Being a mom to 6 children ranging in ages from 5 to 33, I have had my share of new school years.  We have a very diverse family & varied abilities, so flexibility is my best friend. 

I have five key standards that we have always tried to follow & teach the children.  These fabulous five have made our mornings & after-school routines so much easier.  The 5 standards become the norm for each little one as they begin school & before you know it your five standards become routine day after day & year after year.

My five may not be a match for your family so I always tell friends & family to pick their five so it works for your family.  The goal of the five is to help everyone stay organized & reduce rushing & forgetting things in the morning.

1. Pick out clothes the night before. 

For smaller children or children with special needs, we put their clothes in the room where we will be dressing them.  Right now for our two 5-year-olds who need extra help, we put their clothes in the living room.  We include everything in their clothes stack that they need to wear.  Pull-ups, AFOs, shoes & bibs.  It helps the kids know exactly what they need to do to get “completely” dressed for school.  For more independent children they can have their clothing choices in their room & may have their shoes near the door so they can put them on as they are ready to walk out.

2. Pack lunches & snacks the night before.

Morning times can be jammed packed, so anything that you can prepare beforehand to save trouble in the morning, I recommend that you do that. Preparing lunches or snacks the night before will be a huge relief when you are running from one room to other getting your kids ready for school.

3. Empty Backpacks & Lunch Boxes. 

After school, each child empties out their backpack including school papers, artwork, etc.  We have a stacking paper stand that has a space for each child.  The more independent students will be able to put all papers, etc in their bin by themself.  They can also empty their lunch box & leave them in the choice spot.  Included in this task would be hanging up jackets that were worn or removing wet gloves or any change of clothes that were used for any with special needs.

4. Have a set time to complete homework, reading, or projects. 

For my family, we try & get ours done before dinner.  This doesn’t always work but for your more independent children, this usually is a great time.  For my preschool or younger-aged students, we do school reading or flashcards with nighttime reading.  Again this can be customized to work for your family & for each child.  The goal is to have whatever time chosen to become second nature for the family.

5. Organize backpacks for tomorrow and have a peaceful bedtime. 

Papers needing to be returned, library books, winter clothing, sports clothing, etc. before bed should be organized to save you time in the morning. However, too much hustle and bustle can leave kids feeling overwhelmed. So, end the night with storytime to calm the kids and help them sleep better.

Good luck and have a wonderful school year. And wait! Don’t forget to subscribe to our Roberto Family channel for amazing stories with great animations.