Make Mornings Easier for Back to School

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This year is going to be quite different for Charlie. I'll tell you more about our preschool situation in another post, but Charlie did end up getting into the public school's Pre-K program. He'll be starting on the 8th, so we have one more week of prep here!

Last year Charlie attended a 2 day program at a local church. We had a hard time with him trying to figure out whether he had school or not each day. This year, there will be no thinking about it. He'll be going Monday – Friday! When you stay home three days a week, you don't necessarily get dressed and ready first thing (or at all some days).

We've been coming up with ways to speed up our morning routine and picking out our clothes the night before is always a good one. I created a chart that I printed out, laminated and taped to a plastic bin. On the chart you'll see shirt, pants, underwear, socks, and pajamas. Each night before bed, Charlie has been picking out his clothes for the next day and night.

I made matching labels that I attached to his clothing hanger in his closet. Right now, each boy has their own hanging organizer for their clothes. If your kids use a dresser, these would easily work with that as well. This will keep Charlie organized when he's putting his clothes away as well as when he's picking out clothes for the next day.

If you'd like to print your own, I'm sharing two free printables with you: the checklist for Tomorrow's Clothes and the Clothing Labels.

Once Charlie's up for the day and dressed to come downstairs, I can easily feed him breakfast before we head out the door to the bus stop. While picking up a couple of school supplies that Charlie needs, we grabbed a 12 ct box of Jimmy Dean® Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick because food on a stick is always fun for the kids (and the kid in all of us). And if we're running late, which I'm sure at some point will be the case, these will be great for our 5-minute walk to the bus stop!

He loves that the Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick are fun and I love that they're packed with protein for a great start to his morning!

Since Pre-K is only a half-day program, the bus will be bringing Charlie back a little after 12 PM. He'll be starving, because boys always are, so we also picked up a 22 ct box of State Fair® Classic Corn Dogs that feature a signature honey-sweetened cornbread batter.  Less time at the stove, means more time for family time and fun!

While these will be used for Charlie's lunch when he gets home, they'd also make a great after-school snack for the older kids to enjoy while doing their homework. I'm really glad there are so many in the box because Mommy loves a yummy corn dog, too!

I'm so excited for our boy to be starting Pre-K next week, but I'm a bit worried about getting into a good routine. What I'm not worried about though, is feeding him. I do not have time to slave over a hot breakfast in the mornings while trying to get everyone ready to head to the bus stop. A quick breakfast that I can pop in the microwave is definitely a winner!

What are some of your favorite back to school tips and tricks? I'd love to hear your favorite!