10 Tips for a Back to School Routine That Saves You Time

These tips will help you establish a back to school routine that saves you time and reduces morning stress.

Summer has gone by way too fast! It’s time to start thinking about going back to school! Now is the time to start planning for success. Plan out a back to school routine to save you time in the morning, and save your sanity, or what’s left of it!

10 Tips for a Back to School Routine That Saves You Time

Night Routine for School Nights

Check homework – Make sure that homework gets done as soon as possible. Before bed make sure it gets checked and that is indeed done. Make sure any papers sent home by the teacher are signed and taken care of as well.

Backpacks are ready to go – Adding this to your nightly routine for school will save a ton of stress. Have your kids find all of the books they will need and put them in their backpack before bed. This prevents the morning rush to find a lost book. Also, make sure any papers are signed, notes from the teacher are taken care of, and anything extra needed gets added to the backpack.

Lay out clothes – Have the kids pick their clothes before bed, and make sure they know that there will be no changing in the morning. This will cut down on the morning rush.

Prepare lunches – Prepare what you can at night, such as their drinks and non-perishable snacks. Or use one of the recipes in Prep-Ahead Breakfasts and Lunches to make lunches ahead of time and store the lunch sacks in the refrigerator.

Bathe children who can take night time baths and showers – Younger children can take baths or showers at night. If they are able to do so, have them get it out of the way; it’s one less thing to do in the morning.

Read for 10 – 20 minutes before bed – I find having kids read after they are ready for bed helps them wind down and get sleepy. Make sure it is a book that will help them with school, or that they need to read for a school assignment, like a book report.

Morning Routine for School

Morning showers for those taking them – Have a routine for those taking morning showers if more than one child is doing so. Make it clear who is showering when there are no fights. Also, set bathroom time limits to keep things moving smoothly. I suggest a timer for this.

Eat breakfast – Make sure everyone gets breakfast; it’s the most important meal of the day after all. Have the children waiting for shower time to eat breakfast while waiting to make things more efficient. Make mornings less hectic by making ahead one or two of the recipes in Prep-Ahead Breakfasts and Lunches on the weekend, so all you have to do is heat up breakfast.

Pack lunch perishables – Pack the rest of your lunch if needed such as any perishables that didn’t get packed the night before.

Give yourself a 20 minute grace period – This is important because no matter how perfectly you plan ahead SOMETHING with happen. Having this grace period gives you breathing room so you aren’t rushed.

How does your back to school routine look?