As a parent, you always worry about your child. You want to make sure your child is getting all the tools he needs in order to be successful now and as an adult. So as school is approaching, and you're getting all of his school supplies, you know he needs more than just pencils and rulers to succeed this year. Children need tools that will help them to excel academically and socially.

So as you're getting your child's pencils and rulers, here are some things you can do that will help your child get ready for the first day of school and get him off to a great start for the rest of the school year:

1) Practice getting up on time three days before school starts

One of the most simple things you can do to help your children prepare for the first day of school is get them up for school three days before school actually starts. This will help them kick the sleeping in habit that they started over the summer and be more energetic on the first day of school. The last thing you want is for your child to feel groggy on the first day. Children need to be alert and attentive. This helps them throughout the school day and will also help their first impression as they are meeting new people.

Get them up early on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the week before. And let them sleep in on the weekend. Then they'll be used to waking up for school on Monday.

2) Go to Back-To-School Night

This will help your child of any age see where her classes are, meet her new teacher(s), see where her desk is and who she will sit by. This will help her feel more confident on the first day of school because she'll have those fundamentals down. That way children can focus more on making new friends, figuring out the new curriculum, etc. instead of worrying about how to get to the lunch room from their new classroom or how to get to their next class.

Back to school night also enables parents to meet the teachers. This helps you begin a semi-relationship with the teachers in case any problems arise during the school year, and you need to talk to them. It also helps your child's teacher feel more comfortable to contact you in case anything comes up.

If you can't make it to back-to-school night, don't sweat it. Teachers are usually at the school a week before school begins, and most of them are happy for you to stop by with your child at a time that's convenient for you. Just give the front office a call to arrange it.

3) Be involved with their school

The number one predictor of scholastic achievement is parental involvement. This means that the children whose parents are involved in the school are usually the ones who are the best academically. There are a number of ways you can get involved in your child's school. You can attend PTO meetings, volunteer in your child's classroom or in whatever sport she is playing, attend parent-teacher conference and help your child with his homework just to name a few. The more involved you are, the better off your child will be.

Remember, academic success is only half of the picture. Children also need to learn the social skills that will help them succeed in school. Following these tips is a great way to kick of the school year and prepare your children both academically and socially for a great year ahead.