With summer coming to a close and the new school year right around the corner, I’m sure most of you have put some thought into how you’re going to approach it. Depending on how old your kids are, you may be taking a more hands off approach with your older ones or, like me, gearing up to herd your elementary-school-aged cats through their day.
This year, I’ll have both of my eldest children at the same school (Yay!) but also a fifth little one to contend with. So timing and organization will be key to surviving the day with my sanity intact.
Luckily, my kids haven’t strayed too far from their school year routines. They’re still getting up fairly early (much to my chagrin) and eating at the same times. Naps for the younger ones are still the same, too. The only thing I grew lax on was bedtime.
I’ve always been a stickler for bedtime but with our move and the new baby, as well as my husband’s new work hours this year, I admit I’ve let some things slide. If the kids were in their room and not being loud, I let it go that they were not asleep at “bedtime.” But over the summer, it got to the point where I was asleep before they were!
I’ve been trying to reverse this process slowly to avoid a mutiny but it’s been tough. Plus, with the 7, 6, 4, and 2 year old all sharing a bedroom (you read that right- one bunk bed, one twin bed, and a soon-to-be-converted crib), it can be tricky getting them all to sleep at the same time. It’s like a slumber party every night with endless tuck-ins and calls for a glass of water.
While that’s been the biggest challenge so far, I know that once school officially starts there will be many more. I’ve decided to focus on some of last year’s problem areas and come up with workable solutions and routines that will help keep some of the chaos at bay. Mornings are by far our most crazy but the afternoons have their own issues.
Of course, your school days may look entirely different from mine, especially if you home school. But I think a lot of these issues are universal, regardless of age and schooling situation. Here are my top five routines for this coming school year:
Plan out the kids’ clothes for the week
The most frustrating thing to hear when you’re standing at the door, keys in hand, is the plaintive cry of your child, “I don’t know what to wear!” Mind you, my kids go to a school that has uniforms. How is that possible?!
My goal is to avoid decision fatigue in the bleary, early morning by setting out the kids’ clothes ahead of time. I re-purposed a smaller, three-drawer dresser to hold the week’s clothes for school and after so that they can grab, dress, and go. I plan to set it up on Sunday night and let each child have input into what they want to wear.
Prep lunches for the week, rather than the night before
My kids eat hot lunch most days but on days they don’t like what’s offered, I make them a cold one to bring. We have a calendar but, unfortunately, I forget to check it pretty regularly. So when the kids would remind me in the morning, I’d have to toss something together which may or may not have been nutritionally sound.
This year, I’ll prep the sandwiches, snacks, veggies, and whatever else on the weekend so I can either brown bag them with the date and initials (a trick my mother used when doing my siblings’ and my lunches back in the day) or just have them ready for a quick throw together the night before.. or morning of, if I still can’t get my act together.
There will be a set reading time
If your children’s teachers are anything like mine, there is a big emphasis on how many minutes of reading must be done each day. And I wholeheartedly agree. In theory. Because on those crazy days when you’re rushing around trying to get somewhere or get dinner on the table, not to mention baths and bedtime, those 15 minutes of reading could just as easily be 15 hours.
So with this school year, I plan to set aside time each day when I can sit and read to my kids. Right now, we share a pot of tea nightly as a reward for a good day. Starting with school, this will double as our reading time.
A place for everything and everything in its place
Have you ever come home to school papers scattered all over the floor, backpacks in doorways, and shoes ready to be tripped over? In my house, we call that Wednesday.
So this year, I have designated a coat and backpack hook by the front door, a box for shoes, a laundry basket for uniforms, a folder for papers, and a trash can for, well, trash. If I can get the kids to put everything away for a week or two, we can create a habit that will be second nature.
And we can skip the morning search for the other shoe that seems to be forever hiding from its mate. Bonus.
Quiet time
After a long day at school, my kids are a little burnt out. Not that they’d admit it. No, they just get cranky, talk back, and cry when their homework starts to get challenging. So I plan to cut out the first hour after school for relaxing. They can have a snack, take a nap, tell me about their day, or just play. This way they can decompress before tackling homework and chores.
After all, when all the kids are in bed, I usually do the same before tackling my to do list leftovers. It’s amazing what a little vegging can accomplish.
I plan to use these routines starting next week, but there is a 50-50 chance that they won’t work out as I’d hoped. That’s life with kids. So I will keep you posted on how they are working and what changes may have been made to better serve my family. Good luck to you and your little (or not so little) ones. I hope you all have a wonderful and successful school year!
These are a few of my challenges and solutions. But I know that we are all in different seasons of our lives so one size does not fit all. What are some things that you’ve faced during the school year and what have you done to address them? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
Need to turn inspiration into action? Ready, Set, Go!
- Think back on the challenges you experienced last year.
- Brainstorm ways that you can meet those challenges this time around. You can use some of mine, poll other moms and dads, or make up your own.
- Implement your new routine and give it a few weeks. After that, reevaluate how effective it’s been. Tweak it accordingly. Remember, give it a few weeks to take hold before deciding whether or not to toss it.
- Be flexible. Children are always changing, always growing, so what worked in September may not work in January. Give grace.
Leave a Reply