Every year we think about how to switch from the summer groove to back-to-school routines. Do you reinvent morning routines for your family every year? You need a system.
It turns out I reinvent morning routines on this blog every year, too! I’ve been writing for EcoBabySteps for the past six years, and I write about school routines every year.
Morning routines specifically, though, set our children up to have great days, so I’ve pulled together several posts to share with you on morning routines for school days.
Family Systems
In business we call these routines systems, and I find that businesses function more efficiently when we don’t reinvent the system every time we do it. To build better systems, we document what we are already doing in a step-by-step outline then we improve the system by making deliberate changes.
If documenting your family routines and putting them in a family binder would help you, do it. Not everyone functions well that way, but some families thrive on having clear systems. Who can resist a beautiful 3-ring binder organizer for the family? I can’t.
Even if you don’t want to be so rigid as that, it helps to think through what it takes to help your day go well. Even a far more loosely documented system can be a routine that helps your family.
Are you wondering how to build a better morning routine? Here are a few of my past posts to guide you.
Elements to balance every morning are: food, grooming and cleaning, passing information along, and just being together. I also walk through the details of my family’s morning routine. Looking back five years is interesting because the structure hasn’t changed much but what we actually do within that structure has changed a lot.
Easing Back into the School Routine (2010)
A smooth morning depends in many ways on preparation the night before, so I’ve included nighttime routines in this post. If you are a planner and calendar person, check out the charts, schedules, and planners.
My favorite part from this part is that you need to remember to make this FUN! “A new routine and a new school may be stressful for your child. Keep it calm and collected. Be positive. Focus on all of the great things your child will learn and do in school.”
Routines That Make Starting School Easy (2012)
Especially for a child just starting school, anticipating what is going to happen helps to ease any worry they might feel. I encourage you to talk through all of your child’s questions about school. Then, you start with your desired outcome and work backward to figure out what you need to do to get there.
Whether loose or tight, keeping your mornings moving along smoothly is all about having a morning routine or system that works for your family.
All the best to you and your children as you go back to school.
Image © Tatyanagl | Dreamstime.com – Child With Father Have A Breakfast Photo
