My girls are gearing up for back to school. According to my Facebook feed, most kids started school this week. We don’t start until September! This year, we are carefully planning for back to school success and organization. I’m way more organized this school year than I was last, and I’ve learned some lessons from last year that I am improving on this year. Here are my tips for creating a peaceful morning routine so that you can get out of the door faster (and less frazzled) as well as tips for a successful evening routine.

Morning:

1. Wake up before the kids wake up.

I set my alarm for 7:00 a.m. every morning. My kids don’t wake up until 7:30 a.m. During this time from 7:00 a.m to 7:30 a.m., I make my coffee, put on my make up, and get dressed. By 7:30 a.m., I can focus on waking up the girls, making sure they are motivated to get up and dressed for the day. When I get myself dressed before I wake up the kids, I don’t feel as stressed out trying to get everyone (including myself) dressed all at once! Plus, there’s something about a little quiet time in the morning that helps set the mood for the day!

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2. Serve easy breakfast options.

No need to spend a lot of time cooking up fancy breakfast foods every morning. Instead, serve easy options like frozen waffles and pancakes.

3. Give yourself plenty of time in the morning.

Last year, I didn’t give our family enough time to get dressed and fed in the mornings. This caused us to have feelings of being rushed and stressed in the morning. I added time to our morning routine this year (30 minutes) so that when my kids are dressed and fed, we have 30 minutes to hang out in the living room and watch cartoons, talk, read, etc. instead of feeling rushed. This has worked very well this year already and I will continue to give my kids at least an hour block of time to get everything done before we leave the house.

4. Establish a morning routine with your children.

Give your children a schedule to follow each morning. My girls get dressed first and then come down stairs to eat breakfast. Then, they fix their hair (I help many times!) and brush their teeth. When they are finished with their routine, they get to use the remaining time to watch cartoons on t.v. before we head out the door! The down time they get in the morning helps to create a peaceful morning for them instead of making them feel rushed.

How do you create a peaceful routine in the morning?

Evening:

1. Complete homework and sign papers as soon as kids get home.

Kids have homework? No problem! Have them complete their homework as soon as they get home. Set up a nice space somewhere in your home where they can concentrate and focus on getting it done before dinner.

2. Serve easy and simple after school snack or dinner ideas.

The kids will be hungry after school and you’ll need to get dinner on the table fast. If your kids get home earlier, you’ll need to prepare a snack. As soon as you get home, pop something easy into the oven.

3. Schedule and establish a bath and bedtime routine.

Kids thrive on routines. Set a specific bath and bed time and stick to it. Maybe the kids take a bath right after dinner, or maybe they get a little t.v. time and then they take their bath. Either way, have a set schedule and stick to it so that they know what is expected of them. My girls take baths at 7:00 p.m. and are in bed by 8:00 p.m.

How do you create a peaceful routine in the evening?