How To Keep Back-to-School Prep Stress-Free This Year

It happened so fast.

One minute, I was zooming around Target, grabbing everything my daughter could need for her first day of kindergarten, and the next, I was helping her figure out her college books and school supplies budget. She just finished her first year at community college and plans to transfer next year, so back-to-school looks a bit different these days.

My own back-to-school days with my mami looked much different, too. She had to manage a single mom’s budget for three school-age children. We always had what we needed, and she always seemed to get exactly enough. Times three. 

Shop with a plan and a budget.

She swore by Target, even back in the ’90s, because it fit her budget and the products were always modern and long-lasting. Modern for us kids and long-lasting for her wallet.

She loved to take her time and check out all the sales, strolling between the back-to-school section and the socks-and-underwear area. I remember her pointing out a day-of-the-week pack of undies. “Mira! It’s on sale. Get it!” I turned beet red, terrified any kid from my school might be within earshot. But like any Latina mom, I found my embarrassment worth the sale price.

Turn back-to-school shopping into a tradition, not a task

I remember how she seemed to enjoy it all, often taking us to dinner afterward (all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, anyone?). She also treated herself to a couple of magazines and a little treat, like a chocolate bar at the counter or a pint of ice cream on the way home.

Then, after having us carry everything in, she would sit on the sofa and turn on “Cristina” while enjoying her sugary snack. Sometimes, my abuelita would join, and I would listen to them laugh and gossip about the wild stories on TV.

Give yourself grace—perfection isn’t the goal.

Fast-forward to me, decades later, always rushing, wondering if I got the wrong thing, and stressing about prices because I would dash into any store that might sell school supplies.

If there’s one thing I wish I could go back and do, it’s stress less and enjoy those gone-too-quick moments of chaos.

It took some time, but by the time my daughter got to high school, I had back-to-school shopping down to a science: a nice, almost totally stress-free event. The arguments then became about making her wear a jacket when it was cold and why she couldn’t take my red lipstick.

Plan so you can enjoy the process.

The first thing I did was plan. In my mami’s day, she used to get the circulars in La Opinión and circle the products she thought we might need for the first week.

For me, it was browsing online to see what was on sale and budgeting for necessities before I even got to the store.

My local Target stores also occasionally have supply lists for neighborhood schools, which always made me feel more at ease if I forgot something. You won’t have to roam the aisles wondering if you’re getting the wrong item. Trust me: there’s nothing more humbling than an eight-year-old being disappointed in you for getting an Anna-from-Frozen backpack instead of the Elsa one.

Don’t forget to take care of yourself, too.

And I took my mom’s self-care lesson to heart. Now, if I’m wandering the aisles, it’s not in chaos.

It’s looking for a cute new dress, that new best-selling fiction book, or some face masks to use later.

I also run over to the grocery aisle, something my mom’s ’90s Target didn’t have, and grab everything we need to make ice cream sundaes at home. That’s one little tradition we’re keeping, even when she does transfer to a school away from home.

Hold onto the memories—they grow up faster than you expect.

Being a mom is hard, and kids grow up fast.

I have to be honest: I really miss the days of running through the back-to-school section with my little girl giggling next to me. Now, every parent looks confused at the new supplies kids are using, while also trying to act like mom and dad know everything.

I may bribe my daughter with a new outfit, just to bask in the nostalgia for a moment.