Cox News Service writers D. Aileen Dodd, Bill Husted, Helen Oliviero and Rebecca Rakoczy contributed to this article.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

"Organization is an essential part of academic success," said Stacy DeBroff, the Boston-based author of "The Mom Book Goes To School."

"When your kid arrives at school with 100 papers dropping out of his backpack, and they can't find their first homework assignment, it makes a bad impression."

To avoid that embarrassment, consider the following tips:

  • Create a "homework center." Turn a small office space in a den, bedroom or on a kitchen table into a center equipped with a cache of school supplies, a large calendar for important dates, color-coded notebooks and folders so kids can organize by subject.
  • Set clocks ahead. Give yourself at least 10 minutes to stay on time, and be sure your child has at least 45 minutes of awake time at home before heading off to school.
  • Stay positive. Make every effort to keep school mornings upbeat. Starting the morning in a negative way has a big impact on your child's day at school.

THINKING CAPS
  • Have your child read, write in a journal or solve math problems for a set period of time in the weeks leading up to school.
  • Control TV and video game consumption. Studies have found children who spend less time in front of the TV (ideally no more than 10 hours per week) spend more time on homework and are more successful at school.
  • Set expectations - such as morning routines - and discuss anxieties to prepare your children emotionally for class.
  • Put your children to bed earlier at night and get them up earlier in the days before school starts.
LUNCH BOX GOODIES
  • Have your kids help you write a list of their favorite school lunches to make shopping easier. Be sure most are healthy foods they will eat.
  • Don't forget to buy breakfasts foods the kids can eat in a rush if they are running late, such as muffins and granola bars.
  • Pack lunches the night before school.
  • If you're packing dairy products, use an ice pack or a frozen water bottle in the lunch bag. And if you know that your child doesn't open that lunch box until after school, avoid dairy altogether. Visit laptoplunches.com for more ideas.
BACKPACK WOES
  • If your kids have lockers, buy shelving or space savers so they can have a place for their books, coats, etc.
  • Consider buying copies of your kids' heavier text books so they can keep them at home.
  • Backpacks should not weigh more than 15 percent of your child's body weight. Put the heaviest book lower in the backpack, near the waist, and make sure kids use the backpack waist strap. This helps evenly distribute the book weight.
BUS SAFETY
  • Be sure your children stand three "giant" steps away from the curb at bus stops. Younger children can appreciate the concept of "giant," and you will be assured of their safety.
  • Tell your children to never walk behind a bus, even if they think it's parked.
  • If they need to cross in front of the bus, they first must check for oncoming traffic, then make sure they are five "giant" steps in front of the bus to be visible to the driver. Tell them to never bend down in front of a bus - out of the driver's sight - to pick something up.
  • Inside the bus, your child must be seated and facing forward. Bus seats have padding on the front and back to ensure passenger safety during a sudden stop.