The only difference between the first day of school and the work lives of adults is that if our work lives only came off as smoothly as the first day of school - beginning with a clean slate every year - life would be so much happier for everyone. Just imagine, as Dr. Seuss would say, "Oh! The places you'll go." Clean slate, untainted minds, and open to the world of wonder, with no preconceived notions, ideas, or opinions. Unfortunately, that is a utopian idea of how the world should work, but it does not, and so we find ourselves and our children faced with mixed anticipation and apprehension.
Children develop the roots of responsibility long before their behaviors bloom. Parents should set clear expectations for children and hold them to it. Consistency is one of the best policies. By showing interest - not overbearing to the point of rebellion - but simple interest in a child's assignments, and what is difficult and easy about them is a great place to start.
Creating rituals at home makes it easier for children to know what is expected of them and makes it clearer for them to comprehend. Kids, like adults, like the feeling of being organized. Setting priorities is extremely important, but easier said than done. Kids tend to forget that we adults were once in their shoes. Prioritization is crucial as they move up in grades. Elementary school children can do many different things because those things do not require concerted efforts - perhaps on the parents they do - but for kids, it's not so difficult. As a child gets older, however, activities require more and more time and attention. This is when the skills to prioritize become more crucial. The best advice: start early ... a choice of one thing or the other is more than enough.
Remember the five Ps? Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance.
Beginning good habits from a young age will pay off when a child reaches the more difficult ages - middle school and high school.

Understand Cliques
      From playground to lunchroom, part of going back to school is interacting with peers. Help your child resist peer pressure, secure a sense of independence, and make friends in their new school environments.
      Like most parents, we try to understand our children's mysterious social world. It is certainly alien to the one we grew up in, given the times. And we need to keep that in mind. Many children go from happy to distraught, from feeling included to feeling excluded. Suddenly, what was once a good group of friends has inexplicably turned into some kind of strange cult - or clique, if you prefer - an exclusive group of "cool kids" who use their popularity, power, and status to belittle other children. It is easy enough to get caught up in that game.
      For generations of students, the term "clique" has occupied a distinctly derogatory connotation, denoting any social group where those inside the circle cultivate an air of privilege and exclusivity, and who make themselves feel superior by ostracizing those outside the circle. Targets, typically, are kids who lack self-confidence, feel socially awkward, and those who harbor doubts about their looks and personalities. Targets, in other words, are the vast majority of kids as they approach the tumultuous teen years.
      Studies have shown that one of the primary reasons for this is that youngsters spend more time with their peers than with their parents. A clique can be more important than the family unit, says sociologist Peter Alderman, Professor at Trinity College in Hartford, as kids try to find a place to belong. Complicating matters, he says, is determined by status symbols such as hairstyles, clothing, personal accessories, and so forth, based on the deluge of pop culture images and advertisements that pitch "cool" products to kids. And the parents buy into it. No one wants their children to be left out or feel alone.
      Clique behavior has changed little over the years. Girls engage in catty behavior and nasty comments, judging each other on appearance. Someone once said that girls dress more for girls than they do for boys. There is a bit of truth to this. Boys tend to put more emphasis on athletic ability, physical prowess, and appearance.
Establishing Clique Control
      Perhaps the worst part of it is the mental and moral damage inflicted on the individual, says Adler. At some point, every child is bound to experience the sense of exclusion. If there is a silver lining to these arduous experiences, it is that kids can use them to remind themselves of their good qualities. As parents, we can hope that we taught them well enough to take the lead to solve his or her problems when we cannot be there to do it for them. Pushing too hard can push the child even further away.
      By helping your child find new activities and new people, for example, soccer, piano, or summer camp, will allow him or her to see him/herself in different ways and enable them to bounce back. It will show the members of the clique - or the bullies - that it really isn't important what they think and eventually, they will give up. It also shows a child how not to treat others, and that will ultimately make him or her stronger and more understanding.
      One last word, stay involved. You don't need to run the show. Just stay involved.