5 Tips for a Smooth Morning Routine for School

Getting out of the house for school can be a challenge for many parents. Read these 5 tips to make for a smooth morning routine for school.

Morning Routine for SchoolYou’ve finally gotten your kids ready for back to school. You bought their clothes, the gear, the supplies. You’ve been doing “homework” and getting out of the house at a regular time, and you’ve even visited the school campus to get them familiar with it.

But the true test—the reality check—that summer is over? Dealing with the rush of school mornings.

With an hour to wake them up and get them dressed, fed, and out the door, you know you’ll have your hands full very soon.

I’ve been enjoying leisurely summer days these last few months. We don’t have to wake up early or pack school lunches. But I know that within a few short weeks, the morning madness will start again. Sure, once the kids are out of the house, I’ll have time to myself. But that one hour between waking up and getting out the door can feel a little hectic.

Over the years, I’ve learned how to streamline our mornings to make them less stressful. Take a look at these tips to make your school mornings smoother:

1. Get everything ready the night before

I always tell myself, No matter how tired you are in the evenings, you’ll be even MORE tired in the mornings.

I get it—you feel like you’re “wasting” your evenings preparing for the next day. You’d rather watch a movie or read a book, not pack sandwiches or think about what your preschooler will wear.

But the more you can get out of the way during your evening routine, the smoother your mornings can be. Make sure the kids’ backpacks include necessities they need to bring, such as:

  • homework
  • library books to return
  • spare change of clothes for little ones
  • lunch and snacks
  • water bottle

Extend this advice not only to your kids but to yourself, as well. Take a shower the night before, iron your clothes, or pack your work bag along with your lunch. Preparing the night before can save you loads of time the next morning.

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2. Keep breakfast simple and predictable

Oatmeal five times a week? That’s one habit to run on autopilot while still making sure you feed your kids. Pick your typical breakfast food and stick to it every weekday. You can add variety by offering a different side of fruit each day.

Or, stick to the same types of breakfast depending on the day. Think oatmeal on Mondays, yogurt and toast on Tuesdays, cereal on Wednesdays, and so forth. Stick to a simple breakfast, too. It takes a few minutes to make yogurt, but several more to make pancakes and eggs.

3. Get a good night’s rest

Make sure you get your eight hours of sleep while your kids get 10-12 hours, especially the first days of school. Tired parents and kids too cranky to function are the last things you need come school mornings.

Sleep is a basic need. Your child’s ability to learn, play with others, and stay motivated are linked to getting a good night’s sleep. It’s the essential time when her body is relaxing after a long day. She can also process all the experiences of the school day while she’s asleep.

Be diligent about going to sleep at a set time each evening and having a consistent bedtime routine.

4. Wake up earlier than the kids

Waking up before the kids is crucial for any parent who doesn’t want to drag her way through the morning. This is the time of day when you can get yourself ready, tend to things you need to, and be fully alert before they wake up.

Waking up early allows you to take care of your needs first. You can also do things you’d rather do alone, like packing lunches to getting dressed. And you can use that time to prepare breakfast and avoid hungry and cranky children.

As your kids get older, they can be more patient in the mornings. But for younger kids, waking up earlier than they do saves time and makes your mornings run smoother.

5. Follow the same school morning routine every day

One of the many benefits of implementing routines is they do the “nagging” for you. Kids run on autopilot when they know what’s next.

For instance, they wake up, dress themselves, and eat their breakfast. After that, they wash up and brush their teeth in the bathroom before playing for a few minutes. When you announce it’s time to leave, they head to the front door to put on their shoes and grab their bags.

In most cases, the kids know to do these things without us telling them because they do the same thing every single day.

How to teach a child to dress themselves

Conclusion

School mornings can be some of the most chaotic for any parent. You’re rushing out the door and the kids are slow to put their shoes on. No wonder you’ve been late or cranky by the time you drop them off.

That’s why it’s important to get ready the night before and keep breakfast simple and predictable. Get a good night’s rest, and wake up earlier than the kids. And finally, follow the same routine every day—that way you won’t have to nag them any longer.

Dealing with school mornings may be the biggest reality check that summer’s over, but now they don’t have to feel stressful anymore.

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4 Comments

  1. One of my kids rarely responds to those “heads up” warnings. I find it really frustrating as we end up leaving late even when we’ve had loads of time to get ready. Do you have any tips about how else to respond or how to avoid the situation entirely? I have spoken to him about it and he doesn’t want to be nagged (which is fair enough) and he didn’t want a visual list of steps showing what needed to be done as he already knows what they are.

    1. Nina Garcia says:

      One thing that helps me is having a timer that everyone can hear. Let him know that you’re going to set the timer for when he has to stop doing what he’s doing and move on to the next activity. That way, it doesn’t feel like you nagging him personally, but it’s just that the timer went off and it’s time to move on to the next thing. Keep doing this consistently too so that nothing comes as a surprise, and they’re more expected.

      I would also try to highlight the perks of whatever it is you’re supposed to do next. If it’s getting out of the house to go to the grocery store, you could say, “You can help me pick out a few snacks to eat.” That way, there’s a little bit of motivation to get him going.

      And lastly, if possible, I would let natural consequences occur. This doesn’t always apply, like if you need to get to work, you need to leave and you shouldn’t be late because of him. But let’s say you’re supposed to go to the park, but he takes too long, you could say, “It looks like we won’t be able to go to the park today because…” That way, he’s held accountable for his choices.

      I hope that helps Natalie!

  2. My child struggles with getting out of bed and getting ready for school in the mornings. He’s 9. I’ve tried waking him when he needs to get up, bought him an alarm so he can set what time he wants to get woken, tried setting the alarm 10 minutes before he needs to get up so he can gradually get up, and tried putting him to bed earlier. None of these things are working! Then, on top of it all, he is the first one up one the weekend so he can watch cartoons! Any advice?

    1. Nina Garcia says:

      Hi Sommer! It’s definitely rough when kids don’t wake up when they have to. I think you’re doing all the right things, but I would just say to keep doing them consistently. So, for instance, I like the idea of putting him to bed earlier, but don’t just do it for a couple of nights—it can take time for him to adjust to going to sleep earlier, so you might want to do it for a while. Same with waking him up a few minutes earlier. One or two mornings won’t make much of a difference, but if you do it all the time, he’ll eventually learn to wake up around that time. Our bodies just get used to sleeping and waking up at certain times the more consistent we are with them.

      Lastly, I would just add to not make the evenings stimulating in case they are. This means no screen time before bed, loud antics, games, etc.

      I hope that helps! Hang in there, mama <3