The hardest part of the summer ending is pretending you’re unhappy about it as a parent. Does that mean you haven’t enjoyed the extra time with your kids these last few months? Of course not. It just means you may be excited for the school year to get started again and adding a little more structure into your family’s rhythm.

But the transition from summer to school can be a difficult one. There’s a lot to navigate, but here are three simple ways you can start the school year off right:

1. Start getting up earlier.

There’s a huge difference between the summer sleeping schedule and the school year sleeping schedule. Help your kids ease back into the early rise by waking them up earlier each day during the last week of summer. You’ll reduce their stress by giving them a few mornings to practice.

2. Don’t give in to the end-of-summer blues.

You set the pace with your kids. You set the vibe. You are the emotional barometer in a lot of ways. It’s common for parents to dramatize the end of summer, exaggerating how horrible it is to go back to school, but that’s the easiest way to ensure they won’t have a great start. Instead, remind them of how much fun they’ll have seeing their friends. Help them recognize all the great things a school day offers. 

3. Have a full summer.

Don’t end your summer too early. Enjoy it to the very end. Go on a last-minute blueberry-picking trip days before school starts. Have a water balloon fight the week of. Stay at the neighborhood pool until they kick you out. Wring every last drop from your summer instead of giving up early.

The summer is a magically fun time, and although your kids might not want it to end, it’s going to. Make the transition as painless as possible by being deliberate about it.