Time flies when you’re having fun, and summer is already coming to an end! Many of you have already gone back to school, but some of us still have a couple more weeks left of lazy days before the chaos of the school year starts. Here are some tips for making the transition from summer to school a bit easier on all of us! You’ll want to read all the way through because at the end, I have a SURPRISE for you!!

Ease The Family Into A School Year Schedule
Start getting everyone used to earlier bedtimes – and earlier wake up times. Do this NOW! A few days or even a week before is not enough time to get everyone used to the new routine. And this applies to us MOMS too!! Waking up extra early to get kids ready, breakfast made, etc. will take some getting used to. The kiddos don’t need Momzilla on the first day of school!

Plan & Discuss Morning Routines
Make sure everyone knows how the mornings are going to roll! Set clothes out the night before, including socks and shoes. If you have multiple children sharing a bathroom, avoid bathroom wars by making a schedule of who gets to go when – a timer is your friend here! Wake children up with more than enough time to handle business, and that includes time for eating a healthy breakfast. In our house, I always allow for extra time in case of a morning melt-down (yes, even my 5th grader still has these occasionally!).

Plan Night Before Routines
If it can get done the night before, DO IT! This will save a lot of time and heartache in the mornings. Lay out clothes, make lunches, make sure all paperwork is signed, and pack backpacks (make sure homework and library books are in there).

Do a Practice Run
The first day of school is not the time to discover it actually takes fifteen minutes to walk to school, not ten! Do a practice walk, bike ride, drive to make sure you’re giving yourself and the kiddos enough time to get to school. On the first day, leave extra early because if your school is anything like ours, it will be packed with parents!

Make A Calendar Central
All those papers, calendars, lunch menus, etc. can get overwhelming! A family calendar is a MUST!! Write down all the important dates (and there will be a lot of them at the beginning of the school year) and organize all papers in folders or a binder that is easily accessible AND VISIBLE.

OK! Hopefully those tips will help make the transition back to school a bit easier! And to make it more fun, I’m giving away a FREE set of printable lunch box notes!! My gift to you, wishing you and your children an awesome school year filled with love, learning and adventure!!

All you have to do is download the PDF file, print them out and drop one in your child’s lunch box! Our babies love to know we’re thinking about them, even when they’re gone, so this is just a fun little way to make them smile and remind them how amazing they are and how much they are LOVED!

To download the Girls Lunch Box Notes, click HERE.
To download the Boys Lunch Box Notes, click HERE.

Enjoy! And here’s to a very blessed school year for all of us!