Back to School routines

Confession: I’m a recovering perfectionist ex-teacher who lived by systems, rules and organization. It was great for the classroom because the kids knew what to expect from me and what I expected from them. Everything had a home and that’s where I better find it at the end of the day. Playdoh colors were not mixed. Books were put on the shelf spine out according to reading level. Crayons and makers and pencils and glue sticks may have all lived in the same bucket but they were not to cross their designated sections.

This made for a beautiful classroom year after year where things were not often lost and my students learned what I’d still say were very important lessons in responsibility and function.

But then I became a mom. Where we live among the playdoh and the crayons and the teeny tiny pieces of toys and I realized: control does not work here. I have lost the power of my classroom dictatorship.

I’ve tried to fight it. I’ve organized closets and drawers and cabinets so many times it makes my eyes cross. I’ve gone through with trash bags and collected the clutter and things my children find so necessary to hoard. I’ve labeled and used pictures and taught them where things belong.

And then I realized I am the only one who cares. And I learned to let go.

(ok, not of the trash bag sweep. That still brings me immense joy.)

As we head into “Back to School” season - which truly feels like a season all on it’s own - I’m going to try something new. Instead of trying to control the every day, we are going to focus on overall systems. Yes, these are still guidelines we’ll need to commit to. But instead of having to do all the things every day which, let’s be honest, I can’t even keep up with as a generally well-functioning adult, we will have a pre-set schedule to know what happens when. This means my kitchen island will be a dumping zone and there will be children in my bathroom and I will have extra work to do on the weekends. However, if all of this can be a trade-off for kids who feel less anxious, more empowered and happier in the hustle of life, it’s worth every bit of deep breathing it will require.

So here are some routines we’re going to use this year. Feel free to borrow, edit or leave them alone. If you have some to add, drop them in the comments below or over on my Instagram feed - share your goodness with each other so we can all pick and choose what works best for our families.

⭐️ LUNCHES: PACKED ON SUNDAY + SET FOR THE WEEK. I bought plastic (not $34 bento box) divided trays, some colorful silicone cups and a few plastic toothpicks for enticing my children to actually eat the veggies. I’ll prepare on Sunday, stack em in the fridge and be done.

🍎 Each morning, the kids will be responsible for grabbing their box, choosing a snack from the cabinet & filling their water bottle. And getting it all in the backpack.

🥒 Lunches will include a variety of food options. Truthfully, this is accountability for me to move out of daily PBJ and applesauce pouches with cheese sticks. I’m not saying we won’t have “pre-packaged lunch day” ever but ideally I can make it the exception, not the rule.

🥪 Prep will be simple and sustainable for me as the preparer. Edible eyes + curly carrot ribbons + cookie cutter shapes? Love that journey for you but it’s a no from me, madam.

⭐️ CLOTHES: PICKED ON SUNDAY + SET FOR THE WEEK. One of the biggest and most frequent battles we fought last year was the choosing of clothes each morning because they didn’t match perfectly or feel right or fit into one’s personal sense of style. This year, we choose once (a la The Lazy Genius).

👗 5 outfits will be matched and chosen, including shoes + accessories. They will hang in the closet in the same place every week. Each morning, those are the selections. May the odds be ever in your favor.

🧥 A hoodie will stay in the backpack for the week in case it’s cold in the classroom. Each child has 2 hoodies chosen from our beloved Target so we can wash and swap them out.

👚 There will be one set of pajamas for the week. This includes what we like to call “comfy clothes.” If you wear pajama pants after your shower but not to bed, so be it. But one pair for the week. You don’t get that dirty on the couch in front of the TV.

⭐️ CLEANING: SET DAYS FOR BOTH OUR BODIES + OUR THINGS. This is the one that requires me to let go the most as it will mean overlooking things in the day-to-day.

🚿 Showers will happen on Sunday after church and on Tuesday/Thursday immediately after school. For us, this needs to happen before the end of the day when everyone is too tired to function.

🧺 Each child has a basket on the stairs to collect their things throughout the week. When I find something that isn’t where it belongs, I toss it in the basket and move on with my life.

🧹 On Saturdays, after an easy TV morning and breakfast, all the things of the week will be put away. This includes the aforementioned baskets, clean laundry and whatever happens to be decorating the floor of your bedroom. The length of time will be determined by how much stuff you have accumulated during the week.

I have most certainly left out a lot of things but this list was chosen based on our family battles from previous school years. Maybe you need routines around homework or activities instead of personal hygiene and fashion. My advice to you is, don’t try to adopt every available system and tip that’s out there, no matter how great and efficient it sounds. Focus on what will make your family life easier and set your kids up for success - not just academically but for their emotional and mental health as well.

Everything else, including the playdoh colors, you can let go.