8 Sanity Savers Parents Swear By For Back-To-School Success

As summer winds down and the school year approaches, achieving back-to-school success can feel overwhelming. With a few smart strategies and some forward planning, you can transform the chaos into a smooth and stress-free transition. From buying supplies bit by bit to batch-cooking meals, these sanity-saving tips will help you and your family start the school year on the right foot.

Buy Supplies A Little At A Time

A lot of us are used to the one big back-to-school haul before school starts, but if the mere idea of another back-to-school shopping trip is already stressing you out, here’s an alternative. Instead of a stressful, one-time shopping spree, spread out your school supply purchases over a few weeks.

This approach eases the financial burden, allows you to snag deals as they pop up, and makes shopping more manageable and less rushed. Plus, you can avoid the back-to-school shopping crowds, making the process smoother and more enjoyable. You and your child can easily find the perfect outfit for the first day of school and pick out essential supplies without the stress.

“To stay sane, I try to do as much in advance as I can,” says Heidi Bruaw from Real Life of Lulu. “These days, our school posts supply lists for the following year on the last day. Throughout the summer, I buy a few supplies bit by bit when I find them on sale so I don’t have to make one big trip when the stores are so busy right before school starts.”

As Bruaw mentions, “I buy clothes throughout the summer when they’re on sale too. It keeps me from being overwhelmed by all the crowds in the days before school begins.” By taking these steps, you can make back-to-school shopping a much more pleasant experience.

Ease Back Into Your Routine Early

Most kids fall into an irregular routine during the summer. Bedtimes get pushed back a little later, mealtimes are not so rigid, playtime becomes scattered throughout the day, and so on. To bring them back to their usual schedule, it’s important to do so gently and gradually.

According to Children’s Minnesota, setting children back into a regular routine before school helps reduce stress and makes it easier for them to transition into a consistent schedule again. Kids thrive on routines, after all.

Shelby from Fit As a Mama Bear shares her experience, saying, “As a mom of three, I’ve found that in my house, we thrive on routine. So, before back-to-school even happens, I begin weaning us into the routine we need for school days with earlier mornings, more structured bedtimes, etc. This starts about three weeks in advance of schools opening again.”

Here are a few quick tips to help kids ease back into their school routine:

• Gradually adjust bedtime. Your kids have probably gotten used to sleeping late and sleeping in during vacation. As early as a month before school starts, have them “practice” sleeping and waking up early again to help their body adjust to school time. This means adjusting their screen time parameters, too.
• Create a morning routine. At the same time, establish a consistent morning routine that includes time for breakfast, getting dressed, and packing up.
• Ease them back into the learning mindset. Start limiting their gadget use, Netflix binges, or Minecraft marathons. Instead, have them do more educational activities like reading summer books for kids, exploring nature, creating artworks, and other fun things to do with kids.

Batch Cook Make-Ahead Meals

Batch-cooking freezer meals before school starts is a lifesaver for busy parents. Having a stash of delicious, home-cooked meals ready to go means no more scrambling to figure out dinner after a long day.

Bruaw emphasizes the benefits, saying, “As I have time in the summer, I prepare freezer meals that I can dump in the slow cooker on busy nights in the fall after sports and activities begin.”

This approach ensures your family eats healthy, even on the busiest nights. Additionally, you’ll save money by buying ingredients in bulk, especially with batch recipes that freeze well like stuffed chicken, lasagna, and casseroles. 

Involve Your Kids In Their Own Schedules

Getting kids involved in their own schedules is a great way to foster independence and responsibility. When kids learn to manage their own time, they develop essential life skills like planning and prioritization. It also reduces the need for constant reminders, leading to less arguing and nagging.

Michelle Price from Honest and Truly shares her strategy for managing her kids’ schedules effectively. She explains, “I cannot stand to nag, and my kids hate being nagged. Instead, I created a daily to-do list with assigned times and laminated it.”

Her approach involves assigning responsibility to her kids. “My kids are in charge of getting things done according to the times on the sheet, and they know it. They have to be dressed by a certain time, have breakfast by a certain time, etc.,” she adds.

This method helped eliminate the need for constant reminders. “But it wasn’t me nagging them, and it has worked beautifully for us for years,” Price concludes.

Do A Summer Cleaning

Take advantage of the kids’ summer break to have them purge clutter from their rooms and assist with deep cleaning the entire house. This not only helps maintain a tidy home but also teaches them proper cleaning methods.

Bruaw shares, “We also do a deep clean of the house before school starts so we can spot clean in the first couple of weeks when it’s busy.” A clean living space helps us all stay relaxed.

Don’t forget about the car. You’ll want it spotless for another year of drop-offs and pickups, so take it for a thorough car wash. An essential oil diffuser for the car is a handy way to keep it smelling fresh, especially after all those extracurricular activities. 

