We survived our first week back to school face-to-face. After 18 months of doing school at home, it may take us awhile to get used to leaving in the morning. Lunch boxes were forgotten and water bottles lost at school. But after a week of getting back into it, we have learned a few things to share with those who may have not started yet.
- Checklist for leaving on the front door. No matter how many times we leave the house, there still have to be reminders for shoes and lunch box and things! I have found if they have the list to refer to, I have peace of mind that we won’t forget something. You can download this free excel spreadsheet and edit your own checklist to meet the needs of each child in your household. Slide it in a sheet protector and use a dry erase marker. Hang it on the front door or nearby to check on your way out.
2. Easy Breakfasts. We have discovered that if the kids can make their own breakfast (with supervision and hasty encouragement) then we as parents are more free to keep the morning moving in peace. We have discovered toaster waffles, pre-cut fruit, yogurt pouches, oatmeal cups and cereal are all good options to have on hand.
3. At least 7 Masks for each child. Some parents may have already been doing this, but this is the first time my kids have needed to change their mask each day since they will be wearing it now in school all day. We have created a system for hanging clean masks and putting dirty masks in a laundry bag. This way we can just wash them once per week.
4. Change clothes immediately after school. Since my children are VERY used to wearing pajamas all day, this was an easy sell. To prevent school germs from spreading in the house, we have each child change into pajamas or comfy clothes or a dedicated at home outfit directly after school every day.
5. Coming Home Checklist. My kids need little reminders for everything. So a coming home checklist makes sense too. I can put these in a plastic sheet protectors and they can use a dry erase marker to check it off each day.
So there you have it. After just the first week of back to school face to face, these are the top 5 things we have learned for back to school hacks. I hope they help your family or give you new ideas to make your coming and going weekday easier.
I’d love to hear from you! What are your best back to school hacks and what have you discovered helps your family the most? Leave a comment below!