Tips for Stress Free Back to School Mornings

Does the idea of transitioning back into a routine for the upcoming school year make you a little nervous? Then you definitely need to check out these Tips for Stress Free Back to School Mornings.

I’ve done the math and my boys haven’t had to get up for school in almost six months.

Let’s just say that a few bad, like really bad, habits have become part of our daily routine.

There’s lots of sleeping in late, breakfast is more like brunch, and that’s just to name the biggest two I’m worried about when school starts back up.

So it’s time to get back into a night-time & morning routine and it’s going to be a little tough.

However, these tips for easier school mornings have worked for us before & I’m confident they can work again.

Hopefully, they help your family get out the door on time during those crazy school mornings too!

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Night Prep for Stress Free Back to School Mornings

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The most important thing you need to know about making those first weeks of back-to-school mornings easier is that it all starts the evening before.

What do I mean? It all begins with the preparations you accomplish the night before the upcoming school day.

I’m a firm believer (and a night owl) so as much as I can get done during the evening, the better our morning will be.

Not only will it have you ready for school the next morning, but you will go to bed without all those “to-do’s” floating around in your head.

Even if you are a morning person, that doesn’t necessarily mean your child is too. Plus, if you implement a night routine, you’ll have more time in the morning for you!

Let’s take a peek at these tips for stress-free back-to-school mornings that rely on evening preparations.

Get the Homework Done the Night Before

Unless your child is busy from the moment they get out of school until they fall asleep that night, finding time to get the homework done at night is a true stress reliever.

Not only does it keep you from rushing to accomplish it in the morning, but it also allows for any “issues” that may arise to be taken care of easier.

It’s much less stressful to search for your construction paper stash or a highlighter when you don’t have the pressure of needing to walk out the door in 15 minutes.

School Papers, Planners, Reading Logs, Oh My!

This one goes right along with the homework theory. Doing it the night before allows you to have more time to prepare anything that’s needed the next day.

It’s also a great idea to check your child’s planner or folder to see how their school day went. A lot of teachers write little notes of positivism or things to work on in these planners.

If there was a note from your child’s teacher, you would want time to discuss it with your child when you aren’t busy heading to school.

Prepare the School Clothes, Shoes, & Book Bag

Even if you are the one who picks out your child’s clothes, doing so the night before is a time-saving idea.

Having a set place where the outfit is located is an even better idea.

This way every morning your child knows where to find their outfit for the day. They can begin changing without bugging you to give them their clothes.

Taking it a step further, in our house we set out clothes, shoes, socks, and coats. The shoes go under a bench, with the socks on top.

Then clothes sit on the bench in front of their book bags. Their coats are behind the bags up against the wall.

We even go as far as to make sure the shoes are untied so that knots don’t stop us in our tracks in the morning.

If you are thinking this sounds like a lot of work for you, make it a part of your child’s bedtime routine. Before they brush their teeth, they collect their clothes, shoes, and book bags and make sure they are placed where they belong.

Everything has a “Spot”… So Keep Everything in it’s Spot

All this simply means is that anything your child, and yourself, need to get out the door in the morning should have a permanent “home” where everyone knows to find it.

For example, you definitely need to have a home for books bags, shoes, outerwear, and lunchboxes if using them.

This way as you are trying to leave the house you don’t have to hear:

“Where’s my book bag?”

or

“I can’t find my water bottle.”

You don’t need a fancy cubby system, just an uncluttered area of your home that can become the designated “get to school on time” command center.

Have Stress Free Back to School Mornings using Notes

I’m not talking about music notes, but any kind of note, post-it, phone reminder, etc. that helps you not forget things during the crazy rush of the morning.

Use sticky notes on the coffee maker to remind yourself to pack the ice pack in the lunch box,

Or set a calendar reminder on your phone that someone needs to take cookies to school for Spirit Day.

Even if you plan and prep the night before, there are always things that need to be done in the morning.

Having a system to “double-check” them will ensure you don’t remember them halfway to school or after your kids are already on the bus.

Prepare Breakfast, Snacks and Lunch

Do as much of your meal prep as you can the night before. In our home, when homework is done and the book bag is being packed up, the last thing my boys do is put their snacks in their bags.

