Back-to-School Checklist For Teens

1 Ease Back Into a Routine Sleeping Pattern

If your teenager is anything like mine, her sleep schedule gets all turned around during the Summer. Even teens who have to get up early for Summer jobs tend to stay up late, and those who don't often adopt the sleep-waking habits of a vampire. The National Sleep Foundation says sleep difficulties can affect learning, so the weeks before school resumes are the perfect time to shake that Summer schedule.

Talk to your teen about what time she needs to get up to be packed, fed, and out the door for school in the morning, and give her a date by which she needs to start getting up at that time. With at least two weeks' notice, your teen should be able to set a schedule that will help her sleep better at night without having to change her schedule cold turkey.

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2 Learn and Map Out the School

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Your teen doesn't have to literally map out the school, but knowing when he has each class and where the class is located can not only help alleviate some anxiety, but also cut back on the chance of being tardy.

Ask your teen to look over his class schedule and do a test run in his head to see how long it takes to get from one end of the building to the other, including taking time to stop at his locker.

If necessary, he can always call the school and arrange time to do a walk-through so he doesn't get lost on the first day. Just remind him that when all the students are there, the crowds and socializing will add some time getting from class to class.

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3 Plan How to Get to and From School

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For some teens this isn't an issue — they'll simply take the bus. For older teens whose friends drive, the options open up a little bit. Let your child know your rules for teen drivers and where you stand on him being in cars with other teens. Then ask him to come up with a transportation plan and a backup plan in case someone is sick or forgets to pick him up.

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4 Send Out Feelers to See Who's in Her Class

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Who doesn't remember the dread of walking into class and not seeing anyone you know? Now's a good time for your teen to start talking, texting, and messaging her friends to compare class schedules. Knowing that at least one familiar face will be there can be a huge relief to her.

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5 Get the Lunch Situation in the Bag

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When it comes to lunch, your teen needs to plan more than just who to sit with. He also needs to decide whether he'll be buying a meal, bringing a lunch, or using an à la carte option to combine the two. Then you can talk over how much you're willing to provide for lunch money, either for buying at school or for buying the supplies to make a lunch to bring from home.

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6 Get the Locker Situation Locked Down

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The first day of school is always a little crazy, and your teen may not have time to get to her locker as often as she planned — or even into it! Even if the lock to your teen's locker is built in, practicing how to maneuver a combination lock before school begins can ease first-day locker issues.

Also, ask her to decide what type of locker organizer and other accessories she wants. Once those are in hand, she can create a plan of how it will all be put together in the real locker.

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7 Start a Day Planner or To-Do List

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Getting used to writing down appointments, assignments, practices, and rehearsals is a great way for your teen to start getting into the spirit of the school year.

Since academic day planners run from June to June, he can start using one now, even if it's just to write down all the things you want him to get done before school starts. He can also go through the school calendar and add in important events like open houses or any tryouts he wants to attend.

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8 Get the Sports Physical Out of the Way

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If your teen is a budding sports star (or just wants to play sports), the doctor is going to have to fill out the annual sports physical form. And if he's going to have to fill it out for your teen, he's going to have to fill it out for a whole bunch of others, too, making it harder to get an appointment.

Ask your child to set up an appointment before school starts (you'll have to go too) and to download the form from the school website if possible. If the form isn't available, at the very least, your child's doctor will already have the information he needs to fill it in when you drop it off.

Even if your child isn't taking to the field, it doesn't hurt to schedule a check up to make sure they have a healthy start to the year.

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9 Get a Haircut at Least a Week Before School Starts

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The right back-to-school look is probably really important to your teen, and a bad haircut can ruin it. Have your teen pick out her new look and set up a haircut appointment for the week before school starts. That way any hair disasters can be recut, recolored, or otherwise handled with time to spare.

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10 Pick a First-Day Outfit That Conveys Confidence

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Whether your teen is a girl or a boy, and whether he admits it or not, he wants to look just right the first day of school. Luckily, you don't have to buy him a whole new wardrobe; just encourage him to think about picking an outfit that conveys cool, confidence, and comfort.

Picking it out a few days before school starts can not only ward off the night-before-school "I don't have anything to wear" panic, but also helps your daughter to know whether those heels are just too hard to walk in or helps your son realize if the skinny jeans are skinnier than he thought.

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