You don’t know how it happened, but somehow your sweet baby is a big kid and ready to start kindergarten! It is an exciting and emotional time for the whole family! Here are some tips to help ease the transition for everyone.

Practice the morning routine

The school my kids attend starts early! We have to leave our house by 7:30 to get to school on time. Before school starts, practice with your kindergartner waking up, eating breakfast, and getting ready. Ask friends and neighbors what to expect for carpool lines, after school pick-up, or riding the bus. It can be helpful to have a specific meeting spot for you and your kindergartner so you both know where to meet at the end of the day.

Start traditions

A new chapter is a great time to start some fun traditions! Take your kindergartner on a special shopping day to pick up school supplies and a few new outfits for school. Have ice cream for breakfast the day before school starts to celebrate the end of summer. At our house, we have chocolate chip cookies and a special back to school dinner to celebrate the first day or school. It doesn’t have to be fancy, we have “hot lunch” (chicken nuggets, fries, apple sauce and chocolate milk served on plates that look like classic lunch trays).