Chaos can lead to a stressful morning. Who needs to be stressed out at 8:00 am on school mornings. I have found that organization is key to eliminating school morning stress. As a result, I take preventive measures to ensure school mornings are pleasant. Keeping the environment positive takes the stress out of my mornings:
Pack lunches the night before – I have found that packing lunches before bed saves so much time. I pack juice boxes, apples/bananas, and any other items that won’t get soggy at night. Place the lunch box in the refrigerator. That leaves making sandwiches in the morning. Sip a cup of coffee or check out the news with your extra time.
Give kids their bath the night before – Getting kids up on school mornings can be a major effort. I know it is with my granddaughter. So, I have found giving them a bath or having teens shower the night before eliminates struggles in the morning. Having them brushing their teeth, washing their face and hands and getting dressed is so much easier.
Get clothes and essentials out the night before – Nothing causes more arguments in the morning than not being able to find shoes, disagreements on clothing and not being able to find book bags. Gather shoes, book bags and anything else needed as well. I line up the book bags/back packs and lunches so all they have to do is grab them on the way out the door.
Sign any papers the night before – Read and sign any papers and place them in the kid’s book bags the night before.
Distribute lunch money or fees the night before – Additionally, hand any money that needed for lunches, snacks or book fairs the night before. I place the money in envelopes, and mark each with the teacher’s name. I also include what the money is for and than place the envelopes in the book bags.
Warm the car on cold mornings – Having your kids complaining about being cold on school mornings is not the way you want them to start the day or you. Having them toasty warm when they reach student drop off is the way to go.
These tips have worked great for me when I have my grandchildren on school days. It leaves them with enough time to watch cartoons or play on their electronics before I have to shuffle them out the door. And eliminates head aches and stress for me.
Speak Your Mind