As for lunches, make and prepare as much as possible, storing the entire lunchbox in the fridge if needed. You can always add the ice pack the next morning when you are leaving.

Breakfast can be made easier during those first few weeks of school by having your child’s favorites in the house. Sometimes switching tummies that might have slept in all summer to eating a good breakfast earlier can be difficult.

Having favorite breakfast items can encourage them to eat and have full bellies during the school day.

One of my keys to having stress-free back-to-school mornings is to not push or worry over breakfast.

Having handy items such as muffins, bagels, fruit, or granola bars during the first few weeks of school is a good transition to eating a fulfilling breakfast for the rest of the school year.

Breakfast Prep Helps Too

There are a few items that are super easy to meal prep and freeze, or simply have on hand for busy school mornings. Three easy favorites in my house are pancakes, waffles, and scrambled eggs.

Make a huge batch of these on the weekend and you will have quick breakfast ideas to pull on those crazy school mornings.

Keep your Evenings as free of events as possible

As I write this, I’m fully aware that once school starts back up we will have 2 kids in soccer and 1 playing fall baseball.  Our evenings will be crazy busy. But there are ways to free up your evenings a bit those first back-to-school days.

First, you can cut out any extras you want. For example, we stop swim lessons the week before school starts.

If your child is dragging and barely keeping their eyes open, you can ask their music instructor to skip a week of lessons. Or you can let their dance instructor know they need a break and are skipping a class.

As my boys have gotten older, the transition back to school hasn’t been nearly as tiring. But those kindergarten and first grade years they were exhausted at the end of a school day.

Of course, with school starting back up our weeknight movie adventures, swimming until dark, and eating at 9 pm has to adjust too. All these little things will help keep your child rested and ready when that alarm clock rings in the morning.

Get yourself to bed on time for a Stress Free Back to School Morning

I know, I know there are a hundred things that I just suggested to prep the night before. But it can all be done and you can get yourself to bed on time.

Making sure you have plenty of good sleep can only help with the adjustment of the kids heading back to school. Crabby kids who don’t want to wake up is more than enough crankiness in the house.

Ensuring you have had good sleep, will hopefully set the mood for your stress-free back-to-school mornings.

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If you don’t want to stay up late searching for First Day of School Signs, we have some free printable ones you can print out now & cross off your to-do list.

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Morning Prep for Stress Free Back to School Mornings

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You’ve done as much as possible the night before, but there are still tons of mom hacks and tips to help during the mornings too.

Let’s start with this night-owl’s least favorite…

Wake Up Before Your Kids

I will admit that I used to roll my eyes at this one. But there is a lot to be said about waking up and starting your day without little ones underfoot.

Still, I am a slacker with this one, but the days I do manage it, it makes a world of difference. Waking up to a quieter house can set the tone for the rest of your day.

Take the time to get yourself ready and prepare what you need for your day to be productive. Just generally enjoy a few moments of reflection and hot coffee if you prefer.

Keeping the Morning Chill and Relaxed

No matter how much preparation you have done, there are going to be lost shoes, missing binders, and someone is going to not get the exact amount of syrup they like on their pancakes.

You set the tone for the morning, so make sure you keep it chill as your family adjusts to all the new back-to-school expectations.

Mentally prepare yourself for tired kids who wouldn’t normally get upset about their muffins falling to the floor. Or that their sibling is putting on their clothes. Yes, we’ve had this one in our home before.

During those first few weeks give some grace. Lead your child to solve the problem without being anxious or rushing. Avoid saying:

“I don’t know where it is but you were supposed to put it in your book bag last night and we’re leaving in 3 minutes so you need to find it.”

Yep, I’ve said that one on a crazy school morning when my husband was out of town and we were rushing to get out the door.

Kids are not only physically tired after heading back to school, but they are mentally strained too. Remembering this during the transition to something new can help keep your mornings calmer and more relaxed.

Set a “No Electronics” Rule

On the very first day, set an electronics rule that works for your family. In our house, you have to be one hundred percent ready to walk out the door before electronics go into your hands.

If you set this from day one, you won’t be battling, as much, when you are trying to get your kids to put away the tablets and eat breakfast.

