Every back-to-school season, parents nail the big stuff: A new backpack, fresh crayons, and enough glue sticks to last until October.
But what sometimes trips kids up isn't any of that. It's the everyday skills nobody thinks to practice, like opening a yogurt tube, zipping a coat, or remembering which folder goes back in the backpack.
None of this determines whether your kid is "ready" for school. Every child learns at their own pace, and teachers work miracles every single day. Thank you, teachers!
But spending five minutes practicing a few of these skills can save your child a frustrating moment in the cafeteria, at the bathroom sink, or while packing up at the end of the day. Our teacher friends tell us they appreciate it, too.
So here's our back-to-school challenge for you: How many of these 10 things can your child already do?
1. Tie Their Shoes
If your child wears shoes with laces, this is a great skill to practice at the start of the school year.
Sometimes kids just need the steps explained a little differently than the way you learned. This simple trick teaches kids how to tie their shoes in about 60 seconds:
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Not there yet? Elastic laces or slip-on shoes work great while kids build the skill. No shame in that.
2. Open Their Own Lunch and Snacks
Our teacher friends tell us this is one that catches parents off guard every year.
Can your child open:
- A yogurt tube
- A string cheese wrapper
- A granola bar
- Their water bottle
- Their lunch container
Try a "practice lunch" at the kitchen table one day this week. If they can get into everything on their own at home, the cafeteria will feel a lot less overwhelming.
3. Know Their Important Information
Depending on their age, your child should be able to tell a trusted adult:
- Their full name
- A parent or guardian's name
- At least one phone number
- Their address, or at least the street they live on
- Who is allowed to pick them up
One idea? Quiz your kids in the car. Make it feel like a game, and before long they may have it all memorized without even realizing they're practicing.
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4. Use the Bathroom Independently
Teachers help younger students when needed, but it's a real confidence boost when kids can:
- Manage their own buttons, snaps, and zippers
- Flush
- Wash their hands well
If you bought new school clothes, test the buttons and snaps at home first. You don't want your child discovering that tricky new waistband when they're already in a hurry at school.
5. Put On and Zip Their Coat
If you've never taught your child the "coat flip trick," it's a game-changer.
Lay the coat on the floor with the hood or collar near your child's feet. Have them slide their arms into the sleeves, then flip the coat up and over their head.
It genuinely looks like magic the first time it works.
Once they've mastered that part, practice getting the zipper started and pulling it up the rest of the way.
6. Pack Their Own Backpack
This is another skill a teacher friend encouraged us to include. Can your child:
- Put papers in the correct folder
- Zip their backpack shut
- Pack their lunchbox
- Remember their water bottle
The more ownership kids have over their own belongings, the more confident they can become about managing them.
That doesn't mean they'll never forget a water bottle again, of course. We're still talking about kids.
7. Ask an Adult for Help
This might be the most important skill on the list.
Walk through a few possible school scenarios together:
- "What if you can't find your classroom?"
- "What if your tummy hurts?"
- "What if another kid is being unkind?"
- "What if you need to use the bathroom?"
Make sure your child knows that teachers, aides, counselors, and office staff are there to help. Asking for help isn't a sign that they can't handle school. It's a skill, and one plenty of adults still struggle with!
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8. Handle Little Disappointments
School comes with small letdowns built into the day.
Someone else gets the blue marker. They're not first in line. They don't win the classroom game. They don't always get called on, no matter how frantically they're waving their hand.
We can't prevent every disappointment for our kids, no matter how much we might want to. But we can talk through those moments and help them figure out what to do when something doesn't go their way.
Ask what they were feeling, what might help next time, and how the other person involved may have felt. Those conversations can help kids build both coping skills and empathy.
9. Follow Two- or Three-Step Directions
Practice at home with something like: "Put your shoes on, grab your backpack, and meet me by the door."
Teachers give multi-step directions throughout the school day. You might already do this naturally at home, but if you tend to give one direction at a time, try occasionally combining two or three simple steps.
A little practice can help classroom routines feel more familiar and less overwhelming.
10. Clean Up After Themselves
Can your child:
- Throw away their own trash
- Push in their chair
- Put crayons back in the box
- Return books to the shelf
These small cleanup habits help classrooms run more smoothly and they'll pay off well beyond this school year when your kids start loading their own dishes into the dishwasher!
Keep the Back-to-School Momentum Going
It's About Progress, Not Perfection
If your child can't do everything on this list yet, don't panic. Plenty of kids can't, not because they aren't capable, but because no one has shown them how yet.
We read to our kids, practice letters and numbers, and help them with homework. But sometimes we forget that everyday life skills aren't automatic. Kids have to learn those, too.
This isn't a test, and there's no prize for checking every box before the first day of school.
The goal is simply to help your child move through the school year feeling a little more confident, independent, and capable of handling whatever comes up.
Pick one or two skills to work on this week. Five or 10 minutes a day is plenty. Celebrate the wins, laugh through the frustrating attempts, and remember: You've got the whole year to keep building on them.