Let’s face it, making kids or teens clean their rooms is easier said than done. What more if they need to declutter and do some deep cleaning during vacation? No worries, follow these tips to achieve summer cleaning success.

• Lead by example. Show the kids how you organize and clean your own spaces. Little ones are more likely to follow through when they see you doing the same.
• Break it down. Cleaning an entire room can feel overwhelming, so break the task into smaller, more manageable steps. Start with one section at a time, like cleaning off their desk or organizing toys, to make the process less daunting.
• Let them take control. Give the kids some control by letting them choose which part of the room to clean first or how they want to go about decluttering. This can make them feel more invested in the process.
• Offer guidance. Help the kids sort through their belongings and decide what to keep, donate, or throw away. Explain the benefits of decluttering, like having more space to play or making it easier to find their favorite items. Don’t forget to provide proper storage.
• Make it fun. Summer cleaning doesn’t have to be a drag. Make it into a fun family activity by playing some music and enjoying some ice cream together after a day’s work. 

Make Homework Fun And Manageable

Kids rarely like homework, especially right after school starts when they’re still reeling from days of non-stop play. Fortunately, there are clever parenting hacks to make homework more manageable and even fun.

Price shares some effective strategies for managing homework. She says, “As my kids got more involved in sports and other after-school activities, it meant lots of drive and waiting time, so I put together a homework box kit.”

This comprehensive kit contains all the necessary supplies. “It had everything they would need to complete any assigned homework, from rulers to notebooks to clipboards to write on to erasers and so much more,” she explains.

By having everything ready in a grab-and-go package, there are no excuses for not completing homework. “This left no excuses, and it helped them get their homework done when they had downtime, which in turn, gave them more free time once we were back home again.”

I also like to prepare a designated homework and study station for each of my kids at home. Having a quiet, organized space solely for studying helps create a routine and reduce distractions, making it easier for the kids to associate the space with productivity and learning. 

Prep Breakfast At Night

Prepping breakfast at night can be a game-changer for busy mornings. It’s not only the kids who are adjusting for school again, after all. 

Shelby shares, “I find that for our mornings to work, we need to have things like breakfast made ahead of time. The kids and I rotate as to who makes breakfast the night before, and it’s always something simple like baked protein oats, protein and chia pudding.”

Prepping meals ahead of time also makes it easier to choose more balanced and nutrient-dense foods. This way, you can avoid quick, highly processed options like sugary cereals and vending machine items. Here are some of my favorite make-ahead breakfasts for school days and busy mornings:

• Pancakes. My kids love my copycat Mcdonald’s pancakes. I make the batter the night before to save time in the morning. They’re super customizable too – I serve them with honey, whipped cream, peanut butter, summer berries, nuts, and more.
• Waffles. Similar to pancakes, I make the batter ahead and just let the waffle maker do the work in the morning. I place the batter in a squeeze bottle for easier cooking. No-milk waffles pair great with some breakfast sausage, crispy bacon, or berries and maple syrup.
• Oatmeal porridge. Nothing beats a warm, hearty breakfast on a chilly day. I make slow cooker oatmeal porridge at night so they’re ready in time for early morning breakfast. 

Don’t Forget The Snacks

Forget the ultra-processed snacks. There are plenty of easy snacks you can make in five minutes that are healthier, more balanced and cheaper.

Shelby shares her strategy for simplifying lunch preparations. “We also keep a lot of homemade protein snacks on hand to make simple, yet filling lunches,” she says.

Every week, she and her family spend a short amount of time preparing these snacks. “Each week, we whip up no-bake protein balls, bars and granola in about 30 minutes so that we don’t spend too much time throughout the week stressing about what we need!”

Need some quick snack ideas for the kids to bring to school or for when they get home? Try these:

• Banana bread. A slice or two of 4-ingredient banana bread will keep your kids full and satisfied while at school. Toss in add-ins like semisweet chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or shredded coconut to the mix for added fun!
• Homemade pizza. Who can say no to pizza? If the kids request for a savory snack, homemade pizza is ideal – you can make different variations from healthy flatbread pizza to air fryer tortilla pizza.
• Air fryer zucchini fries. Air fryer zucchini fries are another filling snack perfect for school-age kids. Serve with blackened ranch sauce or 3-ingredient onion dip and they’re sure to be your kids’ new favorite snack!
• Guacamole. Speaking of delicious dips, 4-ingredient guacamole is a healthy after-school snack. Serve with veggie sticks, crackers, or chips.

Execute Your Back-To-School Plan

Ready to set yourself up for back-to-school success? Follow these strategies from experienced parents and say goodbye to your dreaded end-of-summer stresses while approaching the season with joy and confidence.

Portions of this article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.