10 Tips for First Day of School Readiness [From the Mouths of Moms]

It’s nearing the end of summer vacation, but the kids show no signs whatsoever of being ready to go back to school.  No matter how their tired mama feels about it.

Aside from my older two heading back to school, our youngest will be starting his first day of Kindergarten.  Ever.  Ever-ever.

And he’s protesting, “I don’t want to go to school.” before it even starts.  I admit I’m probably more nervous about him going to Kindergarten than he is.  But it’s a right of passage that has to happen.  That we will just have to get through together.

How to Prep for First Day of School Readiness

But what can I do in this last few months before the first day of school to prep him?  And to make the transition back to school just a little smoother for my older two?  Let’s hear from some fellow mama friends how they’ve tackled first day of school readiness with their kids…

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Alright, Mamas, how do you prepare your kids for the first day of school?

1. Make It a “Big Kid” Event
“Something that really helped my daughter was making it a ‘big kid’ event so she feels special about being able to go to school, where babies aren’t allowed.” Chrissy of The Outlaw Mom

2. Read Books About School
“We are reading books about school and have been doing some of the new-to-him activities at home that are in the books.” Cerys of Rainy Day Mum

3. Schedule in Downtime
“During the first week or two back to school, keep evenings free to stay at home and just relax and do the bedtime routine unrushed . The kids may be overwhelmed with the adjustment to school and will need more downtime to get used to the change in schedule.” Rebekah of The Golden Gleam

4. Let Them Pick Their Backpack
“[We] have fun picking out a backpack and lunchbox.” Chrissy of The Outlaw Mom

5. Plan Lunch Menus
“I also find that getting them involved in back to school shopping – choosing a backpack and planning out lunch/snack menus – helps!” MaryAnne of Mama Smiles

6. Make a School Day Book
“We created a ‘Going to School Book’ together that contains elements of each school day.” Kim of The Educators’ Spin On It

7. Visit the School Ahead of Time
“We have visited the preschool that Jake will join three times now – once with children from last year’s class but also out of session – during the summer holidays the preschool puts on fun sessions for children to go to so we have been going along and I have been talking about how he will do the same things when he goes.” Cerys of Rainy Day Mum

8. Use Magic Dust
“[We use] First Day of School Magic Dust. It helps open the conversation about how sometimes we feel anxious and it’s ok.” Kim of The Educators’ Spin On It

9. Watch Cartoons
“[We] watch Sesame Street episodes (since Abby goes to Flying Fairy School and Murray goes to a new school every episode).” Chrissy of The Outlaw Mom

10. Talk About It
“We talk about what to expect at school, how the school day runs, and who their teachers are.” MaryAnne of Mama Smiles

More Back to School Tips:

This post contains affiliate links.  Which just means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, I will receive a small percentage of the sale – without your price being any higher!  Thank you for your continued support.  For more information, see my disclosure policy.