Beyond the Basics: Setting Your Kindergartener Up for Success

• 1 pair of tennis shoes
• 1 pair of closed-toe fun shoes – crocs are the look I guess
• 1 pair of dressier shoes – these loafers were it
• 1 pair of sandals – from the summer of course
• 3 pairs of jeans
• 3 pairs of joggers/cotton pants
• 12 pairs of boxer briefs
• 10 short sleeve shirts – graphic t-shirts of course
• 3 layered long sleeve – plain long sleeve shirts like this one
• 5 long sleeve graphic shirts
• 2 flannels – WI girl here, we love our flannels
• 1 hoodie
• 1 zip-up sweater
• 1 pack of short socks
• 1 pack of tall socks

Now don’t go thinking all of this was new stuff, hell no! A lot of this I already had and had purchased over the summer but as they grow and have school and an endless supply of laundry I know what works for us and our schedule when it comes to doing the laundry. 

So I only had to buy a few things and then of course let him pick out a new first day of school outfit. That was always my favorite thing as a kid. 

Side note here – I love participating in second hand, I sell and buy from my local Just Between Friends consumer events. See if there’s one near you here. 

The main thing with the clothes is to have as much or as little as you’re comfortable with. And if you go to JBF, don’t forget to think about snow pants and boots, I would highly recommend you get two pairs of each, so they can just stay at school. There’s always a snow day when the stuffs at school.

Set Up Clothing Area

Now that you have all the clothing ready to go, you should start thinking about how you want mornings to go and how independent your child is. Do you want them to pick out their outfits for the week, or just the night before?

Should you have special bins for each day or a spot for the clothes for the next day? Personally, I didn’t want bins for the week and was fine with letting him pick out his clothes the night before. 

We look at my weather app and the class calendar and talk about what he could wear, he then pulls it out and leaves it on his dresser top.

He likes to pick out his own clothes, and I let him to an extent. For example, If it’s gym day tomorrow he has to wear his tennis shoes.

This has become a part of our bedtime routine and works for us. You don’t need to get fancy and get special containers, those take up too much space It always felt like putting clothes away twice. So not for us. 

Drop Zone

Where oh where is all this new stuff going? I don’t know about you but everything needs a home otherwise it feels like clutter. So start thinking about that backpack, and those new lunch containers and where you want them to be stored. 

They need a spot, so that way after school you can easily tell your kid to put them away and maybe just maybe they’ll actually do it. A mom can dream, right? 

I put up a special hook in his closet for his backpack at his level. 

Then I rearranged my whole kitchen to make room for the new containers. I think it was an excuse just to declutter some things in my kitchen, but whatever it felt good to get rid of a few things.

Lunch Prep

Lunchtime can be a bit daunting for both parents and kids, especially since you’ll be at home while your little one navigates lunch on their own.

But fear not! Here are some steps to help your child become a lunchtime pro and ease the burden on their teacher, who has over 20 kids to assist.

Step 1: Practice Opening Containers

During mealtime at home, pack a lunch similar to what you plan to send to school. This will give your child practice opening different containers. If they struggle with certain items, like chip bags or cheese stick wrappers, consider switching to more kid-friendly options.

Step 2: Introduce the Lunch Box

Since this is my oldest child’s first time, we got him a brand new, fancy lunch box. My younger two wanted to join in, so I picked up some budget-friendly lunch boxes for them at Target. I’m not sure if these would hold up for school, but they’re perfect for practice at home.

Step 3: Focus on Timing

Encourage your child to finish their lunch within 20 minutes. While lunchtime is usually 30 minutes, this helps account for socializing, bathroom breaks, and getting their lunch out and packed away. This way, they’ll get used to eating efficiently without feeling rushed.

Step 4: Choose the Right Containers

Consider these items to make lunchtime easier:

• • Lunch box or Bag: Choose one that’s easy to open and close.
  • Snack Containers: I prefer these over bags since they prevent food from getting squished and are easier to clean.
  • Water Bottle: Opt for one with a straw that tucks away, which is especially helpful if your child tends to drop things.
  • Name Tags: Essential for labeling everything, but remember, they might come off, so check them regularly. I’ve had the same set last through two years of kindergarten!
  • Ice Packs: If needed, these can help keep lunch cool and fresh.

