I can’t quite believe it but today is Erin’s first day at school. Well, it’s the first of her shorter transition sessions. Erin doesn’t actually start in Reception full time until 17th September so she’s got a little while to go yet. However, Erin has been going to nursery since she was 2 so we have quite a lot of practice with getting ourselves up and out the door in the morning. If your child will be starting school soon, or maybe even nursery, here are some tips to help you get out the door on time:
Pack a bag
I absolutely hate rushing around in the morning and I find that if I don’t have enough time, I stress about things that could be avoided. Instead of trying to remember everything we need to pack in the morning I always try to do this the night before instead. By being able to plan ahead, think, and take your time, you are less likely to forget something important.
Routine
With school days being Monday to Friday it can be easy to establish a routine for the whole family. Erin especially does really well if we have a routine and it helps her to be more focused in the morning. By doing things in the same order every morning, children can quickly get used to what they need to do next and it help help them to become more independent as well.
Lay out clothes
Instead of rummaging around in wardrobes in the morning, trying to make sure all of the school uniform is ready and ironed, doing this the night before can be a big help. By having any school uniform laid out ready for the day ahead your child will not only know that they need to get dressed but they can also do it themselves if they’re able to.
Keep things at the door
If you are rushed in the morning, which a lot of us are, it can be hard to remember everything you need to take with you. If you have already packed your bags the night before as suggested earlier, you could pop them right by the front door so they’re ready to pick up before you leave. This is one less thing for you to have to think about in the morning.
Plan lunches
Erin will be having hot school lunches when she starts in Reception but during well over a year at nursery she had packed lunches every day. I hated getting these ready in the mornings I would always try to do them they day before, sometimes 2 days at a time. To help, you can plan your child’s lunches for the whole week and prepare some at the beginning of the week. You could, for example, cut up fruit and veggies and store them in portions in the fridge. You could pack up snacks into zip lock bags to keep them fresh, ready to be taken out on the day that they’re needed.
Even by doing some of these things, it can really help you to manage your time in the mornings. What do you do to make sure you leave the house on time?
PIN IT FOR LATER
