Our Back to School Routine

We survived the first week of school! That feels like a much bigger statement this year than last, doesn’t it? I mean, this year it feels like real survival, right?

Alexis’s first day of Kindergarten was not traditional. Her daddy and I didn’t get to walk her to her classroom; we weren’t even allowed to get out of the car. Instead, we got to drop her off after the older kids so that it wasn’t as hectic. I kept reminding myself that we didn’t technically miss out on walking with her on the first day of school since her first first day of school was actually last year with PreK. It was still bittersweet, though.

I was actually surprised at how smoothly our first morning went, and whole week really, considering we haven’t been following a solid routine other than bedtime for the last six months. Not to mention the fact that I am not a morning person. At all. We were never actually late last year, but we had quite a few close calls, so this year I decided that we needed a more solid routine for school days and nights. These are the things we’re doing differently this year to make our mornings a little smoother.

Pick Out School Clothes the Night Before. Alexis is very opinionated about her clothes and rarely agrees with what I pick out for her. Letting her pick out her outfit for the next day and hanging it on her dresser lets her still be part of the process without adding a headache to the mornings.

Speaking of clothes, Getting Dressed Before Leaving the Bedroom is the most time-saving change we’ve made. Last year, we did clothes last and it took forever because Alexis would get distracted by everything. It was such a hassle. So now we get her clothes on as soon as she gets out of bed. Total game changer for us.

Pack Lunchbox the Night Before. Okay, so I don’t pack her full lunch the night before because who wants a soggy sandwich? Gross. But I do get everything that isn’t cold into her lunchbox. Then I make her sandwich and add her drinks in the morning.

This is the hardest but most crucial part of the morning…for me. Wake Up 15 minutes Before Alexis. Did I mention I’m not a morning person? But being up before Alexis gives me time to actually wake up and get my bearings. Thankfully, we don’t have to drive across town for school this year so I don’t have to set my alarm too early. I don’t have to do much to get ready – wash my face, brush my teeth, and put on workout clothes. I shower and get dressed for the day after my morning walk/jog.

A couple of other small things that make a difference to our routine: no TV in the morning and check the bookbag as soon as we get home in the afternoon (otherwise I completely forget about it). And unless there’s a school project/homework in her folder, we let the afternoons be Alexis’s downtime since there are no naps in Kindergarten.

I don’t claim to be an expert in parenting, nor do I think I have all the answers, but I do believe that moms are in the best position to help other moms along their parenting journeys. So if you’re like me and struggle with a morning routine, I hope these tips will help make your mornings a little easier. And if you’ve got any morning-saving hacks, I would love to hear them!