Going back to work as a preschool teacher, the kids starting back to school and gearing up for fall sessions had me slightly anxious the last couple of weeks. I will be out the door early starting tomorrow (eek!), but turtles move faster than me in the morning, so I needed to put some steps in place to lessen the chaos of the morning rush.
Here's how I prepped to get back into full swing this September and make the transition back to busier routines easier on all of us!
1. Organized High Traffic Areas
I decluttered and organized the most used areas in our home that have the most impact on the morning feeling chaotic. For us, that was the lunch container cupboard, the fridge, bathroom cabinet, wardrobes and my hair and makeup stuff. If organizing an entire space is overwhelming, choose one part of the room to start.
2. Capsule Wardrobe
I've wanted to do this for a long time, and I'm sad I waited so long to do it. I get dressed so quickly and easily now by keeping only the clothing I wear daily in my closet. The rest is in another closet that I can venture to when I want to wear something for date night or girls' night out. Short on closet space? You can use a garment rack or put all of the most used clothing at the beginning of your closet, so it's all in a convenient location for you to pick from. I get decision fatigue, so having fewer choices makes my brain happy, especially in the morning.
3. Family Check-In
We've been having short family discussions about what the changes to the routine will be and what the kids can expect. We are also checking to see how they are feeling about going back to school and offering support and guidance to them to help with the first-day jitters.
4. Batch Cooking
I am, by no means, a meal prep wizard. But, I've noticed that if I batch cook a protein or two, I eat much better throughout the week. I've been doing this for the last few weeks, and it's made lunch prep so easy! I like to pair it with a salad kit to save time.
5. Kids Room Clean-Up
I didn't know if I would have time or energy to get to this, but my parents offered to take the kids spontaneously this weekend for a day, which freed us up to tackle this big project. I always sleep so much better when my room is clean, so I hope this will also help them, especially as they experience a big transition. If anything, it's sparked their interest in their toys again, and everything is neat and easy to access.
Let me know if any of these tips are helpful for you! I could talk about organizing all day long; if you have a question about it, feel free to send it my way.
And if you're planning on taking some photos of your kiddos tomorrow on their first day back, here's a post from last year about DIY'ing back to school photos with a link to some important safety tips!
Lots of love and well wishes for a smooth transition this September!