We all wish we could just wave a magic wand on school mornings... We all know that it makes sense to follow a routine, and work out the most efficient way of getting ready, but we lack the time to work out exactly what those time hacks should be... Until now, that is!
We've spent some time rounding up some top tips on how to save time in the mornings so that school days can get off to a flying start come September.
Read on for ideas on how to save time (and a little sanity in the process) ...
- Prep and pack
Make packing their lunch and laying out uniform part of their bedtime routine.
There are 2 wins to this process: by getting your child to feel empowered by helping choose their lunch box contents they may be more likely to actually eat said lunch, and it will also save time from your own evening too!
By hanging out their uniform in their bedroom, your child will know exactly what they need to get dressed into in the morning.
- Pack it and peg it
Sort the bags and kits as soon as they arrive back.
Before switching on the telly, encourage the kids to hang their bags up on a peg and check that they have everything in it that they need for the next day. It’s also a good idea to spend 2 minutes at this point, checking through their bags for any letters or teacher communications. Even if it is to say that there’s a fancy dress day tomorrow, it’s better to read it before bed!
- A strong start
If you end your day with a toy tidy away, then now’s the time to implement a ‘lay out breakfast’ routine. By setting the table for breakfast before retiring to bed, it helps save some minutes emptying the dishwasher in the morning scramble.
As well as this, laying the table for each family member will ensure that the day is started with a feeling of togetherness and a sense of sociability.
It’s a chance to have a 5 minute chat about your day and to go through any worries or concerns that the child may be having about school.
- Back ups are your best friend
If your child wears a uniform, it is usually a good idea to have back up white shirts and vests. – Enough to cover a week’s worth of school is a good plan so that it’s just one white wash to be done at the end of the week. (That is until they decide to go rolling down a muddy hill, of course).
- Get dressed last
Let them have breakfast (and spill it all over their phyjamas) before they get dressed in their brand new clean white shirt. - Thank us later for that one.
- Set multiple alarms
Having different alarms for the different ‘to do’s’ helps everyone stay on track and takes the thinking out of the routine. - Anything to reduce the mental load!
- Tick it off
Just before leaving the house, it's a good idea to have a checkpoint list at the door. A simple tick list to ensure that you have everything you need is perfect. Even better if it’s on a white board/chalkboard that the little ones can tick off themselves! - Such a great, positive feeling of satisfaction too.
And there you have it, our top tips for saving time in the morning school rush. - Let us know if you can think of any more!
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