HGTV Parents Share the Back-to-School Tips That Have Helped Them Handle the Season
Can you believe it? Back-to-school season is here! To help get you organized and ready to take on fall, we’ve created the ultimate back-to-school survival guide. We’ve curated school supplies lists, sales, and tips from Drew and Jonathan. We’ve also chatted with busy parents who have been in the thick of it, and you may recognize a few of our expert moms and dads.
Meet Our Pro Parents
This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive commission for purchases made through these links. Price at time of publish date may change.
We’ve tapped a few of our favorite HGTV stars to share stories and advice on how to make this the best back-to-school season yet. This year, we have Ben and Erin Napier, Breegan Jane, and Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt on our back-to-school board. Class starts… now!
Erin and Ben Napier’s Elementary School Advice
The Home Town stars and Laurel Mercantile cofounders are parents of two adorable daughters. Their oldest, Helen, is 6 years old and getting ready to start first grade. With one year of school under their belts, they have a few words of wisdom about how to handle the big transition into kindergarten and beyond.
How do you handle the transition from summer to back-to-school season?
Erin: Helen is going into the first grade, so we are new at this, but we never got out of our normal bedtime routine. We go to bed and wake up at the same time every day and don’t adjust in the summertime.
What advice do you have for parents who are sending their kids to kindergarten for the first time?
Erin: Find lots of ways to make them feel connected to you throughout the day. Helen and I have this thing that we do every night at bedtime. We touch hands, and then we slowly pull our hands away, and I say, “there’s our invisible string,” and no matter how far apart we are, our string is still there, and that makes her feel okay. We remind her at drop off, “Who is with you and who takes care of you at home” and she’ll say, “You and daddy,” and then I say, “And at school, if you need anything, if you feel scared, or if you need to go to the bathroom, you just ask your teacher, and she’ll hold your hand and help you and you don’t have to be scared because your teacher is there.”
What tips do you have for parents who are trying to get their kids excited for school, even if they have nerves?
Erin: See if you can schedule a time for your child to meet their teacher before school starts, see the classroom, and help ease their mind. You might find that the teacher is wearing a shirt with leopard print on it, and your child, who is crazy about big cats, is excited about first grade.
Do you have any back-to-school family traditions or activities you do before the year starts?
Ben: We have a special breakfast on the morning of the first day of school. She gets to pick what we eat and looks forward to it for days before school starts.
Any other advice you’d like to share with parents trying to master everything that comes with back-to-school season?
Erin: Hype up and make the school supplies shopping day a whole event. Take her best friends with you so it doesn’t seem like a bummer but something we are excited to do.
Breegan Jane’s Tips for 10 and Under
The interior designer and HGTV host has two sons, Kingsley, 10, and Kensington, 8. Having not one, but two kids in school is no easy feat, but her ideas for calming the chaos are absolutely genius. (Color-coding their stuff!? We need to try that ASAP.)
What are some tried-and-true tricks you’ve learned to help make the transition from summer to back-to-school smoother?
Breegan: One of the things I do involves creating more collaborative moments in the mornings. I find that including the kids during meal prep for the day ahead makes them better daily helpers. That’s something that always benefits parents during back-to-school time. When my sons are tasked with simplistic decision-making and age-appropriate responsibilities, they feel empowered. I use that time to create teachable moments and a sense of team building instead of feeling burdened by an endless to-do list.
What’s the best piece of advice you can give parents who have multiple kids heading back to school?
Breegan: Color-code your life! Color is your friend when you need to individualize things for multiple kids while keeping everything organized. Ask your kids to pick their favorite colors, and then proceed to purchase everything in those colors for each kid. Backpacks, water bottles, favorite comfort items, etc, buy them in the same color for each kid. I find that it makes things easy when I’m packing and unpacking their things constantly.
What’s it like getting your kids up and running in the mornings? Any ideas to make it easier?
Breegan: One of my boys is an early bird, and one would gladly sleep until noon if I let him. So that requires me to take two different approaches to our mornings. For instance, my early riser needs me to set expectations at night around what he is supposed to accomplish the next day. If I don’t, he will get distracted by other things in the mornings. My other son needs to have everything prepared the night before and practically laying right next to him (underwear, clothing, shoes) so that when he inevitably wakes up with only a few moments to spare, he can get ready in a timely manner. My advice is to choose not to force every kid to function the same. Instead, be willing to take individualized approaches and create systems that will yield positive outcomes.
What are the organizational techniques you’ve learned over the years to stay on top of all the activities, homework, and other tasks they’re juggling?
