Summer has come to an end with its go-with-the-flow nature and lackadaisical routine. As a mom, there’s times I crave the freedom in our family schedule and routine but as fall winds roll in so does my inclination towards all things order and routine.
Shifting gears in the morning can be stressful! This is why I’m excited to share my 7 Back to School Must Haves for Stress Free Mornings.
Mornings can be a stressful time as kids and mothers adjust to a schedule again. Instead of rolling out of bed in a scurry out the door I want you to have a stress free morning with your kids! Mornings that flow with routine, a great breakfast and time to feel prepared for the day is not only important for us moms but also for our children.
Our kids need to feel prepared for their day without the rush and stress that comes with an unplanned morning routine. You know the difference in your day when it is started on the right foot. It can be the difference between a morning with kids in tears and tension you can cut with a knife and peace and a smile on everyone’s face.
I am thrilled to be partnering with PJ Masks as they have always been fun characters all kids enjoy! We called on Catboy, Owlette and Gekko to make both school and play time a breeze!
I love PJ Masks for my kids because…they have products that make your child’s day that much more positive from the tooth brush your child uses in the morning to the bowl they use for their cereal all the way to the PJ Mask shoes from Walmart they sport on their way to school! They also have fun after school activities once homework is done with PJ Masks Back to School activities.
With the trio of heroes from PJ Masks, your kids will feel ready to take on an action-packed school year with confidence!
7 Back to School Must Haves for Stress Free Mornings
- Think ahead. We can create a routine our kids can follow successfully if we put a few things in order ahead of time. Each Sunday help them select the next weeks worth of outfits and possibly lay them out. Have them put together their snacks for a week in ready to go lunch bags they can grab. Do the grocery shopping each Sunday so you are ready for the coming wekk.
- Do showers and baths at night time. We have found by doing this at night it relaxes the kids for bed and also reduces one “to-do” for the morning routine thus simplifying our schedule. Of course there are many other ways to achieve this if your family are morning shower goers. You could pre-prep breakfast at night so that you have one less task in the morning instead.
- Make a routine that is child led. Often we think we have to do all things for our children when in actuality they are capable of much more than we often give them credit for. Once we have helped them prepare for the week ahead, as mentioned above, they can take the lead in their own mornings. Use this morning routine check-off printable as a way to help your kids take ownership of their own mornings. This will reduce stress for your kids and yourself.
- Make each step special. It is amazing what a favorite cereal bowl or toothbrush can make on starting your kids day off right. The PJ Mask items serve this purpose perfectly offering your kids fun items with characters they have come to love. You could help your children pick out a favorite pair of shoes, shirt, and even cup they drink their morning juice as a way to make even the simple details of their morning that much more special.
- Be timely in your routine. Sometimes we all need reminders to stay on task. There is nothing that adds more stress to a morning like running behind. I use alarms for wake up time then help cue the kids during their morning routine as to how much time they have to achieve different tasks. An example would be that when they wake they like to eat breakfast first. We always eat at about the same time and for about 15 minutes. I will let them know when there are only 5 minutes left to move on to getting dressed for school. You can take an even more hands off approach by setting a timer for the time blocks in your morning routine.
- Be prepared for the unexpected. Do you ever feel as though no matter how hard you try, you can’t fully think of or prepare for everything? It truly is ok BUT one other thing you can do to possibly reduce morning stress is to be prepared for the unexpected. Possibly your child spills on their shirt on the way to school, they left their snack bag or water bottle behind or the weather suddenly became cold. Create a go-to crate in the back of your car full of backup snacks, water bottles and sweatshirts. This will help in those circumstances where life throws curve balls.
- Focus on the positive. Use the time you are waiting for the bus or driving to your school to reflect on the power of starting their days with gratitude. We often each mention something we are thankful for. The other thing we often do is also pick a kind act the kids would like to do for others. This creates a deeper purpose to their day.
There you have it, my 7 Back to School Must Haves for Stress Free Mornings in collaboration with all the fun of PJ Masks! When your kids know that the trio Catboy, Owlette and Gekko are rooting them on for the best back to school time ever- there is no other option other than SUCCESS!
Don’t forget that after homework is done and they’ve had some outdoor time, they can watch PJ Masks on the Disney channel or YouTube or have fun doing PJ Masks Back to School activities online.
Wishing you all a wonderful season of back to school!
