*Sponsored by Famous Footwear
It’s back-to-school season, and you know what that means! It's time to get back into a routine with new systems that conquer the morning chaos so everyone in the family can rise, shine, and get out the door on time.
*This blog contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you buy something.
Tip 1: Elevate Your Entryway
WHERE IS THAT PERMISSION SLIP?! PUT YOUR SHOES ON!! YOU DIDN’T BRUSH YOUR TEETH?! If any of these sound familiar, you need a one-stop system for your sanity. Thankfully, you don’t need a mudroom the size of Grand Central Station to keep things running smoothly. Just take inventory of what enters and exits your home daily, and designate a bin and hook for each family member.
Bonus Tip:Speaking of one-stop systems, let’s talk strategy when it comes to back-to-school shopping. Shoes are a great place to start. Instead of running from store to store to buy what you need, go toFamous Footwearto check everything off your list. You’ll find a wide selection of shoes from top brands available in store and online—plus backpacks, water bottles, and other school essentials. Shop themhere!
Tip 2: Prep Outfits Ahead of Time
Do yourself a favor and set aside time each Sunday to choose your kids' outfits for the entire week. The benefit? You’ll have to deal with one less decision and disagreement in the morning. Whether you use a cart with drawers or separate bins, all that matters is that you store the outfits as complete—including clothing, undergarments, hair accessories, and shoes—and label them by day.
P.S. Before you make the trip to Famous Footwear, snap photos of some potential outfits so you can find shoes and other back-to-school essentials that you can mix and match week after week. You can also shop onlinehere!
Tip 3: Box Up Your Breakfast
Life is stressful enough. Give yourself one less thing to feel guilty about and stop thinking you are a failure if your kids rarely eat breakfast at the kitchen table. As long as they are eating breakfast, you get a gold star in parenting. For bonus gold stars, prep something the night before and store it in one of our microwave-safe* Bento Boxes. Served hot or cold, you can rest assured knowing your kids will eat a well-balanced breakfast, even if it’s in the backseat.
*On top of being microwave-safe, our bento boxes are also safe to throw in the dishwasher!
Tip 4: Contain the Bathroom Chaos
If your kids can’t easily find and grab what they need in the bathroom, mornings can feel like one long game of “MOOOOOMMMMMM!!! WHERE’S MY _________?!?” The solution is easy: Make it easy for your kids to find and grab things! Whether storing items by category in baby bins on a lower shelf or in a divided turntable on the countertop, creating simple systems can bring you one step closer to the peaceful mornings with a cup of coffee we all deserve.
Tip 5: Designate a Docking Station
Similarly, if you are tired of searching your home for tech devices, especially when a million other things are happening, create a designated spot for them to live. Ideally, it should be in a central location, like the kitchen counter, where kids can easily access it. With a simple mail filer and USB port, all your devices stay charged while safely stowed away.
Tip 6: Start Them Early
Organizing is a language, so the sooner you start teaching your kids to follow smart systems, the more ingrained it will be. In order to be successful, you need to approach the topic of getting organized in a way kids can understand, which is why we decided to start writing kids books in the first place. Our new board book Let’s Put This Away launches this fall to show kids that cleaning up is a fun and colorful activity, not a chore. Make sure to pre-order to reserve your copy!
Tip 7: Create a Carpool Emergency Kit
There’s no age limit on forgetting to brush your hair or teeth before heading out the door in the morning. Especially busy ones before school! We’ve been known to forget essential steps in our routines, and so have our kids. We all have! Instead of promising yourself it will never happen again, plan ahead and stock a carpool emergency kit so when it does happen again (which it will), you won’t have to turn the car around and waste precious time.
Tip 8: Prep a Playlist
Nothing motivates people to keep moving more than their favorite music—kids included! Whether it’s the Bluey theme song or every Taylor Swift album from start to finish, giving your kids the morning DJ residency and letting them pick the playlist for the week makes getting ready for school feel like a party, but a productive one. To add even more pep to their step, buy a bluetooth speaker with rainbow strobe lights and call them by the DJ name of their choosing. Even if the music is just drowning out the chaos, it's still a win.
