With just a week left before the school year begins the pressure is on to maximize the sliver of summer we have left. At the same time, there are practical issues to be dealt with, as well as the haircuts and dentist appointments, school supplies, and new shoes. Us moms can end up feeling torn between needing to accomplish all of our errands, yet wanting to savor the freedom of summer as long as possible. Not only is it too nice out to spend all day dragging the kids around on errands, but it’s not fair to them either to combat this dilemma. For this reason, I thought I’d share some of the time saving tips I have came up with to make this transition easier, get all the errands done and still have some time for fun.
I feel much less guilty doing all the other things that need to get done once I know they have a little fun built into their day. The first few days of school can be chaotic so if you practice a few time saving tips it can really help you avoid the morning rush.
1. Get your children in a good schedule a few weeks before summer ends. A lot of kids (mine included) tend to go to bed very late, as they do not have school in the am. While they can sleep in during the summer months, during the school year, this is not feasible. A few weeks before school starts, have them go to bed at their regular school time and have them wake at the same time. Also, make sure meals are given at a regular schedule. This will help to save a lot of headaches and ultimately time once school starts!
3. Pick out outfits for the first few days of school, and lay them out to avoid a rush in the morning. I know my daughter needs to make sure her outfit is perfect and if I let her wait to the morning, it cuts into so much of our limited time to get ready. By doing it the night before, it will save us time and chaos in the morning.
6. Last, I like to keep a few toothbrushes and toothpastes in the downstairs bathroom so the kids can brush their teeth, without having to run upstairs to their bathroom. It helps eliminate time, especially those mornings where we are rushing!
These tips should help you to enjoy the last few days of summer, while they are here, and help in easing back into the routine.
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* Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Chevrolet via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Chevrolet
Great tips, I’ll share these with friends that have kids in school.
I love your tip to pre-pack backpacks. Ahhh, this was the first day of my son’s preschool and it was a hectic morning. lol.
My son is not in school yet but I think these are good suggestions for when he does start going to school!
Fantastic tips. We usually do all the school prep in your tips. Except this year back to school surprised me and we only had three days to start getting used to the new schedule before school started, instead of the usual 2 weeks before that we use. We all felt the shock this morning as we were still tired and didn’t want to get up for the first day of school. It really makes a big difference starting to prep weeks before instead of just a few days before.
Getting organized the night before is a great tip. It’s so much easier that way.
I’m so nervous about not being able to get us all ready on time every morning. These are great tips!
Those were the exact things I always did until my kids graduated high school. I have to say that I don’t miss it a bit.
Super cute lunch boxes and great tips! We are in Day 3 of school… so far so good!
This is definitely a great list of things to do to get ready for the new school year! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Pre-packing lunches is such a great idea! Thanks