Step 5: Set Expectations

Discuss lunchtime behavior with your child. Let them know they need to put away their lunch items and tidy up their space after eating. It’s all about teaching responsibility and making lunchtime a smooth experience for everyone.

Practice Routines

Sometimes the hardest part of going to school is actually getting there on time. Mornings can be such a mess depending on everything else you need to do in the morning. So creating a morning routine and practicing it is always a good idea.

Try new things and figure out what works for you. I would also suggest actually leaving the house and going somewhere like the park, the store, or even the beach.

Do the same thing for after school, set the expectations of what you want them to do after school. Shoes off, backpack unpacked, wash hands, change clothes, and whatever else you need them to do.

The goal is to work out some of the kinks before there’s too much pressure to get it right with other obligations in the way.

So practice and figure out your flow you can make adjustments as is best for you and your family. 

Write out what you need to do each morning and after school, then start allocating time and figuring out what you can do the night before to make your mornings a little easier. 

If you’re in need of an interactive checklist these could work great for you. 

Be sure to practice are also, putting on their own shoes, getting dressed, getting toothpaste on their toothbrush, and so on. Whatever they can do they should start doing and practicing so it becomes second nature.

Public Bathrooms

I said what I said, public bathrooms, my kid does not like how loud public bathrooms are, the toilets, the hand dryers, and the echos. It’s a bit overwhelming when you’re little.

Even though the school bathrooms are traditionally shorter and meant for kids, they still need to be able to use the public bathrooms by themselves.

Yes, using a public toilet is very different than their own private toilet, just take them out and see what happens if you haven’t already. It’s a good idea to get them accustomed to the unknown of when there’s going to be a new noise, and using that paper thin paper, uck! 

Trust me on this, take some time to get them a bit more comfortable. 

The Car

If you’re going to be driving your kid to school instead of letting them take the bus, you need to go over what drop off and pick is going to look like. Is it a drop-off line, where you are not allowed out of your car and your kid has to be able to get their seatbelt off, backpack on, and out of the car by themselves? 

If so, can they do these things? Do they know how to get out of their seat? Better yet, can they put on their own seatbelt at pick-up? We have a booster seat for our oldest and needed something to help hold the buckle still so he could latch it.

This belt booster was a big help until we moved him to the captain seat in the van. Having him be able to do his seatbelt by himself took time, we did not have it down by the time 4k started last year.

If you’re in the same boat then don’t worry, a lot of parents just pulled over once they were outside the pickup line to help their kids.

Outside of learning how to manor in the car, ensure you talk to them about where to go, and what to do once they are outside the car, yes there are teachers around to help, but that first day is hectic! 

For us last year, there were way too many adults standing outside the door, that I could not tell who was a teacher and who was a parent. I didn’t know that so many parents were going to park and stand around during drop-off to chat. 

This is my oldest, so this is all new! I didn’t know what to do or tell him who to go to, he was of course nervous and we didn’t see his teacher outside. Finally, I saw a police officer standing at the door and told him to go to him.

That the police officer would be able to help him find the teacher. And then yes I was that parent who emailed the teacher asking if my son made it to the correct classroom because it was so chaotic.

I was worried, and a little annoyed by the fact that I didn’t know who was a teacher. Thankfully she emailed me back and said he made it just fine and all was good. First days can be stressful for everyone!

Thankfully the rest of the year was fine, and the teachers all wore vests after that too. Its scary when it’s your first, but he was so excited and brave and I know he’ll do fine on the bus this year. Even if I’m freaking out about it a little bit. 

So have that conversation too about the bus, if they are riding it, what to expect, and how to act safely. 

Doctor Visits & Last Minute Appointments

Ok, finally the last thing you need to think about are those last-minute appointments. Do you need to go in for a year’s doctor’s appointment, do they need or want a haircut, what about the dentist and ophthalmologist?

These are things that might be easier to get done before school starts, so you don’t have to pull them out early or have late appointments after school. 

Because I’m going to tell you, your kid is going to be tired! As they adjust to this new normal and the level of learning they are doing. They might actually go to bed on time or early! Wouldn’t that be nice!