A few weeks before
Make the school, journey, clothes and everyday routines more familiar.
Free parent printable
Starting School Checklist
A simple, gentle checklist for the weeks before school, the night before, the first morning and coming home afterwards.
Who it’s for: Parents and caregivers of children aged 4–7 preparing to start elementary school.
Download the free printable PDF ↓
You don’t need to tick every box — choose the ideas that will help your child most.
What is on the checklist?
Starting school is a big moment. This checklist helps make the change feel smaller, more familiar and more predictable.
Starting school brings lots of little practical changes at once. The printable breaks preparation into four manageable moments rather than treating “school readiness” as a test a child has to pass.
The night before
Prepare what you can and leave space for any last-minute wobbles.
The first morning
Keep the plan simple, allow extra time and make goodbye predictable.
After the first day
Expect tiredness and let conversation happen when your child is ready.
Why these particular things?
Current pediatric guidance recommends preparing children for change, keeping reassuring routines and listening carefully to worries rather than dismissing them. School-readiness guidance also suggests practicing everyday skills such as dressing, using the toilet, opening lunch items and asking for help. The checklist turns those broad ideas into a short printable families can actually use.
It is deliberately not a scorecard. Children develop at different rates, and a blank box is not a failure. Use the list to notice what might make the first days easier for your child.
Trusted information: HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Read together
Ollie's first-day wobble
Ollie is six and very determined to look brave. His first-day story gives children another character to talk about when school feels enormous, noisy or simply unknown.
Read the free 8-page preview → Buy the paperback on Amazon ↗ Read the grown-up guide →
This checklist offers general family information, not medical or mental-health advice. If worry is persistent, severe or interfering with everyday life, speak to your child's school, school nurse or doctor.
Parents & Grown-ups