Yes, it's that time again. After a long summer of sleeping late, playing outside and flexible schedules, children and parents can be overwhelmed adjusting to busy back-to-school routines. But every morning does not have to turn into madness. The tricks to a stress-free morning are planning ahead and sticking to schedules.
Keep these tips in mind as you get your kids ready for school:
- To avoid last minute scrambling in the morning, keep book bags, stocked with completed homework assignments and other school necessities, near the door along with coats and shoes.
- Give your child a bath and choose his or her outfit the night before. Have the clothing pressed and ready to go.
- Decide on breakfast and lunch foods ahead of time, and have those foods easily accessible for cooking or packing in a lunch box. You may even want to make your child’s lunch the night before and refrigerate.
- Avoid distractions such as TV or video games. They only will captivate your child’s attention and cause him or her to rush later.
- Build cushions into your family’s schedule so you don’t feel frazzled.
- Keep your child from being rushed by providing gentle reminders. For example, “The school bus will be here in 10 minutes, so you’ll need to put your shoes on.”
- Avoid unnecessary morning chores like emptying the dishwasher.
- Hang the family calendar in a place where everyone can see it. Older children can be proactive and place their musical instrument or uniform next to the door.
- When you feel stressed, your family can sense it. Wake up 15 minutes earlier so you can have some alone time to wake up and feel energized before the rush.
Taking these tips into consideration can make your mornings run more smoothly. Here's to a great school year!
FAST FACT: 55 million students across the nation are enrolled in grades K-12 this fall. They will be taught by 6.8 million teachers.
Colleen Schultz is the education manager at Children’s Health Education Center. She is a certified health education specialist with a bachelor’s degree in community health. She also has a master’s degree in education. For more information on parenting tips, or for information about community education classes, call Children’s Health Education Center, a member of Children’s Hospital and Health System, at (414) 765-9355.
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