Back-To-School: Make Your Mornings Easier

Three Days. That's how much time I have until my two older children return to school. My daughter will be entering the 3rd Grade, and my son will be going into the 1st Grade! It's crazy to think that our summer vacation is just about over. Gone are the mornings of "sleeping-in," the pajama days, the late breakfasts, and the "do whatever you want" weekdays.

It's time to change our summer habits and get back into the routine of school life. For us, that means rising early, making cute lunches, and preparing what we can the night before a school day. In order to get out the door in time, we had to find ways to make our mornings go smoothly and quickly. These tips may help your family as well.

1. Designate an area for everyone's backpacks, shoes, homework, lunchboxes, etc.

We are fortunate to have a built-in mudroom between our kitchen and garage. (Let's just say that this was a must for this mama when designing our house.) We have hanging hooks, a built-in bench, and some cubbies. Of course, you do not have to have a fancy mudroom for your things. You just need a special place, preferably, one close to your entrance/exit door. If your short on space, find tubs or baskets that can hold your kid's stuff. Install simple hooks or hanging folders/baskets to hold papers or homework. When my kids come home from school their backpacks go directly on those hooks. Shoes should go in their cubbies. (I will admit that we still have to remind the children not to leave them dropped around the house, but at least we have a designated space.) Folders and homework are packed away in their backpacks when they are finished with their homework. I check their folders, sign papers, and file or dispose of flyers and notes as they work on their homework each afternoon. This is the easiest way to stay organized, to get paperwork taken care of, and to ensure that everything returns to school as needed. In the morning, the kids just need to grab their packed backpacks before they leave the house.

2. Lay out clothes, shoes, and other school necessities the night before.

I have my kids pick out what they are going to wear for school the night before. This means they choose the top and bottoms that they want to wear the next day and hang them on their closet door. They stick their socks in their shoes. This eliminates the "I can't find my other sock," and the "I need a shirt to match these shorts," the next morning. Another battled avoided.

3. Prepare lunches the night before.

I know there are tons of parents who find it easier to have the kids' lunches completely packed and ready to go the night before. Some make and freeze sandwiches. This makes mornings easier, especially for working parents. If this works for you, go for it! I make my kid's lunches each morning. That means I have to get up a little bit earlier if I want to make them fresh, bento-style and cute, but I do not mind. With that said, I DO prepare as much as I can the night before, and simply put it all together in the morning. Preparing means cutting up fruits and vegetables, freezing ice packs or yogurt tubes, filling thermoses with water, and dividing snacks or fruits and veggies into individual containers or baggies. I find that putting out my lunch supplies, lunch boxes, bread, peanut butter etc. on the island the night before makes for easy prepping in the morning also.

4. Establish a morning routine.

Parents and children alike need to establish a morning routine. (This can even be practiced the week before school starts to get the children and yourself use to waking up early and getting ready.) Let the children know what is expected of them each morning. Make a list or chart for them to check off if they tend to forget things  or need a little nudging in the morning. (i.e. Get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, brush hair, pack your lunch in backpack, etc.)

It's a little easier for myself to get back into the routine of school days. With a little help from my alarm I get up, and get myself completely ready. Then, I make the lunches. Sometimes they are simple and quick lunches. Other times, they are cute and fancy. (It really depends on how much time I have..and how motivated I am feeling.) By this time, the kids are starting to wake up on their own or it's time for me to go and wake them. I get a feeling of satisfaction knowing that I am dressed and ready for the day, and now I just have to guide the children through the rest of the morning.

Ready or not...It's "Back-to-School" time!

Do you have any tips on getting back into the routine of school days? How do you make your mornings easier?

  

Back To School Chore Chart Feature

Some of your children have headed back to school already. Others are starting to get ready for those first days of school. My children have about another month till they say good-bye to summer vacation. I am hoping to share some of our back-to-school preparations and ideas this next month.
Until then, I would like to thank Celebrations.com for featuring my chore chart coupons on their back to school organization post. Last Fall, I shared with you printable coupons that you could use to reward your children for helping out around the house. They have worked for us, and I am sure they will work for you, too!
Stop by Celebrations.com to see how this Mama and others are organizing for Back-To-School.

