Back-to-school season is around the corner, and for some it has already began. Here are 13 easy ways you can tweak your routine to inspire success for the new school year.

1. Arrange a meeting. Set up a family meeting to discuss prepping for the new school year. Older children can be a helpful resource, especially when it’s time to transition from one phase to another. Incorporate their practical ideas.
2. Menu check. Browse your cookbooks or the internet for kid-friendly, nutrition-packed breakfasts and quick-and-easy lunches that your kids will actually eat. Breakfasts that are easily transportable and lunches that the kids can prepare and pack themselves are a plus. Stock your pantry and fridge accordingly.
3. Kid-friendly kitchen. Make it easy for your kids to pack their own school lunches. Set aside a section of the refrigerator for lunch-time foods and reserve a cabinet for the kids’ lunch boxes and food containers so everything they need is easy to see and ready to grab and go. On the inside of the cabinet, post a reminder note listing what they need to pack. With the right prep, even children as young as kindergarten can be self-sufficient.
4. Clean up the closet. Set aside a day to go through the kids’ clothing to weed out what’s too small or too worn for the new school year. The closets and drawers will be easier for your kids to find what they need. Also, you’ll know what items to purchase when you hit the back-to-school sales. Bonus points given for doing your shopping in yard sales, thrift stores or sourcing hand-me-downs from friends and family.
5. Beauty and health. Does any child need a haircut? If so, set aside the time for back-to-school trims. Stock the bathroom with toothbrushes and toothpaste, toilet paper and other basic hygiene products.
6. Inventory school supplies. Gather up all the rulers, calculators, pens, pencils, scissors, index cards and other supplies lying around the house. No need to purchase new what you already have.
7. Study space. Give some thought to where your children will do their homework. The kitchen island might work best for little ones who still need a lots of parent help. If so, stock a rolling cart with necessary school supplies. For older kids, it might be time to set up a study space. A desk, a comfortable chair and a good source of light are essentials. Will you need to set up a wireless network to accommodate the new space? What about a printer? Don’t forget to put a trashcan nearby.
8. Organization is key. Using a three-ring binder, create a family notebook that contains important information from your kids’ schools, along with scout, sport and religious organizations. Schedules, project reminders, supply lists, phone numbers, addresses, and other vital information will be easier to access in a single book.
9. Day by day. Create a master family calendar and post it in a central location such as the front hall or kitchen. That way, everyone knows when mom is traveling, big brother has a football game and little brother needs a ride to piano practice.
10. Create a “landing zone.” The mudroom, a back hallway or a corner of the kitchen are all potential spots to create a “landing zone,” where backpacks, jackets and shoes are corralled after school and on weekends. When Monday morning rolls around, everything’s in place.
11. A system for paperwork. Train the kids to put papers that need to be signed and returned in a designated spot, ideally a box or basket in the designated “landing zone.” Add a second basket for a pen, spare lunch money, a stapler, a scissors — along with anything else a parent on the run might need when running out the door.
12. Gallery site. Designate a space in your home to display your children’s artwork and special papers. It might be the fridge, a wall in the family room or even a wall in your garage. Let your kids take charge of rotating their work.
13. Practice makes perfect. The week before school begins, do a few dry runs of evening and morning routines to see what works and what doesn’t. Adjust bedtimes and wake-up times, if necessary. Should clothing be selected the night before? Is the pantry stocked for lunch-making? Better to find out now than to wait until that special first day