Hi there,

We’re Jessica and Amanda — sisters, co-founders of Jam, and, most importantly, working moms of six kids between us, aged newborn to teen. 

We know firsthand that the back-to-school season doesn’t just mean buying fresh pencils and lunchboxes. It means dozens of tiny decisions, a million forms, juggling shifting schedules, trying to remember which kid needs what (and when), and doing everything you can to avoid dropping the ball.

Before we built Jam, we were those moms up late trying to piece together calendars, carpools and to-do lists. We were mentally carrying it all — the logistics, the reminders, the double-checks — and feeling overwhelmed by the invisible weight of it, yet unable to find ways to share it more evenly with our partners.

That invisible weight? That’s what’s called the mental load. And whether you’re solo parenting, tag-teaming with a partner, or figuring it out with extended family, that load only increases as school ramps up.

We created this guide to help lighten that load. Not with Pinterest-perfect charts or impossible routines — but with real tools, realistic systems, and a week-by-week plan to help you feel more calm and in control. 

You deserve a smoother school year. We hope this guide helps you get there.

With you in the chaos and the calm,
Jessica & Amanda
Co-founders of Jam
Moms of 5, believers in sanity-saving systems

Back-to-school season is supposed to feel like a fresh start — but for most parents, it feels more like a pressure cooker. School forms, supply lists, sign-ups, snack duty, lunch planning, carpools, calendar conflicts… it all adds up fast and comes at us through endless pings of school emails and class WhatsApp threads.

And the truth is, the work isn’t evenly distributed. The mental load — remembering, anticipating, planning, and following up — falls disproportionately on women, especially moms. It’s exhausting, unpaid, and often invisible.

This guide is here to help fix that. To make the invisible visible, and then share it, systematize it, or even automate it.

Whether you’re a first-time kindergartener parent or a seasoned pro with multiple school drop-offs, we’ve got you. 

We’re taking a lot of that anticipation and planning cognitive load off your plate by providing you with ready-to-use lists and tools, including a 4-week countdown to the first day of school so you don’t have to use brain power asking yourself…What did I forget?

We’ve broken this guide into manageable sections to help you feel ready — and stay ready — all year long.

You’ll find:

• A comprehensive Back-to-School check list. A mental-load busting list of all the things that need to get done to get your kids off to school this year, including timeline suggestions and tips, so it can be delegated and shared. 

• Targeted Conversations to have with your partners and kids before the school year  to reduce mental load and create a healthy organization  framework everyone is happy with.

• Systems, Tricks and Hacks to reduce overwhelm, improve communication and help foster responsibility all year long. 

Let’s get started.