Raising Kids Back-to-School Planning Guide Back-to-School Planning Guide Overview Getting Organized Setting Goals Morning Routines School-Day Structure Shopping Lists Choosing a Backpack Homework Schedules Time of Firsts First-Day Rituals First-Day School Signs First-Day Nerves Culturally Affirmative Schools After-School Question Hairstyle Ideas Preschool Checklist Going Back Easing Anxiety Behavior Improvement Making New Friends New Etiquette Supporting Success Detaching from Quarantine Distanced Learning Impact Socializing This Year Perspectives Principals Teachers Parents Kids Therapists Staying Healthy Staying Healthy Nutritious Breakfasts Lunch Ideas Healthy Snacks Brain Breaks Physical Activity How to Create a Successful Morning Routine for School By Laureen Miles Brunelli Laureen Miles Brunelli LinkedIn Laureen Miles Brunelli is an experienced online writer and editor, specializing in content for parents who work at home. Learn about our editorial process Updated on July 22, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Family articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and family healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Ann-Louise T. Lockhart, PsyD, ABPP Medically reviewed by Ann-Louise T. Lockhart, PsyD, ABPP Facebook LinkedIn Ann-Louise T. Lockhart, PsyD, ABPP, is a board-certified pediatric psychologist, parent coach, author, speaker, and owner of A New Day Pediatric Psychology, PLLC. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Verywell / Nusha Ashjaee Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Wake Up Early Prep the Night Before Learn to Delegate Don't Sweat Breakfast Have a Checklist Give Kids an Incentive Next in Back-to-School Planning Guide How Your Child Should Spend Their Time on Each School Day Those first mornings of the school year can be tough. But if you don't get an efficient school morning routine in place as the kids go back to school, it may not get better later in the school year. Plan and streamline your school morning routine, and you will get everyone back to school with less stress. Wake Up Early On the first days back to school, start your morning 15 to 20 minutes earlier than you think you need to. As the school year goes on, you may be able to adjust your wake-up times. But having a little extra time is a great cushion for those unexpected hiccups everyone experiences. Some parents find that it's helpful for them to get up earlier than their kids, especially if they are trying to get out the door to work. Figure out how much interruption-free time you need before your kids get up. For instance, do you need your morning coffee before you see their bright, cheery faces? Of course, other parents can roll out of bed, wake their kids, and get started on the day together. Regardless of what works for your family, a few extra minutes in the morning as you adjust to the beginning of the school year can be a real lifesaver. Wake-up time is directly related to bedtime, especially with younger kids. You may want to start the school year with an early bedtime and adjust later if it seems warranted. If, during the pandemic, your schedule was much more relaxed, establishing a morning routine could be a bit of a challenge initially. But making a point to wake up early and get started on the day without rushing will be beneficial for your family. Get It Done the Night Before For a smooth school morning, it helps to plan ahead. Encourage your kids to do what they can the night before. Before bed, make sure lunches are packed, clothes are laid out, breakfast is planned, devices are charging, and homework and other necessities are packed for school. Some families find that taking showers and baths in the evenings are helpful, especially if your kids still need help with these. If this is the case for your family, consider making these things part of the kids' bedtime routine. Depending on your child's age, they may be able to do many of these tasks on their own, with supervision from you. Encouraging kids to prepare for the next day teaches important life skills like independence and time management. So don't shy away from assigning your kids some of this work. Many families find it useful to have a designated space in their home where they keep everything that is needed for the next day: backpacks, chargers, electronics, keys, shoes, water bottles, and any other necessities. Doing so saves them from running around the house the next morning looking for what they need. Learn to Delegate When kids are little, parents often do most everything for them, and sometimes they just stay in that habit even as they get older. A new school year is an ideal time to take a look at your child's skills and add new jobs to their morning routine. Start practicing over the summer or on the weekends first. Teaching new skills on a hectic school morning may not be effective. If you want your kids to take care of a chore that you've previously done for them, like feeding the dog, making their own lunch, or getting dressed, spend time teaching these skills when you're not rushed. Don't try to squeeze lessons into an already busy school morning. Don't Sweat Breakfast Verywell / Nusha Ashjaee While it's true that breakfast is important—some even argue that it's the most important meal of the day—it doesn't have to create extra pressure for you or your kids. Plan some easy breakfast meals that you can have on hand for your family. Aside from cereal and milk, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, fruit, oatmeal, whole-grain bread or waffles, and smoothies make great breakfast options and are easy to grab in a rush. You even can make use of the breakfast offered by your child's school or daycare, if this option is offered. The key is that you aren't allowing breakfast to throw a wrench into getting the day started. Another way to solve breakfast issues is to ask your kids what they want for breakfast the night before. Some kids can't plan that far in advance, but just starting them thinking can be helpful. Kids will respond much better if they know the night before that you're out of their favorite cereal, rather than when they are still foggy from sleep. Make having breakfast every day a priority. Not only will it help nourish your kids, but it gives them a good start for the day and will allow them the energy they need to adjust to a new school year. Have a Checklist Trying to remember everything that needs to be done can be a challenge, especially at the beginning of the school year. Some families find it useful to develop a checklist for their morning routine. You might include items such as: Brush hair and teethWash faceGet dressedEat breakfastPut on shoesGrab lunch and devicesDouble-check backpackUse the bathroomTurn off the lights Even after kids get used to all the elements of the morning routine, you may need to double-check to be sure all the items have been completed. Some kids like to skip steps, like brushing their teeth. Life Skills to Start Teaching Your Kids at an Early Age Give Kids an Incentive Sometimes kids need a little more motivation to get through their morning routines, especially if they don't like school, are grumpy in the mornings, or are simply slow movers. To keep your mornings from becoming a battle, consider developing some incentives for your kids to get ready on time. For instance, some kids will be sure they accomplish all their tasks if they know they are going to be allowed to play a game, read a book, or watch television before school. If you plan to motivate your kids with these types of rewards, make sure you build in a little extra time so they can enjoy them. Having some time to relax before school can be a great way to decompress and may even help facilitate better focus and learning. A Word From Verywell You may need to tinker with your morning routine until it works for everyone involved. Be creative in your solutions and do what works best for your family. There are no right and wrong answers when it comes to establishing your family's morning routine. With a little time and creativity, you will soon have a morning routine that works for the entire family. Recommended School Day Structure Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Get expert tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 1 Source Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Spence C. Breakfast: The most important meal of the day?. Int J Gastron Food Sci. 2017;8:1-6. doi:10.1016/j.ijgfs.2017.01.003