Do you ever feel like school mornings are just a chaotic rush? I feel like the entire last year (first year of school for both my kids, and first year of being a school Mum for me) was a rollercoaster that I was barely staying on top of! These long holidays have given me plenty of time to think about how I can make this year smoother and less stressful. I feel like planning and being organised will free up a heap of time, especially with well planned meals. I am hoping to do all my prep on Sundays and minimal fuss in the kitchen during the week, when we are all busy. Here are ten tips I am hoping will make my life, and yours, easier this school year.
10 Tips on How to Get Organised for the School Week
Easy to do tips for a calmer household…….
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Use a Weekly Planner
Writing out a weekly plan and having it on the fridge is a great way for everyone to stay organised and know what is on each day. My kids do a lot of sport, as well as things like library or sports day at school, plus I need notes for myself re: appointments or work plans. This planner is great for putting all this information into one place, including dinner and lunchbox plans.
You can order a copy here, print as many copies as you like, or laminate one and use a whiteboard marker pen.
2. Set up a School Bag Station
The kids and I put this together today. Last year I used an IKEA cube shelf as pigeon holes for the kids, but I found it got messy really quickly as the kids could just shove their stuff into the shelves. The artwork piles up really quickly in the first few years of school, so I wanted a better plan for it. The 3 boxes on the the bottom shelf (from Kikki K) are to put all their artwork and then at the end of each term, photograph and recycle it (maybe just keep a couple in a scrapbook).
The stand is from Mocka, it’s called the Jimmy Organiser and you can get it here. It’s actually really quite small, so perfect for the kids to be able to hang up their own bags. Backpacks, lunch coolers and water bottles are from Pottery Barn Kids, they are really great quality, the kids have been using these for 6 months of last year and still in perfect condition. I managed to get mine at 25% off, so keep an eye out for sales! The water bottle is from Earth Bottles and the large white plant pot is from Kmart.
3. Plan Lunchboxes
By planning your lunchboxes for the week, means you think about them on one day, shop the ingredients and then can just run on auto pilot during the week. It’s also a great way to reduce waste, by planning your lunches and dinners at the same time. For example, my kids will be having Quesadillas on Wednesday, using the leftover soft tacos from dinner on Tuesday night. Once the week is planned, you could also cut up most of your fruit and veggies, making healthy options the easy ones. Having cut up celery sticks, watermelon or grapes at eye level is a great motivator for healthy eating.
Get the Kids Eat by Shanai Lunchbox Planner here.
4. Lunchboxes and Drink Bottles
Stock up on good quality lunchboxes and drink bottles, your kids will be using them everyday, so you want them to be non toxic and non waste, such as re usable sandwich bags. These are some of my favourites pictured below, or there is a really great collection on the Biome website here.
The insulated soup containers with the cute ballerinas are from Pottery Barn Kids, then there is Yumbots, Little Lunchbox Co and Yumbox.
5. Have some healthy after school snacks available
Especially when the kids have after school sports. My Snappy, Crackly + Poppy Rice Bubble Slice is great for lunchboxes or after school, you want something easy to grab and delicious, to avoid loading up on store bought muesli bars or processed foods, easy homemade is best (I think).
Here is a list of a heap of other great snack options for after school, just plan a head and fill your freezer where you can.
6. Have a Dinner Plan
This one really takes the stress out of afternoons, you can do one big shop a week and prep meals ahead. I am doing my meal planning term by term, so for Term 1 of school we will be having the same thing every Monday, Tuesday etc. I fell like this way I won’t have to think about dinners for a whole 10 weeks! This is how our week will look; Mondays – sausages on the BBQ, Tuesdays – tacos, Wednesdays – pork noodles, Thursdays – chicken wings & salad, Fridays – Beef & Broccoli Stroganoff, then any leftovers over the weekend.
Kids Eat by Shanai Dinner Planner.
7. Organise your fridge
An organised fridge is probably more important than your pantry. The fridge is by far used the most and having an organised fridge helps so much with prepping all your meals. Create sections for each meal, this way the kids can learn to get their own breakfast and snacks. Invest in some clear plastic containers, like these from Kmart. I am using them for snacks and also filling with breakfasts foods, so my kids can get up and start breakfasts themselves. Things like; bananas, grapes, watermelon, pancakes, cheese, ham and yoghurt. The kids love doing it themselves and I found them cutting up bananas and decorating their pancakes this morning.
8. Set a morning routine
A morning routine that everyone knows and understands can help reduce yelling in the mornings, having it on the fridge with pictures for young kids is a great idea, especially one where they can mark off as they do things. Some parents decide no TV in the morning until everyone is ready, I am pretty relaxed as long as everyone is getting ready, if things start to slow down too much then the TV goes off. My kids get up and can start breakfast themselves, which is great.
9. Have a calendar near the Kitchen – with EVERYTHING on it
I am in love with these giant A3 wall calendars from Kikki K, I first started using them last year and went through the whole thing in January and put in everyones birthday, school holidays, dentist appointments etc and have it stuck right near the fridge in the kitchen. It works perfectly, especially when I remember to look at it! I just give us each a column to add things each person has on, the other columns I use for Visitors, Birthdays, Sports and Bills.
10. Have a homework plan
Even if it’s just readers for little kids, it’s good to get into a routine and find the best time for your family to do homework. Some find it best straight from school, as soon as they unpack their bag and before they do anything else. Others, who do lots of after school sport, or have active kids, prefer to get their kids straight outside burning off any energy, so later in the evening works better for them. Others find time gets away from them in the evening, but everyone is up early, so they do homework before school. Every family is different and once you find what works for you, make it a bit of a routine, kids like knowing whats happening and when.
That’s it! I hope this helps and if you have any other tips you swear by share with us all below…….
Jimmy Organiser from Mocka
Backpacks, Lunchboxes & Water Bottles from Pottery Barn Kids
Large Water Bottle from Earth Bottles
A4 White Storage Box from Kikki K
Yumbox Lunchbox
Insulated Soup Container from Pottery Barn Kids
Yumbox Lunchbox
Yumbots Lunchbox
Little Lunchbox Co Lunchbox
Clear Fridge Trays from Kmart
Wall Calendar from Kikki K
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