School is back in session! Over the last two weeks, all four of my kids have gone back to school. Extra-curricular activities are back on the calendar. I’ve written at least 20 checks for different PTA memberships, mascot-emblazoned t-shirts and hoodies, choir fees and uniforms, dance tuition, etc. It may still be over 90 degrees every day, but the days of relaxing by the pool are over. (Sad face.)
The shock of going back to school seems a little worse every year, at least for me. That’s why I had to buckle down and make sure our morning routine was efficient. Efficiency in the mornings means everyone eats a healthy breakfast, has everything they need, and is prepared for their day! Kids that are prepared for the day are happy kids. Their whole day goes better when they have a good start.
Here are my five ways to cut down on stress on busy school mornings:
1. The best mornings start with preparation the night before. I have four kids: an eighth grader, a fifth grader, a fourth grader, and a preschooler. Most days they go to three different schools, but two days a week they go to four different schools because two of them are involved in the gifted program. So my house is BUSY, especially in the mornings. In order to cut down on stress on crazy mornings, I spend about 30 minutes the night before filling out school paperwork, checking homework, organizing backpacks, making lunches and snacks for the next day, setting out clothes for the morning, and finding shoes/violins/library books/whatever else they’re supposed to bring to school the next day. That way everything the kids need is set out and ready to go! (If that sounds like a lot, that’s where the second tip comes in…)
2. Delegate tasks to kids! This cuts down on my workload as a parent, keeps mornings running smoothly, and teaches responsibility all at the same time. The night before a school day, my older three kids are in charge of making their own lunches and picking out their own clothes for the next day. All I do is make sure everyone has included a fruit and a veggie in their lunchbox (mom’s rules still apply!). In the mornings, the kids fill their water bottles, double check their backpacks, and they’re good to go.
3. Meal plan! (I wrote more about this here.) This tip helps with busy family life in general, but definitely applies to mornings. Like I said before, the best mornings start with preparation! I plan all our meals for the week on Sundays, and I grocery shop (or order grocery delivery) the same day. My meal plan includes healthy breakfasts. When I get up on busy school days, I know exactly what I’m making for breakfast, and I know I have everything on hand to make it. This morning, for example, I made omelettes, bacon, and blueberry muffins. I also make breakfast before the kids wake up, so they come downstairs to hot food that’s ready to be enjoyed!
4. Get up 15 minutes earlier than you think you need to. I can’t tell you how much this one has helped me. When my alarm goes off, it’s definitely tempting to sleep that extra 15 minutes, but I promise 15 minutes won’t make a difference in how tired you feel. (3-4 more hours of sleep, on the other hand…I wish!) It WILL make a difference in how relaxed your morning feels, though! When I wake up 15 minutes early we often end up with 20 minutes to spare. But if I get up right when I think I need to, we’re rushed and I’m always about 5 minutes behind. I don’t know how that math works, but I promise it does.
5. Attitude is everything! Like I always tell my kids, you have control over your own attitude no matter what’s going on in your life. I choose gratitude! I am so blessed to have these four wonderful children. I get to wake up every day to their sweet faces, love on them, provide a home for them, and teach them to navigate the world. I am thankful for every busy, early morning I have with them. When gratitude is the first thing on my mind and my heart on busy mornings, it rubs off onto everyone around me, starts my day off right, and makes my whole day better.
Even though I was sad to see summer go, I have to admit that being back in the swing of the school year is nice. These tips definitely make my mornings easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable. What do you do to cut down on stress in the mornings? I’d love to hear from you!
Shop the post:
Madelyn’s flip sequin backpack
Yumbox bento box inside lunchboxes
Madelyn’s adorable high-top shoes
Aria’s Stride Rite athletic shoes
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Some great tips here! I especially like the ‘delegate tasks to kids’ one 😉
These tips will definitely help me when it’s time for my kid to go to school. Which will probably be in about a year. I’ll probably dread it lol.
These are such great tips! I honestly need to use them just for getting everything ready and breakfast cooked for my husband in the morning. My kids are still at home, because they’re little, but I’m not a morning person so I’m going to start using this in my own life.
I’m not quite there yet but I can see these being so useful. Honestly, adults can incorporate them also. Meal plan? Yes. Positive attitude? Double yes!
These are such amazing tips and I love their photos! Four schools in one day though?? You go super mama!