Dad’s Back to School Checklist

With the first day of school drawing near, parents and children across the country are getting set for the annual back to school campaign. There is so much to do to be ready, from shopping for clothing and supplies to getting the family organized. This list is designed to make the process easier for dads to manage.

Get school supplies. Pens and pencils, erasers, binder paper, notebooks, and more. It can get a little overwhelming to get all this shopping done. Find out the best supplies for your school kids and where to get the best prices.

Find hot back to school electronics. More and more, our kids need access to electronic tools like calculators, flash drives, laptops and more. Check out our recommendations for the best value in back to school electronics.

Get a family organizer. With the busy schedules of families today, a family calendar accessible to all is a must. Learn more about family calendars and find one that will work for you and your family this school year.

Get the bicycles tuned up. If your children ride a bicycle to school, then you'll want to tune them up for the new year. Our About.com Guide to Bicycling offers some great resources for bike repair and maintenance.

Find the right backpack. We have found over the years that the weight of school books and supplies that go back and forth to school have increased dramatically. Find some advice on buying rolling backpacks and then check out our recommendations for the best of the rolling backpacks available today.

Clean up the study areas. Make sure each child has a dedicated area for study and get ready for the new year. Empty out the old and stock up with new supplies. If you don't have a dedicated area for study, create one.

Cut the stress. So much of the anxiety associated with the back to school process involves getting an early start and taking time to prepare.

Bookmark your school's website. Find your school's website and learn how to navigate it. More and more schools are providing secure online access to up to the minute grade and attendance reports as well as posting the school calendar on line. We can even pay lunch money to the school on their website!

Make sure vaccinations are up to date. Every district or state has requirements for school immunizations. Find out what the requirements are for your students and make sure they are updated if needed before the first day of school.

Go to back-to-school night. Almost every school has an evening when parents and students come to school to meet the teacher and learn about the upcoming year. Make sure you attend, and while you are there, consider volunteering at school.