Back to school! Whether that phrase inspires cheers or tears in your home, it’s about that time; it’s nearly here. With a new school year comes a fresh start. Be more than just ready; be on time! Follow our tips and learn how to turn your home into a well oiled morning machine. You’ll thank us as you pull up to school a few minutes early, sipping coffee from your to-go cup, waving goodbye and blowing a few kisses to the kiddos through a smile after an enjoyable morning of getting ready to go.
Choose 5 outfits in advance
Batch process this task! Choose five outfits on Sunday night for your student to sport the coming week. Check the weather and plan ahead. Place the complete outfits, soup to nuts, (underwear right down to socks) for each day (Monday – Friday) in a spot where they won’t get tousled. While the weather may change and he or she may need a sweater or a sweatshirt to layer on top, at least you will have the ground work complete. Solve the “Mom, what should I wear?” daily dilemma!
Make healthy “to go” bagged breakfasts
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Don’t skip it! Be prepared. Have “breakfast on the go” bags ready-made for your kiddo to grab, eat and take along for the ride to school if you’re running behind schedule. Think outside the box, literally: cereal in a bag and milk in a no-spill cup, grapes and strawberries in a to-go container, homemade granola bars, already peeled hard boiled eggs formed into shapes, and other minimal mess meals. Keep it healthy; keep it fun!
Organize the essentials
Eliminate the “Mom, where is my book bag?” question for good! Keep school essentials needed for the next day in same place: on a coat rack, next to the front door, hanging on the back door – whatever works best in your home! Go a step further in organization and have all homework, supplies and paperwork needed for the next school day already in your scholar’s book bag the evening before. Tick, tock!
Delegate
You are supermom, but don’t forget that superheroes have sidekicks! In this case, your sidekick is your child. Delegate responsibilities to him or her as appropriate, given age and ability. Think about what your student can do on his or her own. Tooth brushing? Hair brushing and styling? Getting dressed? Write your child’s “to do’s” on a short and simple checklist and review it before school starts for the year. Remind your student of his or her “jobs” each night until your sidekick is well into the groove of this new routine. Set up a reward system for successful completion of these tasks. (A sticker a day for a good job done could earn your young student a reward by week’s end!)
Aim to be ten minutes early
For all that you do to be on time, sometimes, you just can’t help but get slowed down. Roadblocks, potholes, bad weather – you name it; things we don’t foresee can get in the way. Try to pad your schedule by leaving ten minutes earlier than you need to. Give yourself some extra wiggle room and avoid white-knuckle driving and the stress that goes with the thought of being “tardy” at school.
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Photo Credit: Erin G
