Does this morning routine sound familiar to you? You’re rushing around, already 10 minutes behind schedule, when your student tells you that you need to sign a permission slip. Meanwhile, your youngest child can’t find their shoes, and you’re still figuring out what to pack in both of their lunch bags.
The rush to get everyone dressed, fed, and out the door on time can be tough for any parent. Thankfully, there are some steps you can take to make your mornings run smoothly. Many tasks can be completed the night before, removing some stress from your busy mornings!
Effective morning routines can set the stage for student success. A well-structured and predictable morning routine can:
- Improve your child’s focus
- Reduce your child’s stress
- Encourage strong organization and time management skills
- Promote healthy habits
- Ensure that your child is prepared for the school day ahead
Check out our tips below for transforming your school day morning routine.
Create a morning checklist
A checklist can help you find the best school morning routine for your family. To create your morning checklist, simply list out all of the tasks that need to be done daily before leaving your house in the morning. Examples include getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing teeth, and double-checking backpacks for all necessary school supplies. Hang your checklist up in the kitchen or near the front door so that you will see it every morning.
Checklists can be a great way to promote independence in younger kids. By having a checklist to follow each morning, they feel empowered to take responsibility for their own morning tasks.
Organize your space
To streamline your morning routine for school, try to keep your student’s essentials as organized as possible. You should have a designated space in your home where your student can store things like their backpack, water bottle, shoes, etc. By teaching your child to store their essentials in the same spot each day, you can avoid last-minute hunts for misplaced items as you’re trying to get out the door.
At BASIS Charter School, we reinforce the importance of organization during the school day. Our students begin moving from classroom to classroom for different subjects beginning in grade 1, so it’s essential that they keep their supplies organized!
Lay out the next day’s school outfit
Save a little extra time in the mornings by laying out clothes the night before. You can even take it a step further by planning outfits for the entire week on Sunday night. If your child is picking out their own outfits, encourage them to keep in mind what the weather will be like for the upcoming week.
Review school material the night before
Instead of waiting until the morning, set aside time in the evening to sit down with your child and sign any time-sensitive materials, review Communication Journals, etc. This is also a good time to make sure that your child has packed up everything they’ll need for the following day.
Prepare food in advance
When possible, try to prepare lunches and snacks in advance. You can even prepare a huge batch of lunches on the weekend that will last the whole week. Many breakfast options can be prepped in advance, too. Experiment with a few new recipes to see what works for your family.
Get plenty of sleep
When your child gets quality sleep, they will be more likely to wake up easily in the morning. Additionally, sleep boosts your child’s mood and improves their concentration throughout the day. Do your best to make sure your child is sticking to their bedtime and getting plenty of sleep each night. Don’t forget about your own sleep habits, either. It will be difficult to get your family out the door in the morning if you are tired and groggy.
By following these school morning routine tips, you can be sure to start your day off on a positive note. Give these tips a try and see what sticks!
At BASIS Charter Schools, we believe that a smooth morning routine can lay the foundation for a productive school day. We love when our students come to school engaged and ready to learn! At the same time, we recognize that it’s up to us to keep the positive momentum going throughout the school day. Every BASIS Charter School campus works hard to create a supportive and positive community where all students are inspired to reach their highest potential.
Our network of high-performing, tuition-free public charter schools has 40 campuses across Arizona, Louisiana, Texas and Washington, D.C. Find a school near you and schedule a tour to see for yourself why BASIS is the #1 public charter school network in the U.S.!
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