Inside: Getting kids ready in the morning can be like herding cats. What you need is a plan to smooth out those crazy mornings! Do your kids have a morning routine for school? Steal these back to school tips and mom hacks to help you get out the door on time this school year.
Can I really call it “back to school?” After all, I’m sending my baby boy off to preschool for the very first time. This is new for both of us, and I’ve got so much on my mind. Will he be too excited to eat his lunch at school? How will he do without his baby sister all day? What if he doesn’t make any friends? What if?… The worries go on and on, mama.
To ease some of this worry, I’ve been putting together a game plan for our morning routine for school. Even if I’m an emotional mess, at least I’ll be an organized emotional mess.
For my son, smooth mornings are all about one word. Predictability. Like most preschoolers, he thrives when he knows what to expect. Here are a few tips I’ll be using as we head back to school (for the first time!) this fall. Most of these tips are awesome for kids and families of all ages, too!
In general, I’ll do as much as I can the night before. Our morning routine for school needs to be ridiculously simple. One of my favorite phrases to repeat is “Be nice to your future self.” Do the hard things now (like right now!) so your future self doesn’t have to deal with it later. I talk in more detail about this concept in my eBook Everyday Calm. Trust me, it’s not easy at first, but it’s such a powerful habit to just get the hard things out of the way and off your mind!
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Morning Routine for School Tips
Need back to school tips to help you beat the tardy bell? From organizational tips, to helping with those early morning tantrums, you’ll love these busy mom hacks to help you get out the door smoothly on school mornings.
- My number one tip is this: Make sure you get up before the kids! When I’m able to pray and have time with Jesus, everything goes much better! The burnt waffles don’t taste quite so burnt. The drop-off line isn’t quite so frustrating. It’s just better.
- Start the week before waking up earlier. Yes, I know this totally stinks. But it will help set your child’s internal clock to wake up earlier for school! Try moving bedtime and wake time earlier by just 15 minutes each day until you’re on a “school day” schedule.
- Lisa from What Lisa Cooks shares her go-to formula for packing the perfect lunch, plus four more tips for easy school lunches.
- Busy mornings are a breeding ground for tantrums and arguments. Help your child manage those big emotions and get out the door on time with these genius phrases.
- Keep a calendar on your fridge so you don’t get stuck with any last minute surprises in the mornings. This monthly magnetic calendar or weekly magnetic planner is perfect for the job!
- Use a white board on the fridge to write a daily “Don’t Forget” list. (Permission slips, forms, etc.) I’ll write on this throughout the day and make sure everything is in his backpack the night before. I can just erase it every day and start fresh!
- Do your kids wake up whiny? Busy school mornings are tough enough, even without whiny children. Help your child stop whining with these simple phrases.
- Do a practice run the day before. Set a timer and practice every step in getting out the door. Then instead of heading to school, take a last day of summer trip to the doughnut shop!
- Never miss an assignment or get behind on homework again with these genius tips for organizing homework from Simply Stacie.
- Jennifer from Sugar, Spice, & Glitter shares her Montessori lunch packing station for kids. It’s so simple, even little kids can help out with lunches!
- See if your child’s school has automatic text messaging alerts. Many school districts allow parents to sign up to receive automatic messages that provide information about school events, weather, and other important info.
- Try this if your child won’t eat breakfast. Make a list of breakfast choices together, then let them choose their favorite in the morning.
- Keep bags and backpacks in the exact same spot by the front door every day. Hooks are your best friend, here!
- Help everyone stay focused and make a “no screen time before school” rule. If you want more help kicking the screen time habit, check out my ebook, Unplug + Unlock!
- Instead of screens at breakfast, try reading aloud together or keeping everyone focused with a morning Bible verse.
- Steal these cute night and morning routine printables to get everyone on track for busy school days! From Kimberly at Thrifty Jinxy
- Jenae from I Can Teach My Child shares her simple morning routine cards with picture clues. These are perfect for young children and pre-readers!
- Teach your child to wake up on his own with this awesome Lego alarm clock.
- Practicing morning chores and responsibilities with our favorite magnet chore chart system.
- Play music at breakfast to help everyone wake up cheerfully. This is my favorite trick to make any transition easier!
- Hang clothes for the next day all together. This hanging weekly clothes organizer makes getting dressed in the morning so much easier!
Going back to school is a tough transition for most families. But here’s the truth: if you make a plan for your family’s morning routine for school (and stick to it!) you’ll set your kids up for a year full of successful mornings. It’s worth it to put in a little hard work now and reap the rewards of smoother mornings all school year!
Is it time to get yourself together and get organized for those hectic school mornings? Tell me your favorite mom hacks for back to school morning routines!
