Walk into your nearest big-box store right now and you’ll immediately run into a seasonal back-to-school display. Turn on the news and you’re sure to hear about how soon your summer vacation will be over. Just a few short weeks and you’ll return to school year routines. If back-to-school stress is getting to you, we’ve got solutions!

As summer winds to a close, you may be feeling the heat of looming back-to-school stress. You’re trying to budget time, money and energy for back-to-school shopping, childcare, sports and other extracurricular activities. You’ve got school orientations to think about, meeting your children’s new teachers, and helping kids deal with their own back-to-school anxieties. That’s why we’ve put together a list of common stressors families deal with this time of year and some tips on how to combat them. Read on to learn how you can manage back-to-school stress and enjoy the rest of your summer vacation.

Back-to-School Shopping

Preparing your kids for the new school year with school supplies and a wardrobe that fits can be a huge stress for many parents. Research shows that financial stress is a big concern for parents. The average household with K-12 students is predicted to spend over $650 on school supplies, clothes, etc. Total spending for U.S. households with K-12 and college-aged students is projected to reach over $82 billion this year.

The best way to help manage the stress you may feel about how much you’ll be spending is to create a school supply budget. It can even be an opportunity to teach your child about financial management as you discuss necessary items vs. wanted items and create a spending plan.

If there are items you can shop for without your child, you may save money and stay on budget. Many parents feel pressured to spend more on school supplies to please their child or avoid tantrums in the store. And while a few special items your child will really enjoy can make their school year feel special, it’s probably not necessary to spend three times as much on character-themed scissors, for example. Many classrooms pool basic school supplies for all students to share, so those expensive items won’t just be used by your child alone. So save your money and shop for basic items on your own, if you can.

Those extra dollars you save can be put towards self-care by investing in your own back-to-school supplies: Tranquility Labs’ own Tranquilene, a safe, natural anti-anxiety supplement that can reduce stress and increase calm. Stock up and save with bulk discounts!

Getting Back into the Routine

Summer vacation has probably been a welcome relief from schedules, rigid bed and wake-up times, homework, and the demands of extracurricular activities. Soon, you’ll have to think about school schedules, sports practices, and how to balance after-school activities with homework time. If your back-to-school stress includes the demands of a return to routines, you’re not alone!

Many parents stress about how to get their kids back on a regular schedule after a summer of sleeping in, staying up late and the freedom to playing all day. Getting back into a routine a week or two ahead of time can really make a difference! Research shows that having a bedtime routine helps kids sleep better and fall asleep faster. So the sooner you can get your child back on schedule, the more time they will have to establish a healthy sleep pattern before starting school.

In fact, routines, in general, prove to be good not just for children, but for families, too. A review of research on family resilience (the ability to deal effectively with stress and adversity) shows that rituals and routines are an essential part of establishing good coping skills. So, a return to school year routines may actually be a good thing for your family!

If you’re worried about your child’s return to school and their ability to focus in the classroom or at home, consider Focusene, Tranquility Labs’ all-natural supplement for focus and attention. Focusene is also available as part of the Brain Booster Bundle with CogniDHA, our high-quality Omega 3 Fish Oil supplement.

Child Care

For many working families, finding and budgeting for child care before and after school can be a big source of back-to-school stress. High-quality child care can cost as much as a year’s college tuition for some families. And many parents say that the lack of options for child care, as well as not having enough information about the quality of those options, are just as stressful as the financial burden.

Research shows that the quality and number of hours spent in child care can affect both academic performance and behavior in kids. So it’s important to find a child care provider you can trust. Starting your search early can help you avoid having to settle for an option that’s not ideal because your first choice provider is full. Many of the best quality child-care centers fill up quickly, so try to get your child enrolled as early as possible.

Many employers offer a special type of Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to cover child-care expenses like daycare, preschool and summer camps. Finding out if your employer offers this kind of benefit can save you a significant amount of money! For those without this option, make sure to take advantage of the child-care tax credit deduction, which allows you to itemize deductions up to $6,000 per family. Many working families also work together to share child-care expenses among friends and neighbors. Pooling resources to share expenses for a nanny or other child-care provider to watch all the children together can lighten the load for many families working on a tight budget.

Beat Back-to-School Stress

These and other strategies can help you get ahead of the back-to-school stress as summer comes to a close. Budgeting for school supplies and avoiding unnecessary purchases can ease the financial stress of sending your kids back to school. Easing into your fall school and work routines can help both parents and kids adjust to earlier bedtimes and more rigid schedules. Creating a positive morning routine can also be helpful. Eating breakfast together and talking about what you’re looking forward to that day can help create a positive attitude to start the day. Research and make decisions about child-care options early so that your first choice provider doesn’t fill up. Some employers offer financial benefits through FSA accounts. Other options like sharing child-care costs among friends and neighbors can help ease financial stress, too.

Don’t forget to add Tranquility Labs’ all-natural Tranquilene and Focusene products to your back-to-school shopping list. Tranquilene eases stress and promotes a calm mood, while Focusene boosts focus and attention to improve academic performance. Both of these proven products are available alone or as part of a bundle to help you beat back-to-school stress quickly and affordably!