Happy Monday Peeps!
I am by no means one of these super organised and tidy people, but a few things to get ahead just save loads of stress in the morning…bonus point that routine is particularly helpful if you have children with SEND (such as being on the Autistic Spectrum), it will help everyone feel calm and in control, thus making meltdowns less likely.
- Iron clothes the night before! Waiting until the morning causes stress because of time and you may find there is something not quite dry or in need of sewing. Also, PE kits and coats need checking for mud/intact-ness/things that shouldn’t be there.
- Know their timetable. Mine is stuck on the fridge, so I know when the teenager has PE or cooking or that lesson she spent 2 days doing the homework for!
- Ask them (or route around bag if they’re small) for any important paperwork when they get home so you have time to sign stuff and get money/make cakes/find a costume before 8am!
- Check the school website and social media regularly. Things change, such as performance times, class teachers and menus…even the weather! They will now put these things in emails or online first…so keep checking. Side note to this; our school has all parent’s evenings for all ages on their calendar but we only get told about a fortnight before, so it’s worth looking ahead if you need to book time off work.
- Food: Some people make ahead, I’m not that organised, but I do check the stock a few times a week to make sure we have enough for lunches and after-school snacks… quick and easy things to grab and something to make a sandwich with. Same goes for making sure they have lunch money (or a top-up if they pay by ID card/scanner).
- Time: Most importantly, be consistent with your time. My daughter is not a morning person and I used to let her sleep in, but then we were rushed and grumpy…now I wake her up about 1 1/2 hours before we leave. She sometimes takes the first half-hour to get out of bed but she can afford that time. We have the same routine every morning and that means no stress because we all know what needs to be done and when. If you have small kids, break it down for them show them on the clock that “when the big hand gets to 10 they should have washed and done their teeth,” for example.
That’s as complicated as it gets peeps, minimise the stress on yourselves and them.
Have a great Monday!
Anna x
A Peace of Life 