Give yourself a little Extra Time

First, you are going to need extra time on the First Day of School for all those mandatory pictures! But after that, giving yourself extra time is an easy way to cushion the transition back to school.

In our home, rushing and running late are definitely going to stop us from having a stress-free back-to-school morning.

As the school year goes on, you might be able to shave this time off of your morning routine. But having a cushion during those first few weeks is a good idea.

Start working on a Morning Routine

If kids know what to expect, they are more likely to go along with it and be helpful in accomplishing it.

Set a morning routine that works well for your family and stick to it.

For example, in our house, it is a simple routine, but one my boys know by heart:

Wake Up

Eat Breakfast

Brush Teeth

Clothes & Shoes On

Check Backpack & Snack

Load Up!

It’s nothing life-altering, but it keeps us on track and getting out the door on time… most days.

Post a Morning Routine

Even if your morning routine is simple like ours, a written schedule can still be helpful. It never hurts to post it or have it somewhere centrally located in the house.

You can write the time and what needs to be done by then and your morning schedule is done.

In the past, I have used a typed-up schedule. It was always at our bar where a lot of our morning activities took place.

However, with my youngest starting school, and unable to read, he is going to need a visual schedule.

Visual Schedule for Stress Free Back to School Mornings

If you love the idea of a morning routine but have younger children you might want to create a visual schedule. These don’t necessarily have times but have pictures to represent the steps of your morning routine.

You could draw sunshine for waking up, food for breakfast, a toothbrush for teeth, clothes & shoes, and finally a backpack.

Give Kids’ Responsibilities

There is nothing wrong with giving your kids a few extra responsibilities in the morning hours.

You could have your kids be in charge of putting the ice packs in lunchboxes. Or maybe an older child could tie a younger sibling’s shoes.

Another good one is being in charge of cleaning up the kitchen a bit.

Divide and Conquer the Morning Tasks

Along with giving your children some morning tasks and responsibilities, dividing these with your partner can be helpful too. For example, in our house, my husband makes everyone breakfast. That is his morning “role”.

Then while he is getting ready for work, I am in charge of the kids’ morning routine. Things like brushing teeth, clothes and shoes, and backpack duty.

We both know our roles and they work to get us out of the house on time.

Have an Oh No! We Slept In Plan

Let’s be honest… sometimes even with all the planning, there are going to be those mornings. The ones where you are running around late like the family in Home Alone.

Having a plan for these days can’t take the stress of them away. But it can make it easier to survive.

So make sure you have thought of what would happen if you do sleep through those alarms.

Can someone work from home that day? Do you have a neighbor that could run your kids to school with theirs?

Do you have grandparents close to your home?  Could they do the school bus stop or drop-off so you can get ready for work?

Think of all possible plans of action. This way when it does happen, you know your options to get caught back up in your day.

One more idea for Stress Free Back to School Mornings

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There are so many great tips and ideas that will help you make your school mornings easier. However, this next one is the one that has made several school years easier for me.

Are you ready,? Because it’s all about organizing your life.

Stay with me, it will be worth it!

Organize your House, Planner, & Life in General

I’m not saying you need to go full Marie Kondo on your entire life. But a little organizing can go a long way in making your mornings easier.

Organize your planner or phone app with the school calendar so dates don’t sneak up on you.

Take stock and de-clutter your kitchen. Especially check and get rid of old lunchboxes and water bottles. Also, make sure you have all those back-to-school items like baggies and containers handy.

Possibly set up a school-approved snack station. A simple bin or basket full of your child’s favorite snacks will do.

Go through your child’s clothes and organize them so you have what you need and pack away the rest.

Organizing your home can feel like a never-ending task, but breaking it up into smaller parts helps.

You’ll be thankful you did when your mornings are running smoother.

A few more Back to School Items

THE ULTIMATE BACK TO SCHOOL TO-DO LIST FOR BUSY MOMS – a comprehensive list of Back to School to-do’s for busy moms. It covers everything from paperwork hacks to lice prevention to sick day backup plans. 

BACK TO SCHOOL BOOKS TO CALM YOUR CHILD’S FIRST DAY FEARS – Do you have a preschooler or kindergartner a little nervous about their first day of school? Or an older child who would love a book just for “second graders”? Try these for fun bedtime reading as school starts back up.