Your ultimate back-to-school guide - Today's Parent (2024)

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School hygiene and healthy habits

Checklists

Get prepared with our back to school checklistWater bottles! Masks! Tissues! Download this checklist for everything parents shouldconsider before kids head back to school.

School-age

We asked the experts how to mitigatethe risk of kids' activitiesWith schools and extracurriculars reopening, the experts weigh in on which activities to avoid and how to mitigate day-to-day risks.

Education and supplies

School-age

10 things your kid should know how to do before kindergarten startsBut don't freak out if they don't!

Crafts

5 fun ways to personalize school suppliesThat pencil looks kind of boring. You need to jazz it up! Get your kids in the mood for school by having them personalize their school supplies.

School-age

What school supplies your kid needs for kindergartenJust like your little one, the list of school supplies necessary for kindergarten is quite short.

Bigger Kids

7 things kindergarten teachers want you to knowSo your kid is about to start kindergarten and you're not sure if either of you are ready. A few kindergarten teachers revealed what you can do now to get your preschooler prepared for the classroom experience.

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Back-to-school lunch ideas

School-age

How to pack a healthy lunch your kid will actually eatYes, it is possible to create a school lunch that's both healthy and tasty. Tips from a registered dietitian and mom of two.

Easy mornings + routines

Family life

Ikea hack: How to tame the front hall chaosThis cleave Ikea hack transforms bookcases into a family locker system that will help everyone keep their backpacks, shoes, coats and gear organized.

Kids

11 ways to salvage a bad morningSchool mornings can be a sh*t show. Here's how to turn things around.

School-age

5 Morning Problems SolvedWeekday mornings suck for almost every parent, for all kinds of reasons. Try these solutions to common-but-painful morning-routine killers.

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School prep + Teacher tips

Opinion

This isn’t how I imagined my daughter’s first day of kindergartenSimone Olivero5 minutes

School-age

20 secrets of kindergarten teachersWe spoke to the country’s best kindergarten teachers to find out the most effective tactics and strategies they use to manage behaviour.Kara Aaserud14 minutes

Kids

5 ways to end the homework battle for goodInstead of waging a nightly battle of wills over math and verbs, get your kid doing homework by tailoring your approach to their temperament.Alison Masemann10 minutes

Family

Why being gifted isn't always a giftWhile the term suggests an advantage, being exceptionally bright, for some, can feel like a burden. Here’s how to handle gifted kids with care.Julie M. Green6 minutes

Bigger Kids

Teacher confessions: 5 things parents should never doMust-read teacher confessions! Are you guilty of any of these things parents do that drive teachers up the wall?Shawna Cohen7 minutes

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Quick dinners

Recipes

30 best packaged foods to make dinner a breezeAin't no shame in the packaged foods game. Some nights, supper just needs to make itself. We tapped a nutritionist for the healthiest, tastiest and quickest options.

Recipes

9 forgot-about-dinner dinner recipesIt's 4pm, do you know what you're making for dinner? We are way too familiar with that end-of-day panic. These bail-out recipes will save you.

Recipes

15 easy budget-friendly mealsBeat the grocery bill blues! A few key swaps and staples make budget-friendly meals that are loaded with flavour.

Recipes

18 outrageously easy sheet pan recipesThink of a sheet pan recipe as a tiny miracle: Toss all ingredients on a single pan, set the timer, then...do nothing else.

Get organized

Family

How to get your family organized and on a schedule—in three stepsDoes the morning rush have to be so rushed? Is there any way to make evenings—hectic with daycare pickups, lessons and homework—a little less frantic? After a summer of wonderfully lazy days, late nights and lax routines, Nadine Silverthorne seeks professional help to get her family back in ship-scheduled-shape.

Family

How to organize your kid's school papersAre you sitting on mountains of report cards and drawings? Don't worry—there's a way to organize what to keep and what should go.

Family

Back-to-school organization: Easy DIY communication stationHere are seven tips to help keep kids, family members, caregivers and school staff organized for the school year.

Kids

How to help kids keep track of their stuffAnother day, another forgotten lunch bag. How can you teach your kids to keep track of their belongings?