I’m not a morning person. My kids are not morning people. Mornings are usually rough for us, especially during the school year because nobody is eager to get up and moving. Last year I learned that having a routine was vital to making sure our mornings run smoothly, but this year I decided to get serious about keeping the kids accountable with a Back to School Morning Routine Checklist.
Last year I create an After School Routine printable that really helped my kids ease into kindergarten. It also kept me from sounding like a broken record day in and day out. They knew what they were responsible for each afternoon when we got home from school and it definitely made life easier.
I didn’t think there was a need to reinvent the wheel so I simply updated our After School Routine printable, plus I liked that they would match, printed out the chart and laminated it. I attached the chart to a clipboard with a dry erase marker tied to the board so they kids can check off each task as they complete it. A super easy way to make sure when they get up in the morning they get moving and aren’t dragging their feet forcing us to make a mad rush out the door to get to school on time.
I’m a firm believer in giving kids responsibilities and teaching them about accountability for their actions. With this simple checklist they know exactly what is expected of them each morning and hopefully it will help us make a smooth transition back into the hustle and bustle of our school routine.
Because I believe in my kids having responsibilities I didn’t want to create a typical reward system for them doing the things that are expected of them. But, I also know that my kids are highly motivated by rewards so to introduce this new checklist I have decided that for each day they complete each of their daily tasks without any reminders they will receive a ticket. At the end of the month they can use their tickets to redeem special rewards like choice of game at family game night, date night with mom and dad, sleepover at grandma and grandpas, extra 15 minutes of reading at bedtime, ect. I’m excited to see if this Back to School Morning Checklist helps our mornings run more smoothly and look forward to an exciting new school year!
Do you have a morning routine? What are your tips for making a smooth transition back to school?
Love morning routines for kiddos, my boys do really well with structure and tasks. It definitely helps in our house!
Thanks Melanie! My kids are the same way, they need structure especially in the mornings because no one in our house is a morning person, LOL!
I love the checklist! I need to use this for my kids.
It really made a difference in our morning routine, I hope it helps you too!
This is perfect to help kids get back into the routine. Thanks for sharing.
This printable is so cute and I love the idea of rewarding with tickets, brilliant! I’ve picked it as one of my Back-to-school project features in this week’s Monday Funday party. Thank you so much for sharing!
What a great routine! We’re trying hard to get more structure in the morning. They definitely need to be a little less stressful. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Funtastic Friday.