Breegan: The key is staying organized, and the trick behind that, is ensuring that everything has its own dedicated place. My kids know where everything “lives,” and they place things in their cubbies, drawers, or spaces, so we always know where to look and check for activities, homework, and other important items. Since I am a mom who values aesthetics, I prefer these items to be hidden away. We utilize a lot of covered storage for that reason, and it saves my sanity.
How do you get your kids excited for back-to-school season after all the summer fun?
Breegan: I think my children naturally get excited to return to their social connections at school, so I intentionally shift the focus there. We also have the benefit as a hybrid-learning family to select some of the subjects we focus on in our curriculum. I have started asking the kids what they are interested in learning. Of course, there are certain subjects they are mandated to take, but working towards something they enjoy makes them active participants in their education journeys.
Are there any other traditions you have to celebrate your kids entering a new grade?
Breegan: With each transition I try to add more responsibility to their lives. It’s a way of recognizing that they have matured and grown. When they were smaller, this included things like putting up adhesive hooks and letting them hang their own jackets. This year, they have a washer and dryer in their bathroom, so we’re tackling laundry. Entering a new grade is an excellent time to begin new things.
Any other tips you’d like to share?
Breegan: I would encourage parents to create moments where conversation with the kids can naturally occur around back-to-school season. It gives you a chance to truly discover what’s on their mind and what they might be anxious or excited about. Something as simple as setting the table is a task kids from two to teenage years can do. Even if it starts with simply getting forks and cups out of the cupboard, it’s a fantastic way to keep them close to you to chat about how they’re feeling. Give it a try!
Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt on Handling High School
As the hosts of 100 Day Hotel Challenge, Brian and Mika know how to juggle a busy schedule. But their 15-year-old daughter Jade still certainly keeps them on their toes! Having a high-schooler is a totally different beast, so if you’re sending your child off to their freshman year, let Brian and Mika be your guide.
What are some tips you can offer parents who are preparing kids for their first year of high school?
Brian and Mika: The biggest piece of advice we can offer parents preparing for the inevitable high school transition is for them to remember back to when they were freshman in high school. We learned it is much easier to connect with our daughter this way. We’re still her parents but she feels open to communicate with us like peers as well. It helps to relate on their level and, selfishly, it’s a ton of fun to reminisce of the glory days!
What are your tricks for staying organized and on top of her schedule?
Brian and Mika: Our daughter’s schedule is getting just as busy as ours, but after it becomes a routine for all of us it becomes second nature. Once a routine is established, you almost feel bad when you miss or forget to do something. We also make sure that we always lead by example and—without having to tell Jade—she follows suit.
How do you get your daughter excited to go back to school?
Brian and Mika: This answer is easy…Mika takes Jade back-to school-shopping. If you look good, you feel good. And, more importantly, you’ll be excited to go back to school to show off all your new threads!
Now that your daughter is a little older, what’s your advice for parents trying to encourage kids to be more responsible for their own time management?
Brian and Mika: We actually give Jade a ton of freedom and what we’ve learned is if we don’t hover her and demand things out of her, she naturally wants to do well in school and handles her business. Just remember freedom is earned not given. Children naturally want to succeed in life but they shut down when parents micromanage and “over” parent. High school should be preparing our children for the real world. Stop changing their diapers and help change their future!
Have you ever had to handle first-day nerves? What are ways parents can help kids feel less stressed going into the school year?
Brian and Mika: All kids are nervous to enter high school but we’ve found that sometimes laughter is the best medicine/solution. Sharing embarrassing stories of things that happened to us when we were in high school with our daughter puts her at ease and makes her laugh hysterically. It’s natural to be nervous but it’s how you react to those feelings that can dictate your entire high school experience. I still get nervous when I’m trying something new and I graduated high school 24 years ago!
What are your tricks for getting back in the bedtime routine? Do you have any rules around that at your house?
Brian and Mika: Our daughter definitely likes to stay up late and sleep-in during summer break. But about a week before school starts, we always make sure to get back into a regular sleep schedule. This makes the early morning wake-up calls much easier for her and us. If she decides to stay up late during the school year, the alarm is still going off early in the morning. She’s made that mistake a couple times, but has learned very quickly that a good night’s sleep is super important.
Do you have any back-to-school family traditions or activities you do before the year starts?
Brian and Mika: We always make sure that we carve out at least a week every summer to take a family vacation. It’s a great way to recharge everyone’s batteries, reflect on the past year, and refocus on the upcoming school year. We haven’t missed a summer yet and don’t ever plan to.
Any last words of wisdom?
Brian and Mika: Good luck and enjoy every single moment. The days may be long, but the high school years are very short and before you know it will be a distant memory that you wish you could have back.
