With back-to-school time starting next week, life is beyond hectic. Between clothes shopping (How did they grow so much in three months?), hunting down school supplies, and meet-the-teacher nights … there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

And for those Kindergarten Moms, it’s a completely different experience. That was me last year and it took us until December to get the routine down! My advice for the first day of school – remember the camera and tissue box. You will want the former and will need the latter.

To start off the school year as stress-free as possible, I’ve compiled a list of tried-and-true tips.

School supply shopping: It’s crazy enough fighting the crowds and shopping the sales fliers. With my 3- and 6-year old boys in-tow, things can quickly get out of control. Then you end up leaving the store with way more supplies than you ever needed. Task the kids with a list. This year, Seb was responsible for reading and crossing off items as we found them. And Colin helped me hunt the shelves for the right color folders and notebooks (occasionally sneaking in a new box of Crayons!).

Clothes shopping: Last year, I spent months hunting down the perfect clothes to send Seb to Kindergarten in style. After every beautiful piece of clothing came home with paint and marker on it, we’re approaching this year slightly differently. (I should have listened to my neighbors’ advice!) Seb can still look handsome, but I’m shopping the sale racks now and waiting for the Fall sales to start in October. Granted, we’re in Texas, so he can wear short sleeves and shorts most of the year, extending our wardrobes’ season.

Sleep schedule: We have friends who prepared for the school year’s early wake-up time by putting their kids to bed by 7:30 pm for the entire month before school starts. To me, that’s such a disappointment for kids – especially when the “sun is still up,” as Colin says. We modified the approach. Two nights before the first day of school, Seb is in bed by 8 pm. If he’s slightly tired the first few days, it’s OK as it works itself out and by mid-week he is begging to go to bed early.

First day of school: My boys need as much time as possible in the morning to get ready. They want to play, eat breakfast, and watch TV. When Seb gets to the school, he wants to chat with friends. So we have a rule that they are in the car by 7:10 am, so that we are waiting for the school to open. It gives Seb as much time as possible to get organized in the classroom and socialize with friends, and still have time to complete his morning assignment – all while learning time management.

Make a spa day: Even with these tips there will still be some stress, especially for the Moms taking their baby to the first day of Kindergarten. Book yourself a spa day for the first day of school. You deserve it!