The Ultimate Checklist to Prepare for your child’s new school session

To begin something new is always exciting, isn’t it? 

With new academic sessions coming up, it’s time to get our kids excited as well as prepared for their new class.

Wondering where to start. Here’s a checklist – 

Get the formalities done

Whether it be a new school or the same old one, there are always formalities to be taken care of – documents to go through, forms to be filled and submitted, and school coordinators or in charge to be contacted. 

• Make sure all important forms are filled and submitted before the deadline, especially forms related to registration, commute, health, and emergency contact-related documents 

Get the school essentials ready 

Books, uniforms, lunchboxes, and stationery supplies are a prerequisite for any school day. 

Make sure you have shopped these a week or ten days before the actual school opens. 

Uniform

• If you’re continuing with the same school and uniform from last year, make a note to check with school authorities and get an updated list of uniforms for various grades as there could be a change in color or style – a t-shirt could change into a shirt, for example. 

• Create a list of dress essentials and accessories needed for the session. 

• Check for school-allocated stores and vendors. That way you can get a complete set of uniforms all in one place. 

However, you don’t need to buy all of the supplies from that store only. You can search for shoes, socks, trousers, etc. from an alternative supplier. This may make uniforms more affordable, and even mean buying better quality.

• Choose high-quality uniforms. They can survive the beatings and wear and tear of one child, so outgrown uniforms could be kept aside for younger siblings. 

• Kids grow and grow very fast, therefore, it’s advisable to buy a size that offers some room for growth. 

Books & Stationery supplies 

Most of the schools provide you with a booklist and authorised vendors lost as well.

And, while you must shop all the items from the school book / stationery supply list as they are essentials , you may also want to 

• Stock up on extra Notebooks, stationeries, and basic art & craft supplies for the year
  • A calendar 
  • Colored pencils
  • Easy write markers
  • Glue stick
  • A tube of Fevicol
  • Safety scissors
  • Box of crayons
  • Washable markers
  • Oversized shirt 
  • Erasers or dry markers
  • 5-7 Extra Ruled notebooks
  • Box of easy grip pencils
  • Erasers
  • Loose paper sheets
  • Folders
  • Pencil sharpener
• Invest in a –
  • Good quality backpack
    • Fancy-colored backpacks might attract your kid but make sure the one you buy is comfortable for your child and provides enough back support. 
  • Lunch box with multiple compartments
  • Bag to carry lunch
  • Pencil box
  • Plastic box
  • A decently sized water bottle
• Shop for a few items that a kid should carry with them at all times for his and the school’s benefit. It could be to keep him clean, protection from an ongoing disease, or anything else, such as:-
  • A box of tissues or wet wipes
  • A small bottle of sanitizer
  • A small mat or a blanket to rest
  • A spare shirt and pants to change into if needed

Make sure both you and your child are well informed 

Most children’s anxieties stem from fear of the unknown. 

The more you familarize them with what’s about to come, the more they’ll be confident about going back to school. 

• If your kid is switching schools, take an early visit to the new school and have a walk through the campus. 

Point to your child their to – be classroom, activity room, playground, or spaces they’ll be using frequently. 

• Introduce your kid to new teachers & helpers as well. If allowed, do connect with a teacher or couple of school authorities on WhatsApp as well. 

• Attend all the parent orientations being organized by the school. It will help you connect with fellow parents and other teachers 

Your kid may get a chance to connect with new classmates as well there. 

Get your kid emotionally, mentally & Physically ready 

While we might be rejoicing as we prepare our kids for the new school year, this can be both an exciting and stressful time for kids as they anticipate the first ring of the school bell-

Create a dialogue with your children so they have a safe space for communication. 

• Speak to your child about how exciting it would be to go back to school and meet friends and teachers. 

• Empathize with your kid’s fears and anxieties, and address them. 

• Use the three Ns strategy
  • Name – Help your child name /label what they’re feeling 
  • Normalise – Tell Your Kids that it’s okay to feel like that. Listen and acknowledge their feelings by responding with, “It makes sense and I understand there are lots of reasons to feel [anxious/stressed/nervous] about going back to school” 
  • Navigate – Help your kid make it through fear/anxiety by answering their questions.
    • You’ll need to build a foundation strong enough for them to base their trust.
    • You can help them gain confidence by giving data/stories from the past that they made despite fear. 
    • You can remind /show them that you’d be there no matter what.

Revamp your routine to ease the transition for your kid from vacation days to school days

Have a calendar to mark important days both for you and your child. Make it a point to mark the day school reopens. 

Re-establish the morning wake-up time

Slowly establish a daily study /reading session 

You may revise the old session’s syllabus or go through new books. This will help the child get a little familiarized with the new study materials too. 

• Practice at home what’s expected from your kid at school. This can include anything from table manners to standard etiquette. 
• Introduce screen-free hours or quiet time in the night routine.
• Add self-care sessions during the day
• Start setting proper meal timings 
• You can also start to work on lunch options with your child to help them identify their favorite options. This will also help them look forward to school. 

Give your kids an extra dose of excitement & confidence 

• Make sure they’re all prim and proper from nails to a haircut 
• You can also buy them some school-appropriate accessories and self-care items. It’ll further aid the kid’s enthusiasm to start a new session. 
• It’s recommended to get your kids enrolled in some form of sports or extracurricular activity before the school opens. 

It’ll aid their self-esteem and they might look forward to school to further their skills /craft. 

Take care of any health issues that need to be addressed. 

While it’s easier to take care of minor health issues like an upset stomach or headache at home, it might be hard for kids to deal with it all at school if it happens frequently. 

• Take your kid to a doctor and get a routine checkup. 
• For minor health issues, take note of what precautions can be taken or what immediate actions shall be taken. Communicate the same to your kid’s school teacher as well 

Make everything ready for the first day

• Prepack the child’s backpack with a couple of new books on main subjects, a rough notebook, stationery, and basic art supplies. 
• Prepare your kid’s favorite lunch. 
• Have a backpack, lunchbox, water bottle, and some snacks all ready at one spot with the id card, name tag, or any other essentials required. 
• Contact the travel in charge or bus driver beforehand so there aren’t any last-minute surprises. However, for toddlers, you can accompany them to school for the first few days so the transition is easier.

Hope you found this post helpful in getting your child ready for the next class. Follow my blog for more on parenting, mom hacks, food and health for moms and kids.