Here we are, the most stressful part of the season. The summer novelty has worn off by now, the heat is officially unbearable, and the sudden surge of school supplies lists and emails from teachers is mega overwhelming!
We all love the routine that comes with the school year, but making sure everyone is dressed, packed, and in the car by 7:15 can be a brutal challenge. You've already been through the supply gathering, outfit building, school shopping phase, and now it's time to prepare for that first morning rush to the car line. Here are our exclusive, must-know tips on having stress-free, no-yelling-required school day mornings!
The "Sunday Outfit Drop"
We've all been there. It's bright and early, you're supposed to be hitting the road any second now, but your kid doesn't have an outfit picked yet. Letting your little one pick out their entire outfit every school day is going to be the biggest time waster of all time. They don't always pick the best looks, plus nobody wants to argue with their seven year old about wearing an Elsa dress to school.
Our solution? Find an inexpensive five-shelf hanging closet organizer and set it up in their closet. Every Sunday afternoon, get with your kids and take a look at their wardrobe. Let your kid take their time while they pick out five outfits, one for every school day--a top, a bottom, a pair of socks, and their underwear. Once the outfits are picked, store them in the cubbies. Obviously, as the parent, you can veto or edit an outfit if it's not school-worthy.
Once you have your Sunday Outfit Drop ready, getting dressed in the mornings will be as quick and easy as possible. There's no meltdowns, no arguments about what not to wear, and it saves your sanity and tons of time!
The Designated "Drop Zone"
Early mornings before school have a magical quality to them. Magical like Houdini. As in, vanishing acts. You can have everything set up and ready to walk out the door, but somehow, your kid's left shoe has ~magically~ disappeared. After ten minutes of searching, you find it in the strangest place, and everyone's in a crummy mood when you show up late to school.
Getting ready in the morning shouldn't play out like a scavenger hunt. That's why you need a designated drop zone for all of your kids' gear once they get home from school.
Put a hook on the wall, one for each kid, to hang up their backpack once they walk in the door. Set up a little bin, or small cubbies, for them to put their shoes in.
The Golden Rule for the designated drop zone is that if it goes to school, its home is in the drop zone. When your little ones walk in, the first thing you should say after "How was school!" is "Put your stuff in the drop zone."
If your kid leaves their backpack on the kitchen table after doing homework, tell them to put it home. If they kick their shoes off in the living room and leave them, remind them to put their shoes back to their home.
Give your kid about a week for it to "stick," and then you'll never have to worry about last-minute wild goose chases.
The Lunchbox "Assembly Line"
One of the worst parts of school prep is making your kids' lunch. The kitchen becomes chaotic, there's food and snacks all over the table, and it's always way more stressful than it needs to be. Take the dread out of preparing lunch and set up a lunchbox assembly line for you and the kids.
I want you to set up some bins in your pantry and fridge for all of the extras and add-ons. Have one bins for salty snacks like chips and pretzels, one for fruits and veggies, and one for sweet treats like cookies or fruit snacks. Parents, you're in charge of preparing the "main" item, like a sandwich, a quesadilla, or pasta, for example. Store than in their lunchbox, then have them go to each bin, one by one, and pick out their extras.
Having a quick and easy "grab and go" line makes preparing lunchboxes a much quicker, easier, and more streamlined process. It saves time (and your sanity) while also encouraging independence for your children!
The Paperwork "Landing Pad"
You know how it goes. You try to keep everything as tidy and organized as possible while your kids do their homework, study, and work on projects, but by October you find your kitchen is absolutely drowning in school papers.
This is absolutely one of the most stressful parts of the school year (especially if you're a neat freak like me), but it has a surprisingly simple solution! Get two bins and label one "Needs Attention," and label the other "Save."
Check your kid's backpack when they get home, hand them the homework, and put any important paperwork in the "Needs Attention" pile. These are things like PTA forms, permission slips, or anything you need to take care of quickly. Parents, you're responsible for checking this pile every day!
In the "Save" pile, put all of their already-graded assignments, tests, projects, and artwork, and go through it at the end of every month--this is a "Save" pile, not a "Save Forever" pile!
As you go through the pile at the end of every month, have your child sit down with you and review it all. Help them pick their three favorite ones to keep, and toss the rest. If there's an especially big accomplishment--their first 100 on a test, an art project they're super proud of, etc.--then make sure you put it away in their keepsake box!
Getting ready for school doesn't have to be a long, arduous, painful process! A little bit of prep goes a long way, and following these tips means you're turning a super stressful morning into an easy-to-follow system that saves your sanity and gives you way more free time!
We wish you the best of luck in the new school year!