Forgotten Christmas Decorations

I spent this weekend putting away boxes and boxes of Christmas decorations. It is my one time of year that I like to go all out and decorate everywhere. Now my house is looking a little bare because I said good-bye to December and welcomed a new year! I am sure many of you did the same. (Assuming you're not the person that leaves their Christmas lights out all year round in order to avoid the "taking down and putting back up again" routine.) Then, you shut the attic door and dusted off your hands. Mission accomplished!

But, wait...what is that hanging on the door? What rolled under the couch? A "Noel" door hanger..a shiny, round ornament that fell off the tree? It happens to everyone. Just when you thought you have put everything Christmas related away, you find the forgotten Christmas decorations.

What do I do with these leftover Christmas decorations? I choose a pretty box that I don't mind seeing all year long or at least until my next trip to the attic. I stick it on the top shelf in my closet so it will be out of the way. (I lost my "under the bed" storage when we purchased our bedroom set. But, those roll under the bed containers work great for this type of storage, too.) It's true that for the next couple of weeks or so I will continue to find small reminders of Christmas throughout the house. But, I don't worry much because now I have a designated spot just for them. I also use this box to house any small Christmas items that I may find on clearance this month.

Find a cute box, container, or even a simple shopping bag to store these forgotten Christmas decorations and save yourself several trips to the attic or basement!

Travel Activities for Kids

Are you traveling during this holiday season? More importantly, are there kids in your traveling future? Today I am sharing some of our own ideas on how we keep our children entertained for those long car rides.

First, decide how and where you will put all their junk toys and activities.

These carriers have worked best for us:

• Backpacks-Child-size (backpacks work well if you will be walking a lot on your trip or if you are traveling by plane)
• Reusable Grocery bags (these sit nicely on an empty seat next to them or at their feet for easy access)
• Drawstring or zipper close bags (I liked using these when the kids were smaller. They had just a few small toys that they could carry around and often pack themselves.)
• Easy-to-open storage containers (like a plastic shoe box container or a small container with latches and a handle)

When choosing items to pack for your child remember their interests and don’t forget their favorite toys. But, also set aside toys, books, and travel activities that are reserved solely for road trips and time away from home. They will be like “new” toys for them and hopefully, will keep their interest longer.

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Find age-appropriate activities for each child ahead of time and pack them in their individual bags.

For your Baby:

• Board books, touch-and-feel books
• Teethers, baby rings and chains
• Rattles and other favorite baby toys
• Any toy that squeaks, rattles, or makes noises (great distracters)
• Pacifiers or anything that soothes your baby
• Baby essentials, bottles, and snacks

For your Toddler or  Preschooler:

• Board books, Busy books, touch-and-feel books
• Favorite stuffed animal or lovie
• Mini-photo albums (my little ones loved flipping through photo books and seeing familiar faces)
• Stickers and paper (foam stickers work well, too)
• Crayons, washable markers, coloring books
• a travel lap desk, clipboard, or flat tray for coloring/writing
• Magna-Doodle
• Magnetic dolls, magnetic letters, and a magnetic cookie tray
• Sewing Shapes
• Small dolls or toy cars (put in a drawstring bag or Ziploc bag to keep together)
• Small flannel board or felt piece with storytelling flannel pieces
• Dry-erase board with dry-erase markers

For your Older Child:

• Picture books and Chapter books, bookmarks

• Crayons, markers, colored pencils, papers
• Etch-a-Sketch
• Travel games (travel board games, peg board games, and magnetic games)
• Go Fish and other card games
• Wikki-Stix, Bendables, and pipe cleaners (to make different shapes and “building”)
• Magnetic paper dolls, magnetic words, and a magnetic cookie tray or board
• “I Spy” books, “How to Draw” books
• Coloring and Activity books

Electronics:

• Leap Pad, Leapster, or other learning game
• IPAD, IPOD (with downloaded Apps for children)
• DVD’s and Media or DVD player (pack children’s shows and animated movies that they have never seen or haven’t seen in awhile)
• DS or other handheld games (We don’t have these, but I know they are popular with other families!)

