Back To School Organize + Energize: 5 Ways To Make Mornings Easier

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Kristin MacRae, GoLocalWorcester Organizing Expert

Mornings are notoriously tough for parents, who have to wrangle the kids while getting ready for their own day.

How many of you rush around in the morning trying to get yourself and your family ready? Do you get a chance to sit and enjoy breakfast, check your emails, or read the news? Get organized this school year and you will have more free time to enjoy. The house won’t be hectic and everybody will start the day on the right foot.

Here are 5 tips to make your weekday school mornings easier.

1. Plan and prepare outfits.

Plan outfits for the school week on Sunday. Prep everything from shoes, clothes, accessories, underwear and socks. Iron everything. Line up the outfits in the closet Monday-Friday. If you must, you can create handmade tags with the days of the week on them and hang them over the hanger. Kids know exactly what they are wearing and won't waste time in the morning trying to figure out what to wear. If they want to participate, definitely include them in the process.

2. Prepare lunches and snacks ahead of time.

On Sunday, portion out and prepare snacks. This is one less thing you have to do during the week. Grab and go. Prepare lunches the night before. Any food you can prepare ahead of time, go for it! It’s one less thing you have to think of during the week.

3. Organize back packs.

Go through and organize backpacks the night before so in the morning kids can just grab and go. Be sure the night before everything is in the back pack so the morning of kids aren’t scurrying around wondering if they forgot something. Get your kids in the habit of checking their backpacks every night.

4. Check the school schedule for gym classes, art classes.

Pack what you can ahead of time. Be sure to mark all activities on the calendar. Write down everything on the calendar and also give your kids a calendar of their own so they are also aware of upcoming activities/events.

5. Routines.

Have your children practice these routines. They will become habits. Two months into the school year they will have structure and stress free mornings.

Follow these tips above and you and your family will reap the benefits of being organized. You will have more time to enjoy breakfast and spend with your family. Your kids will thank you for giving them this structure. Next week’s topic: Tips for back to school shopping.

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. Kristin has appeared on air on www.talkstreamradio.com and Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio. Her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Her CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start and is available at the locations listed here. She is also available for organizing workshops.