Back to School Routine

This back to school routine post is sponsored by Juicy Juice. 

School is in session and it’s time to get back to our back to school routine. Now that Z is officially a Pre-K girl, we have a more structured routine in the mornings. Last year we did pre-K 3 for two half days each week. This year we are on a 4 half days schedule which means we need to make sure our mornings go smooth. Prep time for me means prepping the pre-k girl, the toddler and myself. Taking time on the weekends to do a few simple things is key to stress-free and on time mornings. We prep for after school hours too. 

Back to School Routine

Calendar

I check and update our calendar for upcoming activities, play dates, library time, activities and assignments. Generally, I do a monthly calendar but I add anything else we are doing that was pre scheduled during this time.

Clothes

I set out our clothes for the week. It’s much easier to get everyone ready when our clothes are already figured out. Since Z likes to pick out her own clothes, we usually prep her outfits for the week together. She’s a dress girl so that’s usually what she reaches for first. 

Lunch

While I plan what we will have for dinner, I rarely ever do that for lunch. We tend to keep the lunch menu simple but I prefer to get Z’s input each night. I do consider the choices ahead of time but if you know anything about a picky eater, then you know letting them pick is important. Z will forget what she wanted if we do this only on the weekends so we take it day by day.

We always have a mid afternoon snack since lunch time at school is early. I keep a tray in the fridge with snack options including yogurt, cheese, fruits, nuts and a few days a week a Juicy Juice pouch as a special treat. Z is always excited about her Juicy Juice pouch in the afternoon because her school has a no juice policy. And I’m a happy mom because Juicy Juice tastes good and doesn’t have any added sugar or artificial flavors. 

Morning Talk

On the weekends we talk about what we enjoyed for the week. For the commute to school, we listen to music and we also do our morning motivation talk. We say our morning affirmations, give a high five, a hug and a kiss.

One thing I will be adding to our afternoon is this fun idea from Meredith Sinclair called “Either-Or”. Either or plus a quick dance party is sure to bring us a lot of laughs which is a great way to transition to our home school day or before we head to an activity.

Our back to school routine is all about making prep time a family time activity. You can find more family time tips at Juicy Juice Family Time.  What does your back to school routine look like?