I think we’ve all reached the point where we’re done talking about back to school and now we’re forced to do something about it. This may include, but is not limited to:
Shopping. I adore back to school shopping! Crisp notebooks, stylish clothes, the latest in technology and two very opinionated boys who want it all. Our back to school shopping begins in August and is a month-long celebration, loosely known as “pawning off the kids to someone else for 10 months.”
Strength Conditioning. For your hands. Because come September, there WILL be forms to sign. Mountains and mountains of forms to sign. Last year, I briefly considered ordering a personalized stamp with my name and phone number, so I wouldn’t have to fill out my information 1,734 times.
Lunches. For moms of young ones, get ready to make lunches. And with two boys in elementary school, I’ll make 388 lunches before June 2017. Normally this wouldn’t faze me, but then I consider that I’ll actually have made almost 4,000 lunches by the time the kids go to high school. Hold me.
The Morning Rush. My least favourite part come September. There is a lot of stress involved with getting my kids off to school! While Ryder is an early riser, he dilly-dallys and wastes time playing with toys instead of eating breakfast. Reid, on the other hand, needs to be woken up at least five times, threatened twice, and finally, sprinkled with cold water on occasion. It’s torture.
This year, I’m going to minimize the stress of the morning rush by employing a few techniques to keep me organized and the kids happy. For the first time ever, I’m committing to making lunches the night before. I know it will free up precious time in the morning and it’s a good habit to model for when the boys start to make their own lunches.
Second, I’m going to be stricter on bedtimes. One of the main reasons Reid has such trouble waking up is because he takes a long time to go to sleep. It’s important for me to start the bedtime ritual earlier so he can get his full rest by the time the alarm goes off in the morning.
Finally, I’m starting to pay more attention to breakfast, and the quality, quantity and variety of foods that my boys eat. Thankfully, they love fruits and dairy products, especially iÖGO nanö.
iÖGO nanö is ultra-convenient and perfect for our busy mornings. The yogurt is smooth, delicious and available in a variety of formats my kids love: pouch, tube, cup or spill-proof drink.
I routinely pack iÖGO nanö tubes and drinks with an ice-pack in the boys’ lunches, and the yogurt cups make the perfect, nutritious addition to their breakfasts. The fun product packaging and flavours are easy to find in most supermarkets and my kids love the smooth fruity taste. There’s also a NEW line of flavours that mix fruit with vegetables like blueberry & beet and peach & carrot.
Reid is most fond of iÖGO nanö banana yogurt cups. I’m fond of the fact that there are no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives – plus iÖGO nanö is made with real fruit. And, if it means that I’m not chasing after him to eat breakfast in the morning, it’s a win-win all ‘round.
Do you love iÖGO nanö? Beginning on September 6th, you’ll have a chance to win 1 of 2 Back-to-School Prize Packs ($250 VISA + iÖGO vouchers) in the #ReadySetNanö Contest. All you have to do is tweet a photo of your child’s first day of school, using #ReadySetNanö, to be eligible to win.
Tell me: How do you minimize the stress of the morning rush in your home?
Although this post has been generously sponsored by iÖGO, the opinions and language are my own.
Great post! Love the pictures of your boys, especially Reid sticking his tongue out at Ryder!
oh my gosh. first of all I will experience much of this as my oldest is starting school this year so I can just imagine all the great things I have to look forward to. secondly omg that first picture. couldn’t help but chuckle lol
I am not looking forward to lunches! Ugh.
I always had my routine, which was the girls were in bed at 8pm every night, and I always made the lunches the night before, but then I also left for work at 1am so my husband was home with them in the mornings, so the most I could do the night before was better for everyone! going to bed early is a big one though!!
We always stick to routine during the school year! My grandson loves this iogo drink!
We have the same morning rush goals! lol I try to make the lunch the day of simply so it is nice and fresh, but since I am hoping to make more of a variety rather than just sandwiches, many of the meals should be ok to be made the night before. Picking out clothes the night before and packing the backpack (well – having my son do all that) is key too.
Great post. I agree that getting the lunches ready the night before can really be helpful. I don’t have kids, but when we were kids it was done that way. It was part of the after dinner routine and we all had responsibilities to help with the amount we did increasing as we got older, until the point that Mom only pointed out what was available and needed to be used up for lunches.
coffee. lots of coffee.
That first picture is so good. It made me laugh.
Love that first pick!
We have a strict routine and stuck with it,its the best for everyone here.
I love the iÖGO nanö tubes – they are great as a frozen treat too!!!!
No matter how prepared you are, something always throws a monkey wrench into your schedule
a personalized stamp is a great idea! saves your poor hand from cramping ;)
an alarm clock that wakes you with a gentle light is less stressful than an annoying buzzer
I love making a routine to minimize the stress in the morning
They are adorable!! And…COFFEE.
Prepping is key, like making breakfast (we love overnight oats) and lunches as you mentioned, definitely reduces the stress of our morning rush.
The way I made mornings easier was making sure I got up at least 30mins earlier than my kids so when the chaos hit I already had my morning coffee!
We just started back to school and I find picking out clothes the night before helps for a better morning as my girl has melt downs sometimes when we are rushing to get dressed.
getting stuff ready at night is one of the best ways to get things flowing easier in the morning.
thank you for these tips as we head back to school for another year!
Those are all great ideas to reduce morning stress! I always make lunches the night before and am very strict with bedtimes!
Really great tips! And I just love that photo of your boys! I make sure the lunches are ready the night before and the clothes too, so we are not so rushed in the morning.
Prep the night before and have the kiddos take responsibility for some of their own items.
Thanks for the tips! Your boys are adorable!! Love the first pic! lol
Glad this is no longer part of my life, but it was fun, at times
We are very strict about bedtime here. Miss K has to have “5 extra minutes” every morning. Then after being horizontal for like 10 hours in bed, she needs to then get up and lay on the couch for 15 mins. This, this is how it’s been for 2 school years. I’ve resigned myself to the fact this is her nature, so now I wake her 20 mins earlier… so she can squeeze in her ‘wake up’ routine lol
I hope first day went amazing for the boys!
we pick out the clothes the night before
my son isn’t in school yet but i try to make my lunch the night before and make sure my bag is by the front door so I don’t forget anything.
Getting prepared for back to school is definitely a big job. LOVE their back to school faces!
those expressions are priceless
Great tips especially the bedtime because kids need lots of sleep