Disclosure:  “This post is sponsored by Kohl’s. I received the included back to school clothes and essentials as compensation.” 

Game on…it’s time to get ready for the best school year yet (or at least we hope!).  In less than two weeks, we will be sending our kids off for another year of school.  It’s time to get our game face on for school & get ourselves ready for another year.  Today, we decided to ask our kids to share some “game winning” back to school tips, including more details about one of our favorite places to shop for back to school, Kohl’s.  Read below for their tips & some great coupon codes to help you shop this year!

5 Tips for a “Game Winning” School Year

1. Tell us what you are most excited about for school!

Aiden, age 8:  “I can’t wait to go to a new school & for writing time.”

Andrew, age 6 “PE & Library” and Abby age 4:  “Everything!”

Back to School Tip 1:  Talk about school for several weeks before it begins.  Get them excited about school!  If it’s a brand new school, make sure to take the summer to get familiar with it. My boys will be attending a new school this year so I took the boys for a tour in the spring & we have talked about it all summer long.  If possible, especially with younger children, play on the playground a couple times before the school year begins.  We also have had a couple playdates with other students in their grade, so they will have a few familiar faces on the first day of school!

2.  What time do you think bedtime should be on school nights?

Aiden:  “10:30”, Andrew:  “Early”, & Abby: “6”

Back to School Tip 2:  Prepare a routine and schedule that starts on the first day of school.  As you can see, we obviously need to establish a good bedtime for our kids after a summer of fun!  I suggest planning a morning routine before the school year begins and begin practicing it a week or two ahead of time.  Plan a snack time and some down time after school.  Make sure that your little ones have some free time after school to just “be”.  One thing that I know we need to do is establish a bedtime routine for school nights again. Right now, we are in summer mode with later bedtimes.  Starting next week (which is two weeks before the first day of school), I’m going to push the bedtime routine up & get us back to the routine of the school year.

3.  What are some of our favorite Back to School books?

Aiden:  “Chrysanthemum” and Andrew:  “The Night Before First Grade”

Abby: “Little Critter: The First Day of School”

Back to School Tip 3:  Read Back to School books & think of some simple ways to reassure them about school!

At the beginning of August, I pull out all of our favorite Back to School books to kick off this special time of year.  This helps get the kids excited for another year of school.  Also, especially for younger children, think of some simple ways to help them feel assured about school.  This could be packing a mini lovey in the backpack for the day or establishing a special good-bye routine.  One thing that I have learned through several preschool drop offs is to make the good-bye short and sweet.  Give them a kiss & tell them to have a great day and then leave (even if they are crying!).  Teachers know how to deal with this & most likely all will stop within several minutes, or at the worst several days but they will most likely adjust!  Continue to be positive & uplifting about school and your kid will feel the same way.

4.  What are some of favorite foods to pack in your lunch?

Aiden:  “Peanut Butter & Jelly and Veggie Straws”

Andrew:  “Chocolate Milk & Apple Slices.  Oh, and Oreos!” & Abby:  “Bagels!”

5.  What’s your favorite part of back to school shopping?

Julie’s Kids’ Favorite Finds:

Courtney’s Kids’ Favorite Finds: