Keeping It Simple for Back-to-School - Favorites and Routines for Teens
As summer winds down and the school year approaches, the annual back-to-school shopping frenzy begins. With teenage kids, I've learned the importance of teaching them independence while keeping things simple and efficient. Today, I want to share my go-to items for back-to-school and some routines we start to ensure a smooth transition. We don’t start back until September 29th here in Connecticut, but I know a lot of you are already back to school where you live.
1. Keep It Simple: Wait for the Teacher's List
One of the most valuable lessons I've learned is to resist the urge to buy everything before the school year starts. Every teacher has their own specific list of what students will need, and it's best to wait for that list before making any major purchases. This not only saves money but also avoids unnecessary clutter, especially as teens have more specific needs and preferences. They go the first day with their computer, a notebook, pencils, and a backpack! Plus, our favorite folder is listed below!
2. The Must-Have Multi-Pocket Notebook
The most asked-about item in our back-to-school arsenal is the multi-pocket notebook. This versatile tool is a lifesaver for organizing different subjects, assignments, and notes all in one place. It eliminates the need for multiple folders and keeps everything neatly sorted. My teens love it, and it’s a staple in our back-to-school shopping every year. I have one too for my own items and just got another one for band this year to keep all those papers together! If you buy one thing, get this!
3. Basic Supplies
While we wait for the teacher's list, I do like to stock up on a few basic supplies that I know they'll need regardless:
- Mechanical Pencils and pens
- A sturdy backpack. Both of my kids have these and they LAST! They have a space for their laptop too!
- Water bottle (These are our favorites right now. They don’t leak and we love the straw situation!)
These essentials are always handy and can be used throughout the year, so there's no harm in getting them early.
4. Routines and last-minute to-dos:
To help ease into the school year, we start reintroducing a few routines during the last weeks of summer:
- Gradual Bedtime Adjustments: Everyone in our house hates this! haha! I am torn between just living it up to the last day and ‘practicing’ bedtime! I’d have to say I go to bed before my kids lately, so I’ll probably just make them go up when I do every night to reign them in!
- Finish all summer work: I want to enjoy the last week of summer and not have my kids ‘cramming’ to read the summer book or do any summer work.
- Have my kids make a list of their top 10 lunch and breakfast items. I will then make sure to buy those for the first week of school so that no one can say they don’t like what I bought!
These small adjustments make a big difference in getting the kids back into the school mindset and help reduce the stress of the first week.
5. Teaching Independence and Responsibility
With teenagers, it's crucial to teach them independence. I don’t really do much anymore when getting ready for school, I just ask them what ‘they’ need to do to be ready. Additionally, one of my personal goals this school year is to step back and not constantly check the grade portal. I want to give my kids the space to figure things out on their own, including managing their assignments and staying on top of their work. This approach encourages them to take ownership of their responsibilities and learn important life skills. Our house rule is that as long as your overall grade is a B or above, I stay out of it! With my starting Junior year, I feel he needs to be managing this on his own at this point.
What would you add to this list? I’d love to know. Share with me in the comments!
XO
Sarah
Want to read more about how we handle sleep, stress, and focus for back to school? Read this post I wrote last year!