It hit me today... this September I will have a TEN year old!

TEN years of parenting experience under my belt! And with a soon to be three year old, I've learned quite a few things along the way of this parenting journey.

So I'm excited to share a small list of tips that will help to make school mornings run smooth so BOTH you and your kids can have a stress free day!
Because I can certainly understand the 'mom guilt' or 'dad guilt' you may feel if you struggle to keep ahold of your patience during these days and you wish there was something more you can do. Let's go through this list!

Tip #1: Print out a check list for both the morning and night routine

I keep this list next to my son's door so that he knows exactly what to do every single night before screen time which includes getting his things ready for the next day. Then a morning checklist with all the things he needs to do once he wakes up for school. This has been EXTREMELY helpful to keep himself accountable and really helps keep things stress free.

If you have a kid at an age where they can't read yet then I suggest a 'chore chart', they have TONS of cute ones to choose from with images and you can make it interactive and fun with rewards.

Tip #2: Get your kiddo their own alarm clock

My son has his own alarm clock which is also super helpful so he gets himself up every morning and comes straight downstair for breakfast. Definitely helpful to start the day!

Tip #3: Have all your school lunch time snacks prepared ahead of time

To make lunch packing smooth and easy, I try my best to prep everything ahead of time! This includes snack bins in both the pantry for dry snacks, and another snack bin in the fridge strictly for school lunches so either you or your kid can pack lunch super fast! I also recently got my son a thermos and have been making homemade soups and mac and cheese with broccoli for him to bring to school and he's been loving it!

These three tips alone have been very beneficial to the way we start our days. There comes a point when you realize you only have so much patience and if things aren't getting any better with time, then it's up to you to change up the routine in order to make the most of your mornings so you can keep the peace in your household.