17 Easy Back-to-School Tips To Make The Year a Little Easier

No matter how many back-to-school tips you've gathered over the years, the season somehow always manages to be stressful and a little bit hectic, right? “Transitions can be tough for kids,” says Kristen Race, PhD, author of Mindful Parenting. “Even when they are excited about going to school, it is often mixed with feelings of angst about how they will fit in socially and academically. Plus, kids are often having to shift from the lazy, slow-moving summer morning to a get-up-and-get-out pace which can feel unsettling.”

Of course this year with many families readying themselves for online learning and a virtual back-to-school season, the usual stresses of back-to-school are amplified with the added stresses of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. "Anxiety in the household tends to increase around back-to-school time for both parents and kids," parenting expert and therapist Lori Gottlieb tells Woman's Day. But that added anxiety doesn't have to become overpowering. Gottlieb says a key to overcoming it is through open communication between parents and children, especially when parents don't attempt to solve all their kid's problems but instead listen to how their kid is feeling.

Since the first day of school is just around the corner, we tapped some clever moms and parenting pros to share their best tips back-to-school tips to help make your kids’ summer-to-school transition as smooth as possible. These brilliant ideas—from shopping tips to routine game-changers to genius hacks—will help the crew earn an A+ this semester and beyond.