The following is a guest post from momAgendaCOMM blogger Leticia Barr. The school year is in full swing but if you’re still feeling harried, take a deep breath and pause to think about your family’s routines. Routines not only help families stay organized but also provide predictability that children thrive on. Kids get a sense of comfort knowing the daily routine at home and school. Before you throw up your hands in frustration thinking that establishing a sense of structure in your home is overwhelming and time consuming, start small. Even the smallest organizational tasks can make a big difference in setting the entire family up for a successful school year. Here are six simple ways to get started. Feeling rushed in the morning? Try the following:
- Lay out clothes the night before. As your kids are brushing their teeth and putting on pajamas, work with them on choosing the next day’s outfits. This helps eliminate what seems like the endless battle that prevents you from getting out the door on time in the morning.
- Pack lunches at night. Instead of packing them in the morning, pack them ahead of time the evening before so you can just grab and go the next day.
- Give the kids jobs to do while breakfast is being prepared. While you make breakfast, have younger kids set the table. Older children can help pack lunches and place them in backpacks by the door or help feed a family pet.
- Find a convenient place for backpacks to be parked when kids come home from school. Hang them on hooks right inside the door, have a closet where they go when not in use, or place them in the same spot when arriving home.
- Have your children unpack their backpacks when they get home. Have a designated place where lunchboxes, homework, important papers, fliers, and completed work can go in your home.
- Sort through the items that come home daily. Kids bring home tons of papers from school and it can be hard to keep up! Jot down important upcoming dates in your momAgenda Family Planner before recycling the fliers. Sift through schoolwork and put the work that should be saved in the School Years by momAgenda. By keeping the School Years handy, it’s easy to stash away important mementos and record special memories as the year progresses without the burden of a scrapbook! Then, toss the rest so your home isn’t cluttered with excess paper!