Prepare your kids for an exciting new school year in Bee Cave and Lakeway.

The 2021-2022 school year is quickly approaching, leaving many parents realizing that back-to-school shopping is right around the corner! Soon enough stores will be having school supply sales and you might even receive a detailed shopping checklist from your child's school in the mail.Here are five things every parent should do to get a head start on this time of the year and beat the shopping rush.

1. Begin school shopping by purchasing these basic necessities first.

If you're in the shopping mood right now or your child hasn't yet been enrolled in a school, you can still get the majority of their necessary school supplies now.Here's a checklist of some of the basics your child will need based on age group:

Elementary School

• Backpack
• Lunchbox
• No. 2 Pencils
• Washable Markers
• Permanent Marker
• Colored Pencils
• Black Pens
• Extra Erasers
• Child-Safe Scissors
• Pencil Box
• Notebook
• Plastic Folders
• 3-Ring Binder
• Loose-Leaf Paper

Middle School

Elementary school basics plus checklist:

• Mechanical Pencils
• Zippered Pencil Pouch
• Sticky Notes
• Sticky Flag Markers
• Glue Sticks
• Highlighters
• Index Cards
• Multiple Composition Notebooks
• Invisible Tape
• Calculator
• Graph Paper

High School

Most elementary and middle school basics plus checklist:

• Small 3-Ring Binders for Each Class
• Notebooks for Each Class
• Black, Blue, & Red Ink Pens
• Expandable Folder
• Scientific Calculator
• Pocket Dictionary
• Pocket Thesaurus
• Additional Dictionary for Language Classes
• Stapler
• Student Planner/Agenda
• USB Flash Drive

Health Supplies

Some extra health supplies checklist to also buy include:

• Antibacterial Wipes
• Kleenex
• Disposable Masks
• Hand Sanitizer
• Water Bottle

2. Make sure your child or teen has everything they need by checking school-specific shopping checklists.

It's important to double-check your child's school's school supplies checklist to be sure you haven't forgotten anything. Generally, the older your child is, the more supplies they'll require for their growing number of classes.Here is a list of our local schools and links to their 2021-2022 school shopping checklists.

• Bee Cave Elementary
• Lake Pointe Elementary
• Lake Travis Elementary
• Lakeway Elementary
• Rough Hollow Elementary
• Serene Hills Elementary
• West Cypress Hills Elementary
• Bee Cave Middle School
• Hudson Bend Middle School
• Lake Travis Middle School

Some schools are still compiling their new school supplies checklist so you may notice checklists from the previous school year. These are often still very accurate, though you can certainly call your child's school to see if an updated checklist is available yet.As far as high school goes, due to the number of different teachers, most teens won't receive a supply checklist until their teachers have been assigned. In some cases, you may receive a small list of specialized tools or supplies after your teen's orientation or the first day of class.

3. Look for your child's local school colors when back-to-school clothes shopping.

If your child's school requires a uniform, school shopping will be quite a bit easier. However, most public schools and private schools in our area allow kids to wear whatever they like to express their own identities.Before you start school shopping, it's a good idea to check your child's student handbook and review any dress code requirements. This is especially important for teens who are often a bit more adventurous in what they like to wear.A really fun thing to do to build that school spirit is pick out a couple of new outfits or clothing pieces that match your child's school colors. You can also check with your child's school to see if you can purchase shirts, sweaters, or other clothing pieces with the school logo or mascot.

4. Fill your pantry and fridge with quick but nutritious snacks for those busy mornings.

Mornings before school starts often fly by in a blur for families. A helpful tip for parents is to pack lunches and snacks the night before, but this isn't always possible. Instead, try setting up a snack station in your pantry or fridge so kids are able to pick out their own snacks for the day.Although a sweet treat is always a crowd-pleaser for kids and teens, here are a few healthier snacks to keep on hand:

• Fresh fruit
• Vegetable sticks
• Unsweetened applesauce
• Low-sugar yogurt
• Trail mix
• Granola bars
• Healthy cheese and crackers packs

Parents can save time and money on pre-packaged (and often less healthy) snacks by using small Tupperware and Ziploc bags to create easy-to-grab options. Get your kids together and make it a tradition to package a school's week of snacks on Sunday. That way when busy weekday mornings roll around you won't need to worry about your kids or teens having something tasty and nutritious ready to grab and pop in their lunchbox.

5. Book your child's preventive care appointments before school starts—including the dentist!

The beginning of a new school year can be a chaotic time for parents and kids. It's really easy to forget everything that needs to happen, so why not make things easy by taking care of appointment scheduling in one fell swoop?Most kids will need an annual physical and wellness exam, an optometry appointment, and at least two dental appointments (one every six months). If your child is going to be participating in school sports, getting a sports physical booked as soon as possible is a great idea.

Schedule your kid's dental checkups by calling our office today.

Stop that surprise toothache or those scheduling nightmares from ever happening by taking a minute to schedule your child's dentist visit today. You can call our Bee Cave anytime during our normal business hours. For booking during the weekends or after hours, feel free to take the first step by filling out this appointment request form.