• A week before school begins, explain to your kids how schedules are going to change.  Start to practice going to bed early. If they don't want to sleep, just make sure that they are in bed with a book and begin waking up at the time they would need to start preparing for school.
• Get your kids involved in preparing for school by taking pictures of them as they do each task in their morning routine (making their bed, eating breakfast, brushing their teeth) during your practice week.  Tape these pictures in order on a dry erase board, and your kids can check off each task as they complete it when they get ready for school every morning.
• Purchase school supplies and/or clothes together to help your kids get more enthuiastic about the approaching school  year.
• If possible, visit the school with your children and talk to their teachers so that you can find out what their daily routine will be like ahead of time. Orient your kids with the building (bathrooms, lunchroom, playground, office).
• Help your kids to prepare everything they will need for school the night before.  Pick out clothes, pack a lunch, have their school bag ready.  This will make your mornings run a lot smoother!
• Remember you can expect some tears or misbehavior at home when school begins, this is a stressful time for many children and they need time to adjust to all of the changes.  Consistency is key, the more consistent you are right from the start the quicker your kids will adapt to the new routine.

Books About Starting School: