Dr Justin Coulson's Happy Families Back-to-School Check List
Jan 21, 2026
14:46
The stationery scramble matters… but not as much as your child’s heart. In this powerful back-to-school episode, Justin and Kylie share the real checklist that sets kids up for confidence, calm, friendships, and resilience—without over-engineering the morning routine or forcing a perfect bedtime.
Whether your child is starting school for the first time or changing schools for the fourth time, these strategies make Week 1 smoother and the whole year emotionally healthier.
KEY POINTS
- The basic supplies are not what define success—keep them simple and stress-free.
- Three non-negotiables before Day 1: emotional check-ins, “who’s got your back” planning, and relationship connection.
- Why rehearsing the morning routine and enforcing strict early bedtimes are overrated.
- The 4-Part Real Checklist that changes the entire school year:
- How Can I Help? — support their goals instead of setting them.
- Daily Check-In Questions that build resilience, kindness, and social insight.
- Friendship Audit — understanding who they spend time with and how to support healthy social worlds.
- Activity Opt-Out Audit — letting kids quit activities that drain them and choose ones that light them up.
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE
“When kids define success on their terms and know we’re in their corner, they’re amazing.”
RESOURCES MENTIONED
- Personal Progress Interviews (PPI)
- Daily Check-In Questions for connection
- Friendship Audit steps
- Family Meeting framework
ACTION STEPS FOR PARENTS
- Hold a relaxed emotional check-in before school starts (in bed, at the beach, on a walk).
- Clarify “who’s got your back” at school—teacher, counselor, friend, parent.
- Ask one Daily Check-In Question at dinner or bedtime.
- Run a Friendship Audit: learn names, build contact, create unstructured hangouts.
- Run an Activity Opt-Out Audit: “If we weren’t already doing this, would you choose it today?”
- Give permission to drop activities that feel like obligations, not joys.
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