Three Keys to Manageable School Routines
Do you ever feel like you say the SAME THINGS to your kids over and over and over and over and it doesn’t seem to make a difference?
I can’t be the only one…
I feel like this is the worst when it comes to morning and afternoon routines. As school is back in session (those of us in Houston are getting back to back-to-school after a Harvey intermission) and no longer a novelty, there are a few things we can do to help make these crazy mornings and afternoons a little less crazy (less crazy is ALWAYS good).
- K.I.S.S.—You’ve heard this handy little acronym a million times, right? Keep It Simple Stupid/Silly/Sister (you choose). Simplicity is key in the mornings for us. Try to make sure clothes are ready and in their standard places as well as socks, belts, backpacks, lunch boxes, etc. {Please note: I do NOT do this alone. I chose “homes” for these items and beyond helping my kids put away clean, folded clothes, I expect my kids to return their items to their proper locations each day.} For the most part, they do, though it is very frustrating when we are hunting for an item because it didn’t get put away the day before. Fortunately, we learn from mistakes and I hope that those experiences help teach my children to do themselves a favor and return items to where they belong once they are finished using them. We are trying to teach our children how to become responsible adults after all.
Our morning routine is very simple: brush teeth (and additional grooming as needed per child), get dressed (including socks and shoes), eat breakfast, pack lunch and water bottle into backpack, and go. We pray together as a family, but we currently do this in the van while we are backing out of the driveway and beginning our drive to school. I know it’s not ideal, but it works for us right now. At this season of life, my kids are more still when they are buckled in. - Begin with the end in mind. What do you want your kids to have done before they go to bed each night? If you wait until 7pm to make those wishes known, you have set your whole family up for failure. Instead, try to talk about what the evening should look like on the way home from school. For example, on Wednesday nights our schedule is a bit more hectic because the boys go to Cub Scouts those nights. For us, this means we bathe, do homework, piano, read, and eat dinner all before we leave for Cub Scouts at 6:30pm. This doesn’t give us much margin for error when we get home at around 3:45pm each day. We are strategic about those busier days and I will usually turn off the radio and get everyone’s attention while we are driving home to remind them of what day it is and what our routine will look like that day.
- Remember that kids are kids. I know that sounds silly, but as our school year began this year, I was so focused on getting back into routines, that I got frustrated when my kids were CRAZY that first week back. My patience was definitely lacking and I felt like a failure. Then I had a palm-to-forehead moment, remembered that we have a similar transition period every year and I gave myself—and my children—grace. Give yourself grace. Give your children grace. We are all imperfect humans and we get distracted and confused and we forget things. Just keep trying and habits will form eventually.
Feel free to use mine, or let it inspire you to make one that fits your family’s routine.
Each year, to help my kids remember what they need to do each day, I hang these checklists (or see the form below). You are welcome to print them out and then:
1-laugh at my rough drawings and use them in all their glory, OR
2-use them as a springboard for something even better for your family and situation, OR
3-fold them into airplanes and fly them into the trash can. I hope they’ll help you and your family find a little more peace in a crazy afternoon, OR
4-any combination of the above!
What do you do to cut the morning/afternoon chaos?
