How to Create a Family Schedule for a School Morning

Creating a family schedule for school mornings is a good way to make mornings go smoothly. Parents know that getting everyone ready for school and work can be rushed and frustrating. There are effective ways to help that time run much smoother. While every idea will not work for every family these are some time-tested family schedule ideas to smooth out getting ready for a school day.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Night Schedule - Prepare Ahead Of Time
   
   A successful and stress-free school day morning starts the night before.
   • Ensure that clothing, shoes, and backpacks are ready the night before.
   • If your child likes to pick his or her own clothing, be sure it is done the night before.
   • Choose a designated area, either in the closet, on the floor, in the dresser, etc. where the next day's wardrobe will be.
   • Showers or baths can be taken right before bed to cut down on getting ready in the morning.
   
   Pack Lunches
   • If your child brings lunches to school, consider packing lunches the night before.
   • Have the kids clean out their lunch boxes and add water bottles and napkins.
   • You, or your older child, can add non-perishable food such as a baggy of chips, box of raisins, granola bar, crackers, etc.
   
   Check Your Child's Backpack
   • This may be easily forgotten, yet very important.
   • See if there is any homework.
   • Look for important notes such as a field trip notice or need for lunch money.
   • Sign papers and place them back into the backpack.
   
   Calendar: What is happening tomorrow?
   • Prepare a large calendar and put it in a centralized location.
   • Check the calendar to see what is going to happen the next day.
   • Put sports gear, dance shoes, sheet music, etc. into your child's backpack so they have everything they will need for their after school activities.

2. Family Schedule for School Morning Routine
   
   To keep the school morning organized, and as stress free as possible, you must rise early so you are ready before the kids start to stir. Here are some other tips to keep the family organized.
   
   Breakfast
   • Quick breakfasts can still be healthy if you choose the right items.
   • Toast, fruit and yogurt or a bowl of cereal are easy to prepare and quick to eat.
   • Have a rule that everyone is dressed for school before they eat breakfast.
   
   Additional Morning Routing Tips
   • Keep the television off. This keeps the household quiet so you can hear each other talk. It also avoids the distractions that cause delays.
   • Keep grooming supplies organized. Have a water bottle for 'bad hair days', a supply of hair binders since they always get lost, an extra pair of shoe laces, etc.

3. Family Schedule - Create a Chore Chart
   • Create a visual prompt which lists the morning tasks so you do not need to ask them to do these every morning. Include such tasks as making their bed, dressing, eating breakfast, brushing their teeth, fixing their hair, or any other task that happens every morning

Tips & Warnings

• Use these suggestions, and add ones that work for your family schedule, to help the school morning go as smooth as possible.

Resources

• How to Get Your Child Ready to Go Back to School

[amylaine]

on 7/11/2009 Getting to school on time has always been difficult for my boys, we will have to give some of your tips a try.

[sonni57]

on 7/8/2009 Good step by step details for a morning schedule we can all use this.