SCHOOL'S BACK (and So Is Your Sanity)

Here's how celebrity parents close out summertime and prep for their kiddos' return to class

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Backpacks Before Bed = Organized Chaos at Sunrise!

With seven children — Carmen, 11, Rafael, 10, Leonardo, 8, Romeo, 7, Eduardo, 4, María Lucía, 4, and Ilaria, 2 — Hilaria and Alec Baldwin have no choice but to stay organized when it comes to getting everyone (except the baby) off to school. The couple preps as much as possible the night before, laying out outfits and lining up backpacks by the front door.

“I always love seeing which [backpack] each child chooses — it says so much about their personality,” Hilaria tells Us. “This year we have some Disney, baseball, Bape, Vans and Jansport.” Good thing they each have a say. “These kids have nervous breakdowns if they don't have the right backpack,” Alec confessed on the family's TLC reality show, The Baldwins. The preparation pays off in the mornings. “We sit down for breakfast together,” Hilaria shares. “The kids are obsessed with chess. We have two boards on the table so they can play while they eat.” For Hilaria, it's not just about logistics — it's about mindset, too. “I don't use a reward system for good grades. I want my kids to know that I am proud of them, no matter what. I want them to learn, and the reward is an education,” she says. “I have dyslexia and ADHD, and school was harder for me than for many other kids. I worked so hard, and the road was a challenging one. Each one of my children thinks and learns differently, so I want to support them in their unique needs.”

New Math? No Thanks. Focus on What Really Matters