School season is upon us, and while there are still a few weeks of summer and fun left, right now is the best time to start preparing for the first day of school! We’ve put together a list of helpful tips and ideas to get your scholar back on track and ready for the school year ahead, as well as a list of department stores offering military discounts on school supplies and more!
- Start a morning and nighttime routine
For parents, the hardest part will most likely be getting your child to bed on time so that they are well rested, and up early in the morning and out the door before the bus arrives. Start easing your child back into a bedtime routine before school starts so that they can form the habit of going to bed and waking up early. Yes, they might complain about the bedtime, but they will appreciate it if they are able to wake up a few minutes early each day.
- Don’t wait until the last minute
We all know that stores start putting out school supplies way in advance. At the end of the month, there won’t be much left to choose from, so it’s important to be ahead of the game and stock up on all the supplies you need now! Here is a list of stores offering military discounts that you can shop near you, not only for school supplies but also clothing, bookbags, and shoes!
Clothing and Accessories – Kohls’, Old Navy, L.L Bean, Wrangler, and Columbia. If you’re shopping in the mall, be sure to ask all stores if they offer military discounts!
Classroom Supplies – Office Depot offers 20% off and Michaels offers 15% school supplies such as pencils, notebooks, crayons, scissors, glue, folders, and binders as well as other necessities like hand sanitizer and tissues.
Shoes – Rack Room Shoes, Foot Locker, New Balance, Nike, and Crocs offer 10% and more on all shoes.
Backpacks and Lunchboxes – Vera Bradley offers 15% off their collections, and Kohls offers 15% off but only on Mondays.
- Nerves are normal!
It can be scary and nerve-wracking going into a new school year. If your child is feeling nervous, reassure them that it’s completely normal to be anxious and help them through it. If you have any concerns or questions, reach out to the school to get support.
- Read books about starting school
Find stories with characters your child can relate to. Especially those attending their very first day of school. This will help relieve some of those first day jitters for all school-aged children and give them that boost of confidence they need to tackle their first day of school.
- Preview the school year calendar
Make sure to get a copy of the school’s calendar for the year so that you are up to date on all holidays, breaks, special events, and other important dates. Nothing is worse than forgetting what days your child has off for break or missing an important parent-teacher conference.