Get everything ready the night before. Young children who bathe the night before can even wear their undies, socks and t-shirt to bed so that all they have to do in the morning is put on a pair of jeans or shorts. Students who wear uniforms to school should lay all of the components out so that getting dressed in the morning just takes a few minutes.

All papers, notes, books, backpacks, etc., should be placed by the front door so that when everyone is rushing out of the house in the morning, they can grab what they need and nothing is forgotten - this should eliminate those mid-morning calls from panicky children who want their parents to drop whatever they are doing to rescue them and bring the forgotten items to school.

Ask a question about everything you hear and chill because changes and updates and cancels will also be forthcoming.

Ah, those first days.......

We didn't have issues with the lunch lines. We always planned the first day of school outfit and I always took pictures of both my daughters every first day. Individually.

My girls alway wore sneakers, and I don't remember issues of breaking them in.

Everything needed was in the backpack, so no loose items to collect in the morning.

LOL I would say the opposite. Eat lunch, ride the bus..do what ever you will be doing and what may take HELP do that first day and week. Why? Because here, anyway, there are extra adults in place to look for, direct and help kids who are struggling. Hopefully kids have been on school schedule for at least a week. Going to bed earlier..getting up earlier so they are ready for the school day with plenty of sleep. Hopefully you have had an open house and an invitation from the teacher to come to school, walk around, get your barrings, know what desk/locker your child will have. My son went from the Kdg. building to a building across the way to where the 1-3 graders were. We told him that open house night we would stay as long as he needed us to..until he felt comfortable. We were there two hours!! but the next day come time to ride the bus he was confident about where he was going. But the number one thing to do is GO TO SCHOOL. We have a handful of families in our Dist. that feel the first day isn't important--there are a lot of "HOW TO" instructions that day vs "learning", so they feel their children are wasting their time. These kids are a HUGE hassle when they do show up. They are LOST. Playing catch up wastes everyone's time.

Good advice here.

Backpaks get put by the door before bed, parents paperwork done and signed, and kids homework done.

Shoes, coats, jackets, hats/gloves/ hoodies all put at the door before bed.

Clothing is all layed out in the boys bedroom and ready for morning.

Breakfast bar is set up before I go to bed and sometimes breakfast is ready..almost...scrambled eggs are cooked put in frig and thrown in microwave in the am. Steel cut oats are cooking on low in the small crockpot all night.

I try to have as much prep work done the evening before as it really saves time. It doesn't take long but every minute counts in the am besides my RA is always pretty bad in the morning. This system has allowed for a peaceful morning and I can sit and have my coffee.

I definitely pack the boys lunch the first few weeks as the cafateria is a zoo for awhile.

I can't believe its the end of summer vacation I sure will miss the boys being home driving me Cray-Cray.

I'm calm. I only posted my normal school routine. It may sound like a lot but it actually only takes less than ten minutes. Add another few minutes to scramble eggs if they are having them in the morning. It would take me much longer trying to do this stuff in the morning when my RA prevents free range of movement. Besides I like being prepared and orginized, of course you wouldn't know that if you opened the coat closet...haha

The first few days for us are no different than any subsequent school days.

Make sure backpacks are ready to go and clothes are picked out the night before.

They each make their lunch every morning, It's something I just started this year that I feel is long overdue. In previous years I would make their lunches but I still didn't like making them the night before so I always made them in the morning.

My girls have also made dinner 4 of the past 7 evenings which has been really nice.

The only other tip I would offer would be to plan extra time for the first week or two for the commute to and from school if you are someone who actually takes their kids to school and picks them up.

I don't know about other areas of the country but at least in my area, the first few weeks are chaos. I have left my house at the same time every morning since last Wednesday to take them to school and I have gotten them in the school building anywhere from 7:45 to 8:05.

When my kids were in school the only "chaos" was transporting them at different times and often to different schools. In preschool it was mornings for one and afternoons for the other. In high school it was two different high schools. I literally pushed my kids into getting their drivers licenses early so I could get a break. Other than that I don't see much difference. Parenting is parenting and school doesn't change that. Elementary school was easy because everyone went to the neighborhood school and our block carpooled. Ah those easy days when kids didn't have to be in car seats until five or 6 and booster until 11 or even 12 in some cases. I don't know how parents do it these days. It must take a whole convoy of cars to transport a brownie troop.

Grand daughter is going to kindergarten this year. DD has been taking her by the school about once a month since the end of last school year. Last week she wanted to show her other grandma her new school. She led her all over the place pointing out the office, the library, the auditorium/cafeteria the big kids wing and playground (she's mad she has to stay in the "baby" one) and the K classroom area. She'll only be there for 3 hours but she knows more about the campus than I did in the 2nd or 3rd grade. She happened to see that the K rooms had people in them and ran up and knocked on the door. She'd only met 2 out of 4 of her possible teachers. She knocked and when the door opened she introduced herself as a new student and told the teacher who answered she wanted to let her know who she was in case she ended up in her class. LOL

We grandmas and mom are having a long beach day the day before school starts. Daddy may join us after work. We will have dinner there. Kids will be tuckered out by the time we get home. Maybe passed out in their car seats. May not even get a bath much less be laying out clothes. She'll wear what she wants, just as shes been doing for the last 2.5 years.

Label backpacks. It seems like for the first week or so there was backpack confusion, with students forgetting them, forgetting which one was theirs, or having several students in a class with identical backpacks.

Cry! It's the last first day of school. Off to university next year... I guess for y'all, enjoy the first day of school ;)

If I had kids, I'd start them into a routine 2 weeks before school starts. Get them to bed early so that they're used to it, and no tension or tantrums the night before.

I do not have kids but I do have employees, and I want to thank everyone for some really good thoughts on organizing chaos.

For those looking back, as I am, my advice to my old self would be to not get too wrapped up in it all. I think I made way too much out of the small stuff.

These are the years that you have many shocked, amazed, concerned, emotional "didn't see that coming" moments.

Rob, although I get choked up, I don't cry. I was always excited for each school year and the changes it would bring. I was most excited to be able to give both my DD's a chose of going away to college. I walked to college and lived at home.

eld, I'm actually begging him to go. Go far away. As far as he can. Now is his chance. No wife, no kids, no one to whom he must be a slave, except himself. Now is the time to be selfish. I hope he does. I wish someone would've instructed me how. I'm still going to miss him terribly.

Bottom line be organized and allow extra time. Nobody likes to be rushed in the morning or any other time for that matter. I never had an issue with the kids. They knew what they were responsible for (age appropriate) and my husband and I took care of the rest. I really hated when they had to go back to school, I loved having them home with us all the time. Although I could have never home schooled, wish I could have.

Rob333, I feel your pain. I am one year ahead of you on this going to college fun. Move-in day is a little less than one month away, and I don't think I will be as upset as I thought I would be. When the moment comes, there is more excitement for all the good that is to be as opposed to the loss. (Mine is going to school practically across the street from our house, but we are moving overseas for a few years- go figure! Not that he would have commuted the five minutes anyway, but it is pretty funny to me how this all worked out.)

Rita, you live 5 minutes from the school but your son was not commuting?? Well this is really a grand way for your son to have independance, yet your very close by if needed...a moot point since your relocating.lol.