Making School Mornings Easier

School mornings around here can super chaotic if I don’t remember a few tips. I thought since it is almost back to school time, I would share my tried and true tips for school mornings!

- Pack lunches the night before. This allow you more time in the morning as well as giving you more time to think about what you want to put in your childs lunch. Here are some really great sandwich alternatives.

- Make sure all homework is done the night before. Yes, this sounds like a no brainer, however I cannot name the how many times I have heard “Mom, I have this project/paper due today”. Check, and recheck.

- Lay out clothes the night before. For my boys this wasn’t a huge deal. Jayde, however, it was a huge deal. No more arguing over what she was wearing. Also, don’t forget to lay out shoes and socks too!

- Make a reasonable bed time, and try to be in bed by that time.  Nothing is worse in the morning that some one who is overly tired!

- Take a shower/bath the night before. This is a huge time saver. No arguing over the bathroom in the mornings.

- Create a central place for everything (backpacks/lunches/keys etc). This idea is beautiful, and I fully plan on creating one of these “family launch pads”, in our very immediate future!

- Build a routine.  So that everyone knows what to expect each morning.

- Limit distractions. No computer, tv, or iPods in the morning. However, we do find light music motivating around here.

- Set your alarms early. Give yourself (and kids) plenty of time to wake up, and even grab breakfast before flying out that door. Ideally I like to give us at least 10 extra minutes to eat, and wake up before heading out.

- Make breakfast the night before. Make some breakfast bars, pancakes, or even a breakfast casserole the night before so that you will only have to reheat it in the morning.