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Welcome to Fall!
I hope everyone has had a great start to September. There is a chance you are experiencing some September Stress... getting ready for school in the morning, getting out of the house can be a challenge. It takes a week or two to understand what your own family needs are... here are my 3 BEST suggestions for smooth mornings:
1. SUPERVISE PICKING OUT CLOTHES THE NIGHT BEFORE
This means setting up your child’s closet with your child so he or she knows where things are. I have bins in a dresser with underwear, socks, leggings, tights all separate so they can be cherry picked by a child. If your child is older and can choose on his own, make sure weather guidelines are discussed-- if your phone has a weather application, your child can even check the weather himself. A younger child may need you there-- sometimes I hold out the tights or socks bin and let my younger daughter choose-- this way, I’m not asking for too much!
2. IF YOUR CHILD TAKES LUNCH TO SCHOOL PACK IT THE NIGHT BEFORE
Think lunch-- a packed lunch can be fun and interesting and be finished before you and/or your child goes to bed. You can involve your child in the preparation-- it’s always good for kids to be involved in food prep and makes them more likely to eat their food. Think variety-- some cheese, a half a sandwich, berries or a baby banana, hummus, crackers, healthy mini-muffin, olives, baby carrots, small yogurt, etc. Invest in the Obentec (safe plastic) Bento Box system if you want-- it’s ultra cute and makes it easy to pack. *When I say think lunch, I mean, lunch-like foods-- it seems many parents try to pack warm or dinner like foods for lunch, which can be impossible to pack the night before and a lot of extra work in the morning.*
3. HAVE AN ESTABLISHED MORNING SEQUENCE
Plan your mornings with your child(ren). In our house we get up, have breakfast and tv time (at the same time, that worked for us), get dressed, do hair, get lunch from the refrigerator, and leave. We have a small list with pictures of our routine (that we discussed and made together) so both kids can read it. Personally, I’m a bit “less is more” in terms of charts-- I like to keep it simpler and hope the family routines become instinctive.
OUR GOAL: PEACEFUL MORNINGS
Getting out of the house calmly in the morning means setting yourself and your kids up for a great day. A child who arrives at school relaxed and feeling good is going to greet teachers and friends from a calmer place, and you will be happier when you kiss your little one goodbye for the school day.
