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Children holding hands and wearing backpacks on their way home from school
OHIOHEALTH

Back to School: Simple Ways to Get Ready for the Week

As you soak up every last minute of summer, another school year is right around the corner, and for most parents, this translates to the chaos of herding kiddos out the door to school on time before your coffee gets cold.

TAKE A DEEP BREATH. You’ve got this.

Get your family ready for early mornings and activity-filled nights with these helpful tips.

Mother and Children Making School Lunches

Start your mornings the night before

Preparing the night before ensures that you can rest easy knowing that you are ready for the morning.

Review the family calendar for the week

To keep everyone one the same schedule, place a family calendar in a central location that everyone can see. The new school year comes with important dates like early releases, teacher planning days, and extracurricular activities. It’s best to look at the family calendar on Sundays, so you have a better idea of what your week ahead. This will also give you time to plan pickups, or you can reach out to other parents and start a carpool.

Prepare lunches

Pack lunches for your kids or better yet get them involved in packing their own lunch. Having them participate will make them appreciate the effort that goes into putting them together, and could increase the chance they eat their lunches in full.

Layout clothes

Take the guesswork out of what your child will wear by having them pick out their clothes the night before. Everything from socks, underwear, accessories and shoes. Place clothes where your child can find them in their room and…Voila! You’ll have dressed kids ready for the next morning task.

Place backpacks by the door

Make sure assignments, binders, permission slips, and any other work that needs to be brought back to school the next day is packed up and ready to go. All you’ll have to do in the morning is drop in the packed lunch and you’re out the door.


Mother Waking Child Up in the Morning

The morning routine

Wake up before your kids

By waking up even 15 minutes earlier than your kids you have time to do things without distractions, this will also change the tone of your mornings. Get dressed, start breakfast, and give yourself time to meditate and enjoy a cup of your favorite morning beverage before the day kicks into high gear.

Prepare Breakfast

If you meal plan you can make breakfast muffins, pancakes and pop them in the microwave or something as easy like fruit smoothies. The night before, talk with your kids to get an idea of what they like, have two options ready and let them pick one of their favorites for breakfast.

Time to start the day

When you prepare the night before, the mornings will be easy-peasy.

Your morning routine can look like this:

  • Wake up kids or if they are old enough, have them use an alarm clock to start their day.
  • Get dressed and brush hair
  • Time for breakfast
  • Brush teeth
  • Place packed lunches in backpacks
  • Shoes on and out the door

No Tech

You know your child best, if the TV or other electronics distract your child then perhaps have a no technology rule but if this techie perk can motivate your kids to get ready then allow them some screen time when their morning routine is complete.

Stick with routine

Change is hard for everyone, especially when you’re saying so long to summer. It will take some time to get everyone on board with the routines, but the payoff is a stress-free morning (and evening). The best advice is to stick with the routine you set out for your family and adapt the plan to set up your family for success.

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