We are almost ready for back to school.  We start shopping for materials, snacks for lunchboxes, check clothes or uniforms, etc.

The alarm goes off, one, two, or even three times and we do not want to get out of our warm beds. Looking like zombies from The Walking Dead, we hurry with breakfast and then we start shouting:  “get dressed, brush your teeth, comb your hair!” we run to catch the bus, the kids get on it, and phew…what a back to school day! Did I forget to take the picture of the first day of school?

They come back from school without the new lunchbox or without the new sweater and they just say: “Mommy, I don’t remember where I left it”. Oh my!

How many times do we have to hurry in the morning and then we remember about the book they have to return to school and we can’t find it? or did we buy the materials needed for the project?

I have learned through the years some hacks to make my life easier and more organized.  A stress-free morning.  This makes me a happy, calm, and easy to get along mom, one who enjoys conversations with my own kids.

You will find here some of my ideas that will change your day and morning routines:

1. Get the backpack ready the day before: 

This is critical to avoid stress in the morning.  Let your kids put all books and materials inside the backpack the day before.  Do not do this for them. You are teaching responsibility here.   If your kids are preschoolers, help them by putting the stuff inside the backpack, but let them close the zipper.  They will be proud of their accomplishments.  When the backpack is ready, leave it near the door ready to grab on the way out.

2. Prepare lunchbox the night before: 

This also saves you time in the morning, and if you are like me, waking up with one eye closed and one eye open, you may have forgotten where in the fridge did you leave the Tupperware. This gets complicated if you have more than one kid and the same kind of containers.  You can label them with the name of each kid or member of your family.  These labels can be erased, are machine washable, and microwave safe.

3. Snacks area: 

Keep inside your pantry a designated area for snacks.  I use a simple dollar store basket to organize all snacks.  This comes in handy when you are looking to grab one and just go.

4. Set the table the night before:

Just waking up to find a setup table will give you extra time and less stress in the morning. The night before going to bed,  set up the table with the plate, cutlery, and glasses needed.

5. Uniforms: 

Some schools require uniforms others don’t.  Before going to bed, depending on the age of your child, leave uniforms on top of a chair or table, paired with shoes.  So when they wake up, they are easy to find.  If they are old enough, let them do this daily.  If they do not require a uniform, the practice of preparing clothes for the next day will become a good habit.

6. Beauty station: 

Create a station with a simple basket or clear plastic shoebox that you can keep near the kitchen, pantry area, or within the bathroom built-in.  This container may have a comb or brush, ties, clips, hand lotion or cream, lip balm, gel, hair spray, and other needed things to comb and style your kids.  Keep this as a second set,  apart from the one maintained in their bedrooms or main bathroom.

7.  Homework station:

The same principle applies, have a second set of scissors, pencils, pens, crayons, erasers, etc.  Keep also glue, tape, and all materials needed for homework.  Keep this station near the table or desk where they do their school activities.  I love this one from Amazon to keep things in place and organized.

Extra tip, now that we have all these organized, where do we save all the worksheets that they bring from school?  Create a file box with hanging folders.  Use one folder per subject and at the end of the school year, review them, and keep only what you love the most.

I hope these ideas help you have a stress-free back to school day.  Please, share if you like them!

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Mentioned in this post:

1. Erasable Food Labels 2-Pack Starter Kits With Pen & Erasers, Reusable Label Multi-Color, Freezer, Microwave & Dishwasher Safe Kitchen Tool for All-Purpose Meal Organization by Jokari

2. Create-a-Space Storage Center, Bright Colors, Craft Keeper, 10 Piece set

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Read it in Spanish:  Ideas para un regreso a clase organizado