Our oldest has one more year until he starts Kindergarten. Some of our friends started this year, so I get to hear what they think helped their kids adjust and if there were any surprises.

One of my favorite tips was to visit the school periodically throughout the year. Play on the playground, drive by the school, take a camp at the school, etc. Try to make the elementary school as familiar as possible to your child.

I also heard that I should take advantage of our free time as much as possible this year. Mornings, afternoons or even full days when our kids don't have school or classes. I already squeezed in a trip to Happy Hollow and I can't wait to plan more adventures this year. There is a lot to do close to home with our kids, but I'll miss going to theme parks, zoos, and museums when the crowds are minimal. And I'll also miss the lazy days when we all choose to spend the day or just the morning or afternoon at home and we don't drive anywhere.

The last piece of advice was just to enjoy this year as much as possible. Enjoy seeing our kids playing, running around together, full of energy. Kindergarten, especially full-day kindergarten, can be very tiring for some kids. Some kids are exhausted at the end of a school day. Some of our friends not only miss their kids when they are at school, but also miss them at night when they shift to an earlier bedtime. Or miss that their kids are just too tired to play at home or at the park with the same level of energy that they used to.

As with most life events, I feel lucky to have friends and family who have been there before to help navigate the surprises and challenges to come.