Back To School Routine Tips To Help You and The Kids Get Ready
A big part of getting ready for back to school is establishing routines, here are some back to school routine tip to help you and the kids get ready. While this post is sponsored by Pero Family Farms, all opinions and our hope to help you get back into a successful back to school routine are our own!
Kids need routines in order to be successful when preparing for the back to school season. A routine helps children know what to expect and gives them a sense of security. When kids (and adults!) know what is expected of them, they feel more confident and can focus on their tasks.
With this in mind, here are some simple habits that can help your children achieve success and how to implement them.
Create a routine for each important part of the day.
I know it sounds simple, but make sure your child’s daily routine includes basic things like getting dressed, breakfast, lunch, dinner, exercise, and bedtime.
Establish A Morning Routine
How your child wakes up and gets dressed in the morning can be a key to a successful morning. No rushing, no yelling or no crying please!
Here are some tips for creating a successful morning routine:
- Lay out clothes for the next day before you go to bed and make sure that they are ready to go when you wake up in the morning. This will help save time in the morning when you’re trying to get dressed. Make sure your kids choose clothes that are comfortable and make them feel good.
- Set aside enough time each morning so that no one is rushed. Rushing will only stress everyone out and make the entire day more difficult.
- Make a list of the things you need to do each morning in order to get ready, and try to stick to it as closely as possible. This will help eliminate any guesswork and ensure that everything gets done in a timely manner.
Establish A Good Breakfast Routine
Making time for a nutritious breakfast every morning can be a challenge, but it’s worth it! We all know the saying “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Well, there’s definitely truth behind that! One way to make things easier in the morning is to meal prep your breakfast ahead of time. Don’t forget to sneak in as many veggies as possible when meal-planning, we love adding mini sweet peppers to a variety of meals for the added flavors as well as nutrients.
Here are a few recipes that you can make in advance and enjoy on busy mornings:
Heat and eat or grab and go meals are your best bet to make the best breakfast routine.
Establish Lunch Routines
When packing lunches for school, we have always encouraged packing the night before or having all your favorite lunchbox items in a familiar place so that they are ready to grab in the morning. You know, over 7 years ago we created the Power Your Lunchbox campaign because we know getting all the nutrients into lunch can be hard…we feel you! So, let us help! We have been chatting all things lunches for a long time.
Here are some Lunch Packing Tips to help:
- The Ultimate Guide To Packing Healthy Lunchboxes
- Lunchbox Packing Mistakes To Avoid Podcast
- Ways To Add More Fruits and Veggies To Lunches
Need some lunchbox recipe inspiration? We got you there too! Here are a few of our favorites:
- Mini Sweet Pepper Pizzas
- Smashed Chickpea Salad Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers
- Chinese Mandarin Pasta Salad Bento Box
Establishing After School Routines
Too often, the afternoon becomes a time when homework goes undone, chores pile up, and tempers flare. However, by establishing some simple after school routines, you can help your child stay on track.
One important routine to establish is snack time. I know we just talked about lunch, but after a long day at school, most children are hungry and need a quick pick-me-up before starting their homework. Make sure you have some good grab and go snacks in stock regularly.
These are especially important for kiddos involved in extracurricular activities to make sure they are getting enough nutrients!
Some of my favorite grab and go snacks are yogurt, fruit, nuts, trail mix, bars, veggies with hummus or ranch dip and cheese sticks.
Here are a few snack recipes that are easy to make and perfect for after school:
Establish a Homework Routine
There are a few key routines that you should establish when it comes to homework. The most important one is setting aside time each day for homework. This helps ensure that it gets done, rather than becoming a last-minute task that gets rushed through. It’s also helpful to have a specific place for homework, such as a desk or table in their bedroom. This way, they know where they need to go and what they need to do when it’s time for homework. It’s also a good idea to establish a routine for checking completed work.
Establish an Evening Routine
It can be hard to get up and out the door on time in the morning, especially when you have to pack your school bag with all of your supplies. Having a set routine for packing your bag can help make the process go more smoothly and help you get to school on time. Make a list of everything you need for school and pack everything on the list. This will help make sure that you don’t forget anything important. For example – homework!
Pro Parent Tip: Set your alarm clock for earlier than you need to wake up in case it’s harder to get the kiddos up than expected.
Handling Dinner Time Challenges
I know times will vary most nights due to work schedules, sports schedules etc. but if you have a meal plan in place, you’ll be prepared, not stressed! Grab our FREE Meal Planner Printable and check out these recipes to get you started.
- Creamy One Pan Chicken with Mini Sweet Peppers and Orzo
- Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
- Easy Chicken Curry
- Italian Sausage & Vegetable Sheet Pan Dinner
Bedtime Routines Are Also Critical to Success
Sleep is so important! Yet, getting your child to bed can be one of the hardest parts of the day, am I right? Here are some tips on establishing a bedtime routine, but I strongly recommending listening to our Tips For A Better Night’s Sleep Podcast and reading this post on Back To School Sleep Tips.
Some tips for creating a bedtime routine are:
- Pick a time where all technology must be put away.
- Start with a calming activity, like reading or singing lullabies.
- Follow up with a bath or shower to relax the body and mind.
- Finish up with some relaxation exercises, like deep breathing or yoga poses.
- Make sure there is enough time for your child to get ready for bed, so they’re not rushed or anxious.
- Stick to the same routine every night so your child knows what to expect and can relax into it.
- Be consistent!
There you have it! Tips to help you and your family establish routines that will (hopefully!) lead to successful days at school.
I am a huge proponent of having a routine! The more routine oriented you are, the better the days are going to be! I know everyone is different, but I always did my homework right when I got home so that it was done and I could move on! But also making sure to have my meals prepped and planned makes my week so much easier! And with kids I am sure this saves so much time and stress!
Absolutely Paige! We couldn’t agree more 🙂