8 Back to School Tips & Tricks

As a mom of 4 and Enneagram 7, I love any reason to celebrate. As far as Back to School seasons go, so far we’ve celebrated the beginning of preschool, homeschool, elementary school & middle school. These 8 Back to School tips & tricks make the transition easier, more fun, and memorable for everyone!

Back to school season can bring up all kinds of emotions for everyone involved. It’s stressful, joyful, exciting, exhausting, freeing & routine, all at the same time.

This season has looked different for us over the years. From sending our oldest to Kindergarten, to pandemic time, to homeschool, to starting the year in two different elementary schools on two different schedules. In 2024 all 4 of our kids actually started on time at the same school, but then last summer’s flood pushed our start date out a month.

This year they’re back to their early August start, which it turns out we all love (for the most part).

That said, these 8 back to school tips & tricks are things we do every year to make back to school a celebration and a time that we all enjoy.

Make Family Bracelets

I first saw these on Etsy when our oldest started kindergarten. I bought matching bracelets for us to wear while she was gone each day to help with the separation anxiety (potentially for both of us…). We loved the bracelets and the idea of them, so we decided to make our own for each member of our family for the next school year.

Every year since then (she’s in 7th grade now) we’ve done a different theme. All the colors of the rainbow, everyone’s initials, our school’s colors to support the school post flood, and this year we went back to all 6 initials + colors of our choice.

We each make our own and then we wear them every day when we’re apart. I love that with one bracelet kit we’ve easily been able to make all 6 customized for each of us. Plus I’ve been super impressed that mine have lasted entire school years even with being worn every single day!

Draw First Day Signs

There are so many options for signs to include in the classic first day photo. Lots of chalk board signs, apples, letter boards, numbers representing grades, etc. Years ago I started having our kids make their own first day & last day signs and I love how they’ve turned out.

They’re so personal and unique to each kid in the age/season they’re in. When we were homeschooling we used these as the covers of their binders, but now I save them in their school files for each year. It’s cheap, quick, personal, and we get to see their artistic talent shine through and change over the years! Some years we’ve included more information (age, what you want to be when you grow up, most excited about…) and others just say first day of _ grade!

Read The Kissing Hand

The night before school we always read The Kissing Hand. The night before our first day of Kindergarten (and again the night before they all went back to public school) this book tore. me. up. I mean seriously. But they love it, I love it, and it’s just the sweetest message for preparing to spend your days (or nights, for Chester in the book) apart.

The copy we have came with stickers, and the kids have loved putting those on their hand sanitizer that is in their lunchboxes as a little reminder of their kissing hand in the middle of the day. We also then literally do the kissing hands each morning before school. Even my oldest says that it still helps her if she’s having a hard day. She’ll rest her head on her hand and remember the story and my kiss and know that “mommy loves me” even when things are challenging.

The Back to School Fairy

My husband jokingly called me this, and it stuck. Again, see above with my desire to celebrate all. the. things.

But here’s the deal. We have to buy back to school supplies anyway, right?! May as well make it fun!!

Especially because our school has switched to where the parents just send in a specific amount of money for classroom supplies, so the kids don’t actually get to (/ have to?) pick out their own supplies for the year. Super easy for parents, but way less fun for kids.

I always jump on the back to school sales and buy new markers, pencils, erasers and other things for homework and projects around the house, and lay them out the first morning of school. And if the art store in town has really cute 80’s looking desk calculators, well then I guess we need those, too! It makes for a morning where they’re super excited to come to the breakfast counter to see their goodies & starts the day out like a mini holiday.

Take Back to School Photos

Obviously as your favorite family photographer, I can’t miss the first day of school photo op. Some suggest taking this the night before, but I’ve truly never had an issue snapping these the morning of.

I always take solo shots with and without their sign for the year, just the twins together, and a shot of all 4 kids. These have definitely gotten MUCH faster & easier to take over the years, but I promise it’s not impossible even with littles.

Also remember, it’s not about capturing the perfect shot, it’s about pausing this moment in time. I promise these will mean even more later than they do today – perfect smile or not.

Celebrate with Dirt Cake

A few years ago I started making dirt cake on the first day of school for an easy & fun after school snack, and it stuck. It’s easy, exciting, and a special treat to mark the day. Nothing like gummy worms & oreos to really bring out all the first day of school chatter (as if we needed help with that over here…). Also, I know there are super fancy ways to make this taste even better, but I default to chocolate pudding with cool whip mixed in and then layer with crushed oreo and worms on top.

Plan Brainless Crowd Pleasers

To quote one of my favorite Lazy Genius terms, brainless crowd pleasers are necessary for crazy weeks, and extra comforting for weeks like the first week of school. Even though sports haven’t started and we have extra time, we’re also getting back into routines, trying to enjoy the summer afternoons, and remember what a bedtime actually is. Enter brainless crowd pleasers.

As I’m meal planning for back to school week, I default to favorite, easy, healthy recipes that I know will be wins. It truly makes the week easier.

PS – Birthday Scones or a batch of banana muffins make a great brainless crowdpleaser breakfast, too!

Low Key Week – especially on Thursday

Going along with brainless crowd pleasers, I’m sure you’ve heard a million times to try to leave some white space the first week of school. White space isn’t usually my strong suit, especially coming out of summer. And to be completely honest, we do have a few plans later this week, though it includes a pool afternoon with friends & meeting our new baby bestie, so truly the best mid-week motivation I can imagine.

BUT, especially if you have a little kinder or 1st grader, plan for lotsss of down time & easy afternoons this first week of school. By Thursday everyone is a mess and a relaxing evening at home is just what everyone needs. We do lots of family walks or bike rides if the weather is nice, maybe the pool for an hour or two, and if by Thursday we all need a show, Bluey it is.

I hope these 8 Back to School Tips & Tricks make your week run a little smoother and make the whole Back to School season more exciting for everyone in your family!