It’s term 2 of school and I think we’ve finally managed to ease ourselves into a sort of routine. There seems to be less yelling, stress and we’ve managed to make it to the bus stop every day this week.
Of course Murphy’s Law says that it will all come crashing to the ground in the near future but for now I am basking in my organised glory. I’m not selfish though and want to share the love around, so here are my tips for getting your kids ready for school, without tearing all of your hair out.
Pack lunch boxes in advance.
I pack Mr 5’s lunch box the night before. Some weeks I go one step further and make a weeks worth of sandwiches in one go. I then put them in sandwich bags and freeze them. I’ve only tried this with spreads though, so I am not sure how you would go with cold meat or cheese.
Have a designated spot where school shoes, hats and bags are placed.
There is nothing worse than running around like a headless chook in the morning because your kids can’t find their school shoes. This has happened to us more times than I can count. Having all of the school things in one place also helps to cut down the on the yelling and the stress thing I mentioned earlier.
Lay out uniforms the night before.
This one has two benefits. Firstly it helps with keeping the getting ready for school streamlined. Especially when for Mr 5 putting on his uniform means standing in the middle of the lounge room in his underwear. Secondly it reduces the likelihood of only discovering that your child has no clean uniforms when you go to pull a clean one out of the drawer!
Set yourself and alarm 15 minutes before you have to actually get up.
I have only discovered this little beauty over the last fortnight. I am not a morning person but any stretch of the imagination and I really struggle to wake up in the morning. However I discovered that if I set an alarm earlier than when I need to wake up and play around on my phone for 15 minutes then I’m much more likely to be less of a zombie when the actual alarm goes off.
If you catch public transport make sure you have change or your transport card has credit.
If you have to catch a bus, some drivers won’t be able to accept large notes for a fare. I make sure I always have enough change in my wallet for at least a couple of fares. Transport cards are usually cheaper though so it’s better to ensure there’s enough credit on that. Also if your child is only just starting school, do a test run before school starts to familiarise yourself with the route.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
In the grand scheme of things it’s all small stuff, especially when the things that you are stressing probably don’t even phase your kids. Run out of fruit the day before shopping? No big deal. Does your kid want to wear odd socks? Pick your battles, this isn’t your hill to die on. Seriously, your kids will be fine.
What are your tips for getting out the door on time?
Have you got yourself into a rhythm for school yet?
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I’m 9 years into the school gig (and well and truly over it), so I can get everyone to school on time, no worries. It’s the getting the teen out of bed and onto the bus on time that is the problem. He’s gotten worse these last 2 years….argh!!
Great tips. We’ve pretty much got the routine down pat after many years of practice. Doesn’t mean there aren’t days when things don’t go pear shaped, but for the most part we can generally get out the door on time.
Great tips Tegan 🙂 I find having everything sorted works well for us too. And Max is mostly responsible for his own stuff now. I have made up a morning and afternoon list so I can refer him to them. If he does his whole list he gets a mark for 1 job which means at 50c a job he could be getting $5 a week without doing extra jobs. His afternoon list is bike and helmet away, shoes off and put away, lunch box out of bag, afternoon snack (which also includes eating appropriate leftovers from lunch), homework, reader, pack bag for next day, get out uniform for next day. Morning list is breakfast, brush teeth, get dressed, shoes on, healthy snack and water bottle in bag, bag at door, bike and helmet outside. If he doesn’t do the whole list (obviously bike and helmet excluded if we aren’t riding) then he doesn’t get his money. It is great incentive and a great way to bulk up the pocket money so there is enough to save half and still get to buy the toy you want within this century. Max has responded well to it.
nearly everyday I mentally high-five myself on being able to get the kids to school on time with packed lunches and uniforms on. I feel like it is some sort of miracle every day! I seem to have a fear of being organised… I am starting to make lunches the night before which helps A LOT!
My kids aren’t in school yet, but we do have playgroup twice a week and day care once a week so I do have ‘come on let’s go’ moments aplenty. These tips are great and quite similar to what I try to do.
I wanted to leave a comment though to thank you for the quote I have stolen from you and put on my chalk board – ‘Pick your battles – this isn’t your hill to die on’. Fantastic! My husband and I already used pick your battles but I love the addition of the hill bit. So, thanks again!! Have a great day!