Setting Up Back-to-School Routines For Parents
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Every summer we hear a lot of talk about the importance of getting kids back into a routine before a new school year starts. Experts appear on morning talk shows and weigh in about the necessity of transitioning children back to school-year bedtimes and wake-up times. They tell parents to have our kids start packing lunches and backpacks at night. All of those suggestions are focused on things the kids should do, albeit with parental help. Tips for setting up back-to-school routines for parents are largely ignored. I think that we should start with setting up the back-to-school routines for parents because parents control the flow of the day, especially in a homeschool household.
I am a big believer in routines. Consistent routines make the day flow so much easier because you can put things on auto-pilot. That means one less thing that requires you to think about it. These back-to-school routines for parents will help you run on auto-pilot once the busy school season begins. Many of these tips are relevant for all parents, but I think they will be most helpful for homeschool parents. I homeschooled my children for 15 years and found these tips for setting up back-to-school routines helpful.
Let’s focus on setting up a routine, not a schedule. Routines are different than a schedule. Having a routine means that you generally do certain things in a particular order. Many times we create routines for ourselves without even noticing. Schedules are stricter than routines. A schedule requires us to assign tasks to certain hours. If we get off schedule, by sleeping in or a task taking longer than expected, it can feel stressful. Routines are typically more beneficial to homeschool parents because we generally have a bit of flexibility and control over our day.
These back-to-school routines for homeschool parents will help you establish self-care and household routines that will serve you well when the new school year begins. Once you have gotten into a good routine for yourself, then it is time to begin setting up a back-to-school routine for your children.
Setting Up Back-to-School Routines for Parents
Back-to-School Routines for Parents: Self Care
Establish a Parent Bedtime
How much sleep do you realistically need each night to feel your best? I don’t mean what is the minimum amount of sleep so that you can function? When they need to, parents seem to make do with whatever few hours they can get.
I mean, how much sleep do you really need to have the energy and patience to accomplish everything you want to do in a day? I suspect that for most parents, they need more sleep than they are currently getting. At this phase in my life, I feel best with 8-9 hours of sleep each night. That means that if I need to wake up at 6:00 am, then I need to be in bed no later than 10:00 pm.
Do I always get quality sleep for 8-9 hours a night? No, of course not. Real-life worries, parenting teens, and fostering puppies occasionally mean that I don’t sleep well. That is okay. We can acknowledge that not every night will be perfect while still creating a routine that will help us get enough rest most nights.
Every parent’s bedtime routine is going to be different, based on what they do before bed, what time they go to sleep, etc. When you are creating a bedtime routine for yourself, consider how much time it takes you to get ready for bed. I know that it takes me about 30 minutes to shower and do skincare before bed, so I try to start getting ready for bed by 9:30.
Create an Exercise Routine
Do you have a routine to fit exercise into your day? Look at your daily routine and see when you can carve out enough time to work out. Maybe you want to go to an exercise class while the kids are sleeping and another parent is home to listen for them. Maybe you plan to exercise with an online workout during rest time. Sometimes planning a long walk after dinner is needed to help you move your body and release any tension.
I personally do not like exercising first thing in the morning, but I do it because it is the only time I am guaranteed to fit it in. If I wait until the afternoon or evening, 9 times out of 10 something will come up and I will find an excuse not to exercise. I know other moms who look forward to their evening run on the treadmill all day.
The goal is to establish an exercise routine that can work during the school year, but implement it during the summer. This will help the exercise routine work on autopilot once the school year starts.
Back-to-School Routines for Parents: Running a Household
Create a Meal Prep Routine
During the summer months, consider how you will get healthy meals on the table once the school year begins. Meal planning, shopping in bulk, and freezer cooking are key to feeding my family nutritious food, even when I’m busy. Making a few freezer meals on a quiet Saturday afternoon saves a bunch of time later.
I like to prep things like pancakes, waffles, meatballs, cooked ground beef, soup, and cooked chicken. It is nice to know that there are healthy and fast home-cooked options in the freezer for busy days.
When my kids were younger, and we were actively homeschooling, I liked to put breakfast on auto-pilot. I prepped breakfast foods ahead of time, so there was always an easy option for the kids to grab from the pantry (homemade granola), refrigerator (scrambled eggs), or freezer (homemade pancakes). This helped me only think about breakfast once a week, when I was refilling the breakfast options.
My daughter now lives away from home to attend college, and she does the same thing. Every week she makes a batch of muffins and stocks up on yogurt. The kids are watching your back-to-school routines for parents.
Related: Simple Homeschool Breakfast Options
Set Up a Cleaning Routine
Do you have a cleaning routine? I can’t think while surrounded by clutter, and I suspect my kids are the same way. Since we homeschool, that means the house needs to be generally neat and tidy.
If you have a cleaning routine that works for you, keep it going throughout the summer and other school breaks. If you don’t have a cleaning routine that works, think about what isn’t working.
- Too much to do? Require your family members to help. Learning how to clean is an important life skill.
- Not enough time? Break the cleaning tasks into smaller jobs. This might look like doing one load of laundry a day or assigning specific tasks to certain days.
- Don’t know where to start? Fly Lady offers advice on setting up a cleaning routine.
Once you set up a functioning cleaning routine, you won’t need to think about when to make your bed or unload the dishwasher. Taking care of those chores will just be an automatic part of the day.
Make a Plan for Laundry
Consider how you will ensure that everyone has clean clothes. Will you do one load a day or have a designated laundry day? Both strategies work; it just depends on your own lifestyle and preference. Deciding on a laundry routine and putting it into practice over the summer will make your days go smoother once school starts. Put it on auto-pilot!
You won’t have to hunt for clean clothes to get ready for a trip to the library. You could even take it one step further and make it part of your evening routine to lay out clothes for the next day. That is especially helpful if choosing clothes takes a lot of morning negotiations or if you have somewhere to be early in the day.
If you do not already have a routine in place, choose one area at a time to get started. Try not to get overwhelmed when setting up your back-to-school routine for parents. We start the routine over the summer so that we have time to make adjustments before the new school year. After you feel good about your routine in one area, add in another area.
Taking care of your home and yourself will become easier once you put things on auto-pilot. You will have the freedom to spend your time teaching your children without worrying that other areas of your home are being ignored.
Once you have your own back-to-school routines set, then you can start gently nudging your children to set up their school-year routines. I hope these back-to-school routines for parents help you feel ready for the new school year!
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Keep reading . .
Helpful Back-To-School Food Prep Tips
Get Kids Back into a School Routine