Yes, I am writing yet another “5 Tips” post. This is unintentionally becoming a series (coming soon: “5 Posts About 5 Tips….”) but let’s face it, “5 Tips” are at least half the work of a “Top 10” list, and almost as satisfying. So, without any further fatherly preamble, here are my…

5 Tips For Back To School Basics:

1) NEW Backpack and Lunchbox – Sure some kids want new clothes for the new school year, and some schools (even public schools these days) have dress codes and required uniforms that may cause you to need some new threads for your kid. That said, the thing that will make them really feel like they are “starting fresh” (which I think is a good thing) is a spanking new backpack and lunchbox. Kids of all ages carry lots of books and gear, and their backpacks take a beating between foul weather and the occasional foul play, being tossed, dragged and dropped along the school yard. A new backpack is a simple, reasonably priced way to give your child something “new” and functional for the starting school year. As for the lunchbox, why make your studious kid have to sniff the odorous memories of last semester’s lunches? Don’t make them use a tuna tainted, peanut butter battered, stained and stenched lunchbox again. Be a sport and spring for a new one.

2) Rehearse The Route – If your child takes a bus to school, make sure you know where the bus stop is and visit it before the first day of school so both you and your son or daughter are familiar with it. If a “bus pass” is required, make sure you have received it, and if you haven’t, make sure your schedule is clear to drive to school on day one in case the bus driver is not cooperative (I have experienced this one first hand – no pass, no bus). If you drive your child to school, and are starting at a new school, do a test run before the first day of school to find out where the “parent drop off” lanes are, and which is the proper entrance. On day one, leave EARLY to allow for lots of traffic and confusion. There will be more driving drop-offs the first week of school than the rest of the year. (See “no pass, no bus” above.)

3) Be Alarmed – Don’t wait until the night before the first day of school to once again start setting the alarm for an “early” wake-up. If you and your kids have been “sleeping in” for the summer, start easing back into your new wake up schedule at least a few days or a week before school begins. Re-establish your school time rise and shine (and breakfast) routines in advance of D-day to ease the shock of a new schedule.

4) Get Supplies Early – If at all possible (and to retain as much of your sanity as possible) try to purchase essential school supplies BEFORE the mad rush after day one. In many cases, you can guess the basic requirements, or refer to last year’s list. In addition, most schools now post the class supply lists on their websites, and often local retailers such as supermarkets (Publix where I live), Wal-Mart, and Office Depot will often post the class supply lists for local schools in their stores.

5) Set A Goal For The Semester – Start the school year with an objective. Discuss it with your child and together agree on at least one “big idea” goal for the new school year. It might be to get that math grade up a notch from last year, or it might be to try out for a team, or band, or some other extra curricular activity, or it might be to do better at completing homework assignments before dinner. It doesn’t matter what the goal is. What is more important is starting off the semester with an objective in mind, and something you can look back at together and say, “awesome, you accomplished that, just like we said you would!” And with that in mind, make sure the goal is challenging, but attainable. Getting “straight A’s” may be desirable, but not necessarily realistic for your child. You know your kids. As much as I would have liked to say my son is an A student, I was just as proud of him when he broke out of his “C’s” to become a solid B student. Success is in achieving the stated goal, not the goal itself.

There you have it – 5 tips to hopefully help you get the new school year off to a good start. As always, I am writing this as much as a reminder to myself as to you. Do you agree with these? What tips would you add. Please share your thoughts in the the comments and help me turn these 5 tips into a Top 10 list!

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 21, Ethan, 19 and Olivia, 17).  He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast.  You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab.

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