5 time-saving tips for school mornings
Mornings can be tricky when family members are getting ready for school and work at the same time. But rushing through things is a poor way to begin a day, and those feelings of uneasiness can put a damper on the rest of the day ahead. Here are five ways to help curb the rush and start the day happier and more relaxed.1. Have quick breakfast foods available. Smoothies, cereal bars, oatmeal and whole-grain cereals are fast and nutritious ways to start the day.2. Incentivize timeliness for kids. Children who are reluctant to head to school may need extra motivation to get out the door. Offer small rewards to kids when they get ready on their own or finish breakfast in a certain amount of time. Rewards can include a treat like choosing a favorite show to watch after school or a special outing on the weekend.3. Get some work done the night before. Prepare lunches the night before and have them ready in the refrigerator. In addition, lay your clothes for the following day out each night. This saves time and takes a couple more things off your morning to-do list. Greer Caldwell, a local soon-to-be mom of five, finds this especially helpful for the “slow mover” in her group of kiddos, and says having her select her outfit the night before has been a huge time-saver.4. Prep backpacks in the evening. Look through folders, sign paperwork, check assignments and do whatever else you need to do the night before. This will not only save your family from having to scramble in the morning, but will also ensure those permission slips get signed and items make it back into school bags. Greer takes this idea a step further, and has found that organization makes all the difference. “We have a designated spot for bookbags and jackets right by the back door,” she says. “When the kids get home from school, I go through their bags immediately and take out anything I have to sign or remember right away, as well as checking what homework is for the night. Then bags get hung up by the door so we don’t have to hunt them later.”5. Carpool whenever possible. Propose a neighborhood carpool. Sharing school drop-off detail frees time up for parents once or twice a week, and kids may enjoy traveling to school with their friends.
The dawn of a new school year is an exciting time. Kids may not want to say goodbye to days spent lounging by the pool, but such disappointment is often tempered by the prospect of returning to school with friends.
For parents, getting kids ready for a new school year is about more than updating their wardrobe or organizing carpools with fellow parents. Reacclimating kids to the routine of school after a relaxing summer is a significant undertaking.
The following are a handful of ways for parents to get a head start as the school year draws closer.
> Establish a routine over the last few weeks of summer. Summer vacations typically lack the structure of the school year, but as summer starts to wind down, parents can begin to reintroduce some structure into their kids’ lives to make the transition back to school go more smoothly.
Emily Nasca, a local mom of two school-aged girls, says, “Two weeks before school starts, we all get up by 8 a.m., and then one week before [school starts], we all get up by 7 a.m., so that when school starts we can get up at 6 a.m.”
Planning morning activities will help kids readjust to waking up early each day. Make mornings the same each day so everyone knows what to expect. Uniformity can streamline tasks and ensure everyone knows what’s expected of them.
In addition, serve breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time you typically serve it during the school year so kids’ bodies can begin to readjust as well.
> Take kids along when shopping for school supplies. If you plan to buy your child a new computer or other supplies for the upcoming school year, take him or her along on your shopping trips. Kids who get to choose their supplies might be more excited about returning to school than youngsters who are given what they need without offering their input.
Nasca also likes to do something special with her children before the start of the school year. She finds it helps calm first-day jitters. “You can ease [back-to-school anxiety] by having a special day before school, like baking a cake together or getting together with friends at the park,” she says.
> Monitor or assign summer reading. Many students are given summer reading lists to keep their minds sharp over the summer and prepare them for upcoming coursework. Parents should monitor kids’ progress on such reading lists and even discuss the books with their kids when possible. Read the books along with them if you think it will help engage them.
If kids were not assigned summer reading lists at the end of the school year, assign your own books, rewarding kids when they finish a new book. Kids who read throughout the summer may be more likely to start the school year off on the right foot than those who don’t crack a book all summer.
> Encourage kids to sign up for extracurricular activities. Many school-aged athletes get a head start on the new school year by trying out for sports teams. Such tryouts often commence a week or two before a school year is scheduled to begin, and this can help kids ease their way back into the school year. But even non-athletes can begin pursuing extracurricular activities before the first school bell of the year rings. Theater programs may begin auditions, or encourage interested youngsters to attend orientation meetings before the dawn of the school year. Such sessions can be a great and pressure-free way for kids to ready themselves for a new school year.
Soddy Elementary principal Kim Roden says first-day jitters typically only affect a small population of kindergartners, though she’s found that such events can help set students up for success.
“We have a back-to-school bash [before the school year starts], so that gives the kids an opportunity to get to know the school and the teachers ahead of time,” Roden says.