For those with school going children, come January, there is this usual routine of getting them prepped up for school, tuition, extra-curricular lessons and a host of other activities that come with the opening of the new school term.

The weeks preceding the opening of the school terms are definitely hectic for parents because this is when major preparations are made. The list of things to do can be quite long, so we have create a list that can help you – so print it out and feel free to use it to get ready for the new school term!

• School uniforms
• School bags
• School shoes and socks
• Shoe Polish
• Badges, ties, hankerchiefs, belts and name tags (name tags to be ordered from the school in advance in some cases)
• Book List (provided by the school during the last 4 weeks prior to the commencement of the new term)
• Exercise Books
• Stationery – including colour pencils and geometry boxes
• Reference Books
• Files and Folders
• Pencil Box
• Food Containers and Flasks
• Tracksuit/Sweatpants and Sports T-Shirt
• Musical Instruments – that’ll be the recorder for those in Malaysia
• Bus/Transport Services Booking
• Breakfast plans
• Snack plans during school breaks if canteen food is not preferred
• Tuition registration (do it early because some tutors can get booked up quickly)
• Registration for other lessons – piano, swimming, tennis etc
• Home activity books (if parents are coaching at home)
• Permissible hair bands/hair ties (‘all black’ being the safest choice)
• Permissible ear studs (for girls with pierced ears)
• Haircut
• Packet tissues/wet wipes
• Photocopies of Birth Certificates/ID Documents
• Passport size photos (most schools request this)
• A communication book/note book (for teachers to communicate to parents – especially for children below the age of 9)
• Pocket money arrangement (no rummaging the purse in the last minute)

Okay, back to school!