As the excitement of this sunny season carries on, you may be a bit hesitant to entertain the thought of your children returning to school. Starting your school preparations in July doesn’t mean you have to give up on the lovely break we introduced you to in June. The key to staying relaxed as you plan is balance. It’s a good idea to start off small, taking modest amounts of time out of your day to assess your situation and form the basis of your back to school to-do list. By setting aside these small time windows for thought, you can refrain from trying to accomplish everything at once while keeping any reluctance you may have at bay.

As you make this list, reflect on the past school year. Think about the things that went well and the things that went not so well. Where possible, develop plans to avoid repeating the trouble areas. If you will require childcare come autumn, it would be wise to settle an approach to this early on. Organize and prioritize a mental agenda of tasks that must be completed before September and begin working on them, but remember to do so at a healthy pace. The summer activities you hope to enjoy should not be interrupted for the sake of early preparation.

As the weeks go by, you may want to schedule a visit to your child’s new school or seek information about their teacher. If you sense your child has mixed feelings toward the upcoming school year, allowing them to spend time with a future classmate may ease their mind. Talking to other parents about their back to school plans may aid you as you make your own. Be sure to check your child’s closet and take inventory of what they already own before you buy new clothing. While school supplies don’t normally go on sale until August, winter coats will be especially cheap around this time of year.

Finally, don’t forget do an early roundup of all the supplies or other school utilities that you’ve stored away for the summer. It would be quite an unpleasant surprise not to be able to find them at the last minute!