It's hard to believe August is here, and the summer is winding down. The end of this summer is particularly bittersweet for us because our oldest is starting kindergarten this year!
I am so excited for her and for the beginning of this new adventure for all of us. But I know our world is about to be turned upside-down for the next few months as we settle into elementary school.
I'm hoping some of the systems and routines we started in preschool will help us have a relatively smooth start to the year so that we can really take in and enjoy all that is in store!
Morning Routine
1. Plan breakfasts and lunches for the week.
We include breakfast and lunch in our weekly meal plan.
Our breakfast and lunch plans are not as detailed as our dinner plans - just more of a jumping off point to keep us from repeating the same foods every day for breakfast and lunch. Going into the morning knowing what's for breakfast and lunch saves a lot of time and frees a lot of mental space.
I know some people really like to prepare school lunches the night before, and that's great if that system works best for you. I personally prefer like making lunches in the morning, but do whatever helps your morning run the most smoothly!
2. Create a morning checklist.
After breakfast, I tell my kids to go upstairs and do their list.
My oldest is able to do this independently. My 3-year-old still needs some help, so I go with him to assist as needed.
We started this routine toward the end of preschool, and continued it through the summer. It has made such a huge difference in getting out of our house in the mornings. A lot less yelling, and a lot less stress, to say the least!
3. Plan outfits for the week.
On Sundays, I pick out my kids' outfits for the week.
(I'm trying to be better about doing this for myself, too!) My oldest will have a uniform at her new school, so that really simplifies this step!
Paper Organization
4. Establish a system for the stream of papers.
Once school starts, the stream of papers coming into the house is endless. Having a system in place for managing these papers has been very helpful for me.
I currently have two "inbox" trays. One is for papers that need to be filed and the other is for papers that need action (e.g. papers that need to be signed and returned to school).
With two preschoolers, however, the majority of papers that come home are the kids' work. I go into detail about our system for these papers in this post on how I display and organize my kids' schoolwork.
Closets and Clothes
5. Clean out the closets!
This is a great time to clean out closets! I assess what my kids already have, what they need, what can be donated, sold, etc. Anything that I'm saving for the baby goes in a bin in the attic.
I do this sort of closet inventory about four times a year. I was recently talking to a friend about this, and she told me I'm a "wardrobe shopper." This works well for me because I really only need to think about clothes for the kids a few times a year. However, this might be why I don't actually have any clothes myself...haha. Anyway, I'm getting off topic! That can be a blog post for another time!
I hope some of these ideas were helpful for you and your family.
Enjoy these final weeks of summer!
xoxo
Erin
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