This is a WILD time of year, especially if you have kiddos heading back to school. Summer is a crazy, fun, schedule-less time; once school starts back, you’re living on the school and after-school schedule. That transition from summer fun to early school mornings can be so so tough.
Here are a few tips for keeping yourself organized for the school year.
Establish Routines
Starting your new routines from the jump is a great way to set yourself up for success for the entire school year. A good morning routine is a perfect way to set your day up for success, and to start your productivity/ momentum from the very beginning of the day!
Keep Breakfast Simple
Especially for those kiddos! This will make the start of your day easy, and get them the right nutrients to stay energized for the entire day. Something like Now For Kids is perfect for a school-day breakfast (or even an after-school snack). It is packed with nutrients and is so easy to make. Plus, it is kind of like having a milkshake for breakfast! What kid wouldn’t like that?!
Weekly Menu
Speaking of meals… make a menu! This way you can get your grocery shopping for the week out of the way in one shop. This cuts down on errands during the week, and makes it so you can prep dinner while your kids are still at school. You can have everything chopped, thawed and prepped all before afternoon pickup. This will make things so much easier once you are all finally home from your after-school activities.
Make A Plan for Yourself
Those hours that you have to yourself are precious, and they can go by SO fast. Make a plan for yourself! That way you know what you need to get done, and can cross those tasks off your list throughout the day. This would be a great list to make first thing in the morning while you drink your coffee or eat your breakfast. Whatever time you have to yourself before the day begins!
Prep, Prep, Prep
This is a boring, sometimes tedious, but massively effective tip. Calendars, meal menus, grocery lists, carpool group texts, making lunches at night- whatever it takes. Once the school year has started, you’re running a marathon! Wherever you feel like you can prep- do it! All of these things are hard to turn into habits, however, once you have the habit in place your routine will be so much easier!
Even if you don’t have kids, you can use September as a starting point for new habits/ organization. A “new year” of sorts! Somehow the back-to-school feeling bleeds over from all your friends who are parents. :) We hope these tips are helpful for you and your family!