First Week Ready: Final Prep for a Calmer Back-to-School Launch

The first week of school can feel like a mini whirlwind, new schedules, fresh supplies, and all the little details that sneak up on you. But it doesn’t have to be chaotic. With just a few smart moves, you can help your family ease into the school year with calm and confidence.

Here’s how to get ready for a smoother start,  using some of our favorite tools designed to make life easier and more joyful.

Plan a Family Kickoff Meeting

Before the school week begins, gather everyone for a quick “family kickoff.” Use your calendar as the centerpiece and walk through the upcoming week together. This helps set expectations, answer questions, and gives everyone a chance to feel heard.

To make it more fun, use our Sticker Sheet to mark everyone’s personal highlights, like a big test, a sports game, or a playdate, right on the calendar. It’s a simple way to turn planning into a family event, not a chore.

Pro tip: Gather all of those papers you got at a back to school night, or pull up the emails you’ve been getting from the school during this time to add anything that needs to be on your radar to the calendar.

Create Mini Zones of Focus

Sometimes the key to calm is breaking things down. Use our Colored Washi Tape to create mini “zones” on your calendar. For example:

Blue tape for school events

Green tape for extracurricular activities

Yellow tape for family time or special reminders

This makes the week feel more manageable at a glance, and you can easily shift zones as needed. 

Pro tip: We feel like we have to give an honorable mention to some of the best highlighters out there, the Pilot Frixion Erasable Highlighters. These take color coordinating to the next level (plus the pastel colors add a bit more visual fun to your calendar without too much clutter). Find them at any major retailer or your local stationary shop! 

Make It Easy to Update and Access

The first week’s schedule will likely change as you settle in, so keep your calendar front and center and easy to adjust. Our Teak Magnetic Frame gives you a neat, sturdy way to display your calendar where the whole family can add notes or move stickers around without fuss.

Pro tip: From my household to yours, my younger kids know to slide any important papers or notes between the magnetic bars on the calendar, that way, I can easily see what needs my attention and add the details to the schedule. Meanwhile, my older kids take it a step further by writing directly on the calendar with our erasable gel pen, so we can make changes as plans evolve. They still tuck the original papers into the magnetic section too, so nothing gets lost and we’re always prepared for what’s ahead.

Extra Credit: Prep a “Back-to-School Emergency Kit”

Consider putting together a little kit with essentials for those inevitable first-week surprises: extra pencils, a healthy snack stash, a small first-aid kit, and maybe a fun note of encouragement. Having this ready helps ease last-minute stress and shows your family you’ve got their back.

Getting ready for the first week of school doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With a little planning, some colorful tools, and a dash of family teamwork, you’re creating a space where everyone can thrive. Remember, it’s the small steps that build calm and confidence, and you’re doing a great job setting the stage for a wonderful school year ahead. Here’s to a back-to-school launch filled with ease, connection, and (hopefully) plenty of smiles!