Let’s face it, heading back to school after a fun filled holiday break is far from easy. Children are used to sleeping in, playing with their new toys, and being off schedule. So when the new year arrives and school is back in session, mornings (as expected) can be anything but easy for both children and parents alike. As a result, implementing trial and error with a dose of creativity, I have created back to school morning tips that are not only easy and fun… but most importantly, effective.
Tip #1: Don’t Let it Come as a Surprise
Often times parents think it is best to hold off on breaking news to children, and in many cases this may be effective. However, back to school shouldn’t be one of them. Put yourself in their shoes for a second. Imagine you are having a wonderful weekend and go to sleep thinking it is Saturday night, set on having another wonderful and lounging day upon waking. However, you are woken up and told to hurry off to work. Chances are, your day wouldn’t be one of the most successful. Same goes with children. It is best to prepare them ahead of time and build up the excitement for returning to school.
While this can be done in a number of way, i.e. starting a countdown to school as you did for the holidays. One of my favorite ways to not only reintroduce the start of school, but to also create structure for the month ahead, is to place a calendar in my child’s room. Perfect for noting the start of the school year, it also serves as a wonderful way to note what days are school, weekends, family events, after school events, birthdays and more. My children love this most when we sit down together and fill their calendars in at the start of the month. They then end each day with crossing off the day and looking ahead to the next.
Tip #2: Lay Out Those Outfits
Every Sunday I challenge myself to lay out my kiddos’ clothes for the week ahead (right down to the socks). Not only does this save precious time in the mornings, but it often also saves headaches. If your children have strong opinions about what they wear (like my five year old already does… yikes!), then simply ask them to work with you to pick out all the outfits ahead of time. Not only does this give them autonomy, but it also makes certain they will wear the items. I choose to label simple index cards and place them on top of each outfit, then place the stack of clothes in the closet and lay out for the next day every evening.
Tip #3: Lay it ALL Out
When we think of picking out clothes ahead of time, we often think about the basics… but when it comes to children, there are many more steps to be taken. The night before when time is more relaxed, make sure their backpack is properly packed for the next day (homework, mittens, etc.). Then lay out their backpack, coat, and shoes near the door. This will save you the hassle of looking for that missing shoe when the bus is only minutes away.
Tip #4: Provide Ample Time
It doesn’t matter how old are, no one does well being rushed. So set your alarm for enough time to wake your children (or have them set their alarm to wake themselves) so that they can tend to their morning routine at a reasonable pace. In that same sense, make sure bedtimes are at a reasonable time as well. Late bedtimes and early mornings simply don’t mix.
Tip #5: Customize For Your Child
When I was in middle school I went through a phase of dreading those early morning wake-ups. I needed something to look forward to and decided my favorite binge show, F.R.I.E.N.D.S, would be the perfect solution. As a result, I set my alarm waking up a good 30 minutes before was necessary and watched an episode before getting ready for the school day. As silly as this may sound to some, it allowed me the joy necessary to push forward with the rest of my morning routine.
While your kiddos may not crave an episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S each morning, figure out what is important to them. If they love to read, provide an extra 20 minutes for them to read a couple books. If they love cartoons, let them enjoy a short episode. Whatever the case may be, customize to their liking.
Tip #6: Make Breakfast Fun
This tip is one of my favorites because it is not only exciting for children, but it also checks off a necessary step in the morning routine: breakfast. I love to surprise my kids with a fun breakfast option to start off their day with bright smiles and full bellies. Their current favorites, guaranteed to excite them daily, are these NEW cereals available at Walmart. What do Trolls, Jolly Ranchers and Hershey Kisses have in common? Nothing lol (until now). But they are some of my children’s favorites… so they make for the perfect breakfast surprise!
Jolly Rancher cereal, Hershey’s Kisses Cereal, and Trix™ Trolls with Marshmallows Cereal can all be conveniently found at Walmart!
Tip #7: Add in a Surprise
Think back to only a couple weeks earlier and the traditions that ensued. If your children participated in Advent calendars, then chances are they were excited for the daily trinket or surprise that accompanied each new day. So, why not continue that on in the new year with back to school as well?
Simply create a little note in an envelope and let them open it at breakfast time. Within the note add a little fun surprise, from “We will be going out to dinner as a family tonight.”, to “We will head to the library after school.”, or “We will watch a family movie tonight.”. The surprises can be however big or little you desire. The idea is to build excitement that will last with your children throughout the day. Additionally, this definitely doesn’t have to be a daily occurrence. Perhaps save for the hardest day of the week in your household… Monday??
There you have it, seven easy, fun, and effective tips to make the back to school routine successful in your household. Wishing you a wonderful new year and happy mornings ahead!
Looking for other school related posts that strive to implement creative solutions? Check out my collection here.
DreamWorks Trolls © 2019. DreamWorks Animation LLC. All Rights Reserved. HERSHEY’S KISSES trademark and trade dress, conical configuration and plume device are used under license. JOLLY RANCHER trademark and trade dress are used under license.