* *Don’t forget the extra games, batteries, and chargers

Other:

• Travel Pillow and Blanket
• Lovies or favorite toy
• Snacks and water, handwipes
• Tissues
• Trashbag or canvas bag (to hang from the seats for trash along the way)
• Puzzles, play-doh/mat, and other toys for hotel rooms
• Frisbee, jump rope, small ball, or other outside toy for rest stops

These are just a few ways to keep your sanity during the busy travel season. Have a safe and happy trip!

Chore Chart and Reward Coupons

One way that we try to promote responsibility and to get our children involved in helping around the house is to have a hanging chore chart. We also like to have a reward system in place. My children are young so they do chores that they are capable of doing on their own. For example, they may be asked to set the table, clean their room, or make their bed. I try not to put too much pressure on them to finish their chores because I want them to learn to be responsible. Instead I try using positive reinforcement with praise and a reward system.

I purchased this wooden, magnetic chore chart from Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and I have truly been happy with it. It has a variety of magnetic rectangles with a certain chore written and pictured on it. In addition to the chores there are magnets to help improve behaviors like "Say Please and Thank You." The chart also includes circle smiley faces with words of encouragement like “You did it!” There are two blank ones that you can write on, too. I am thinking about making some of my own chore magnets to add to the collection.

 The actual chart was probably meant for one child, but it has enough space and chore magnets to work for all three of my children. Right now the older children have 3 chores and my youngest has just one. You can assign fewer or more chores for your children. We change out the chores each week. I usually let them choose at least one that they want to do for that week. Once they complete a chore they can add a smiley magnet for that day.

We do have busy days when a couple or all the chores are left undone. Again, I don’t stress over it. Sometimes they initiate extra chores to “make-up” missed ones all by themselves. We also take Sundays off from chores.

Often my son will help my husband with outdoor chores or he will go the extra mile in cleaning. When he does this my husband or I will let him knock off a chore for the following day to show our appreciation.

I made these reward coupons that the children can work towards earning at the end of the week. Printable reward coupons will be below...Just download and print!

Kid's Reward Coupons Printable (Page 1)
Kid's Reward Coupons Printable (Page 2)

 Reward coupons, allowances, special treats, or doing something fun on the weekend are different ways that we reward the children and encourage them to do their weekly chores. How do you encourage your own children to complete their chores?

Organized Kitchen Drawers

An organized kitchen drawer makes life so much easier! About 7 months ago we moved into our custom-built home. We were fortunate enough to design exactly how we wanted everything. One thing I requested was a lot of kitchen drawers. Deep drawers. This has made all the difference! I am no longer sticking my head into cabinets and reaching to the very back for a missing appliance or lost dish.

There are three favorite drawers in my kitchen that get used daily so I made sure to organize them right away. The top drawer holds my sandwich cutters, a few favorite cookie cutters, baking cups, and other fun tools for making lunches. It is so much easier to grab what I need in the morning or night before when prepping lunches. The next drawer is home to most of the kid’s lunch containers, thermoses, and bento boxes. The third drawer is the "kid’s drawer." This drawer is devoted to my kids and their abundance of plates, bowls, and cups. I used colored baskets to divide the dishes up so you can grab what you need quickly. If you do not have a kid’s drawer or cabinet yet then make one for them...now! This is a must for encouraging children to be more independent and self-sufficient. My kids get up in the morning, grab a bowl, and pour their cereal all on their own. My husband, children, and I know where everything goes so it makes putting away dishes or setting the table a breeze, too.

Drawer for Bento and Lunch Tools

Drawer for Lunch Containers

Kid's Drawer

My challenge to you (if you haven't already done so) is to organize your kitchen drawers and make them  work for you! Remember to not let yourself get overwhelmed. Organize one drawer at a time, and go from there!