Back-to-school is an exciting time for families with school-aged children, but it’s not without some anxiety. Parents hustle to adapt routines, fill out paperwork and buy a seemingly endless list of school supplies, and kids nervously anticipate how they’ll fit in with new teachers, friends and classes. The transition can present additional challenges when families have recently moved into the neighborhood.

 

But fear not: When it comes to major metropolitan areas, Chicago and its surrounding suburbs offer a particularly welcoming embrace to newcomers.

 

With that in mind, here are some practical steps you can take to integrate yourself into your new community and more quickly feel at home as your kids start school.

 

One quick way to make your way is to find your most popular neighborhood playground or park.

 

And that’s pretty easy to do in Chicago: The city has 614 parks in its boundaries, with 8,800 acres of green space. There are at least 88 park districts in Cook County, while DuPage has more than 30, and Lake, Kane and Will counties have about 45 combined. That offers thousands of opportunities to meet and mingle with other adults and kids, neighborhood veterans and newcomers alike.

 

Many people want to sign their kids up for activities upon moving to a new area, but it can be tough to know which programs are popular and which are so popular they book up right away.

 

Start with your local park district. Also, ask questions on social media parent and community groups about which programs their kids enjoy. Libraries also often have popular programming and can help new residents research ideas – even if the programs you’re interested in are with another organization.

 

If you’ve missed the enrollment deadline, it’s not the end of the world, despite what you might hear to the contrary. Typically, programs run seasonally, which means a new session is only a couple of months away. You’ll have extra time to plan before the next sign-up period.

 

Also, don’t neglect the adults in the house. Grown-ups need friends, too! Community colleges offer great continuing education programming, and sports like pickleball and paddle tennis are white-hot right now. There also are book clubs, gardening groups and volunteer opportunities galore in every town on the map.

 

To get to know other parents in your school district, show up to school mixers, after-school education events and open houses. If you can swing the extra time and bake sale responsibilities, joining the PTA or volunteering at the school will put you right in the middle of the action.

 

Early fall is prime time in Chicagoland, when the weather hovers comfortably between sticky and arctic. In other words, it’s the perfect time to check out festivals, fairs and farmers markets.

 

Virtually every area has its own outdoor concert series, art festivals and block parties, plus there are dozens of local neighborhood street fests in September and October. Chances are that your community or town is holding at least one event that will give you a flavor of what your new neighborhood is all about.

 

Search online event calendars and sign up for emails from your municipality and get updated on all the happenings in your neck of the woods.

 

The more you log on to social media, the more you’ll find yourself buying questionable stuff, but there’s a big upside, too. Social media sites and apps are fantastic for helping you network with others in your area, particularly those with similar interests.

 

Nextdoor automatically connects you with folks who live nearby, and on Facebook, Instagram and more, you can search for your community’s name, kids’ school district or general area name and turn up groups to join and follow for updates.

 

On Facebook, there’s MamaHive Chicago, North Shore Mom’s Spot and The Real Housewives of Hinsdale, just a few of dozens of popular parent groups in the area. Look for one that’s specific to your location. Just remember, though, that there are often thousands of members in these groups. Even if administrators do their best to weed out bots or trolls, posting is like putting up a sign in your local grocery store. It’s not that private! Likewise, take what you read with a grain (or at least a pinch) of salt.

 

No matter which method you choose, remember that getting to know your new community is like getting to know someone you’ve just started dating. It’s exciting and fun, but it will take time and effort to get totally comfortable. Before you know it, you’ll feel like you’ve lived there all your life. In the meantime, enjoy the newness of the experience!