The first day of school requires a great deal of preparation for parents of school-age children. A few weeks prior to the start of school, take inventory of your child’s closet to determine what still fits. Check for stains, rips, broken zippers, or missing buttons. Stock the pantry with plenty of healthy snacks to pack in lunches and to satisfy after-school appetites.

One of our favorite first day of school ideas is to create a “tip sheet” to use when filling out forms, keeping important information like doctors’ phone-numbers, social security numbers, and emergency contact numbers close at hand.

Find more parenting tips and ideas for reducing anxiety about the first day of school here.