • If your child is struggling with a particular subject, speak with your child’s teacher to recommend how you or another person can help your child at home or school. If you have concerns about your child’s assignments, talk with their teacher.
  • If your child has difficulty focusing on or completing homework, discuss this with your child’s teacher, school counselor, or health care provider.
  • Some children may need help remembering their assignments. Work with your child and their teacher to develop an appropriate way to keep track of their assignments–such as an assignment notebook.
  • Establish a good sleep routine. Insufficient sleep is associated with lower academic achievement in middle school, high school, and college and higher rates of absenteeism and tardiness. The optimal amount of sleep for most adolescents (13 to 18 years of age) is 8 to 10 hours per night.