4 Habits I Started With My Kids To Get Back Into A School Routine

me
Jumpsuit: Worthington Sleeveless Jumpsuit (XS / size down) – on sale! (similar)
Shoes: Dolce Vita ‘Noles’ sandals (similar)
Bag: Liz Claiborne ‘Claudia’ Satchel – on sale! (similar)

Mei
Dress: Knit Works Dress + Vest (4-5 / size down) – on sale!
Shoes: Arizona Glitter Sandals (TTS) – on sale!

Dylan
Top: Arizona Graphic Tee (size down) – on sale $5!!
Bottom: Arizona Jogger Shorts (size down) – on sale $10!

The kids start school next Tuesday and I can’t even believe summer is coming to a close so soon! This summer we had less on our calendars but it was actually a much-appreciated change of pace for all of us.  Instead of the kids being in all-day camps, we only did half days and it’s actually been really wonderful having them at home more.  The kids are going back in person and even though things will still be different this year with the pandemic being a major concern, we’re nonetheless very excited that the kids will be able to see their friends and I’ll be able to reclaim some more productive work time during the day as well!

We’ve kept a pretty loose version of our typical schedule for the kids, but I’ll be the first to admit that we’ve definitely veered into letting them stay up later than usual and I’ve also gotten lax about a few routines I need in place for myself to keep everything running smoothly.  Now that the countdown is on for school, I’m sharing 4 habits that we’ve added back to get ourselves ready for the school-year transition!

Get Your Organization On Point

Summer days are always filled with pool time, vacations, and late-nights watching movies, so our home is in need of some major cleaning and sorting.  Before the start of school every year, I will always take inventory of the kids’ closets first and toss out clothes that they’ve outgrown as well as take inventory of any new pieces that they might need.  I love the back-to-school shopping aspect of getting ready for a new school year, but for me I don’t let myself shop until the closet clean-out happens first!

I am a bit OCD when it comes to organizing a closet (see my post on Amazon organization hacks!) but I also like to have their clothes split out between seasons with each section sorted by color in rainbow order.  I actually do find that having this sort of organization in place even helps the kids when they’re looking for certain items as they get dressed and makes the morning routine go so much more smoothly!

I created a roundup of a few back-to-school outfits from JCPenney recently and wanted to share these here in case you’re looking for affordable

graphic tee | polka dot shorts | blue polka dot dress | denim jacket
pink puma sneakers | peppa pig sneakers | yellow jumpsuit

shop this collage

When it comes to organization, I also have a mini work area for the kids to do their schoolwork and part of our daily habit is also making sure that this area is cleaned and ready to go!  I make sure that I have the pantry well-stocked for snack time and our fridge is organized to make mealtimes quicker.  Carving out time at the end of each day to make sure the house is “back at parity” is one of the habits that has always helped me!

Set a Morning Alarm

For months now I’ve been able to get away with not setting an alarm for myself or the kids, but this week I turned the alarm back on and am slowly pushing back the time earlier and earlier to make sure that we’ll be able to get up in time for school.  Having this early morning alarm actually ends up getting us all to bed earlier as initially we might be getting less sleep than usual while we adjust our sleep schedule, but I find that in a week, we’re right where we need to be when it comes to bedtime!

Bookmark Slow Cooker / Easy Prep Meals

Our dinner time often gets pushed back in the summertime as the kids are usually playing outside later and meals can translate into throwing some burgers on the grill (which also translates into Adrian cooking instead of me! ).  But to get back onto a school schedule, I gotta make sure I have some quick meals bookmarked.  My Pinterest boards for slow cooker and Instant Pot recipes is key for me!

Have Nightly Chats

This is a habit that I’ve had with my kids since they were small and it’s my hands-down my favorite.  I keep a pretty solid bedtime routine with the kids and at the end is always book time followed by time for us to share what’s on our mind.  With the school year transition on the horizon, it’s important for me to take this time and see if my kids might be anxious or nervous about the changes coming soon.  We don’t always have time for these deeper conversations during the day but nighttime has always been the time for us to slow down, reflect, and talk about things.