Nothing sets my day off on the wrong foot like a crazy morning getting everyone out the door! There's yelling, sometimes crying, and frustration all around that can easily be avoided by just doing a few more things the night before. Now, that's not to say I am always like, "YES! It's 8 p.m. and all I want to do is go to bed but I am so excited to prepare for tomorrow instead!" However, I am ALWAYS so happy when I take the few extra minutes to prepare for the next day. Here is what we typically do the night before so the next morning is smooth sailing.
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Make lunches! This, for me, is the worst part of having kids in school. Especially picky kids that don't often like what is for hot lunch. But it is so nice to have this done and ready to go in the morning.- Lay out clothes. Check the weather and then lay everything out. I even do this for myself if I have somewhere to be early in the morning.
- Backpacks packed and ready to go (minus the lunch). Library book due? It's in there the night before. Permission slip due? Check! Anything that is going to school the next day is in there and ready to go.
- Plans for after school are talked about. For example, Ty has practice and is walking home. Ella has a dentist appointment and I am picking her up. Jack is walking home with a neighbor. I'll remind them of these things usually in the morning too, but we talk about it the night before so nothing is a surprise.
I am by no means perfect. There are nights when I am just too tired to make lunches, but I always regret not doing it the next morning. And, bonus, these are all things the kids can help with too. I promise you won't regret doing any of these things, even if you just do one or two of them. It'll make your morning less crazy and you may even get a few sips of your coffee while it's still hot!