Being completely transparent, I was a little unprepared for kindergarten. By the last day of school, the only thing I could do is call my mom and fuss at her for making this motherhood thing appear so easy and uncluttered. But me? I did not have the whole seamless appearance down despite how hard I tried to be “that mom”. The last day came and all I could do was pick mini up and take her to Six Flags under the guise that we were celebrating her accomplishments when I was really relieving my stress as I screamed on these roller coasters.

via GIPHY

And then I got mad–not really but kind of. Why, right? Because NOT ONE MOTHER PREPARED ME!!!

But don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with what to expect and how to handle it like a boss–not like I did!

What To Expect When Expecting {A Kindergartner}

The Emotions

I thought I was going to cry and boohoo and be a blubbering mother. I wasn’t but that doesn’t mean that you won’t be. If you’re a crier, go ahead and just boo-hoo. I didn’t cry but I was that stalker mom. I walked her in, sat her down, then stood outside and watched her interact with her new classmates. No tears but lots of watching.

via GIPHY

And their emotions will vary too! Mini tried to play it cool and not cling to me but I could see the nervousness in her eyes. If you have a kid that’s more attached and a little afraid, acknowledge their little feelings and work through them with them. And if they’re cool, still reassure them that having other emotions is ok.

The emotions are the easy part.

The Schedule

When kids start school, they have to get up super early. Like out the door early–before the sunrises early. It’s truly insane. But make sure that you’re up before them and have a chance to get yourself together. Set up your coffee and their breakfast at night. Be prepared so you don’t get caught missing buses and having your kids tardy for their class party.

via GIPHY

The Papers

I wasn’t ready for this. Mini was sent home with 1000 pieces of paper every day. Tree frogs were literally knocking at my door looking for their habitats. So here was my challenge: I kept everything, read nothing, and returned things late. I felt like the disheveled mom that made things super hard for the teacher and was just the example of the worst parent in the world. But this year I’ve changed some things and since this was hardest for me, I’m sharing how to make the single hardest part of your kids going to school easy.

How To Survive Your Kids Starting School

Have a kid heading to kindergarten for the first time? It can be overwhelming for all parties involved but I've got you covered with how to thrive!

I will say this, organization is key.

Pro-Tips:

  • Make sure that all clothes are picked out the night before. This will prevent any arguments in the mornings.
  • Prepare breakfasts and lunches the night before. No one feels like running around like a chicken with their heads cut-off to make sure that their kids are fed.
  • Keep snacks in easy to access places so that both you and kids can grab them.
  • Keep kids artwork for 1-2 weeks before deciding to keep or toss–you can’t keep it all!!
  • Set up a Mommy Command Center to keep the papers organized and your sanity intact!

Having your child start school is an amazing milestone that can also be incredibly overwhelming. Although all of this advice is great, the best advice that I can truly give is to take it all in stride, ask questions, and enjoy it. I can still remember my first day of kindergarten and how reassured I was because my parents seemingly had it all together.

Seasoned parents, what other advice would you give here?

P.S. If you found this useful, don’t forget to share!