Routines, Charts, + Blessings

Back to School Series – Routines

The start of a new school year means a return to a more scheduled life. There are pros and cons to this return. It’s always hard for our family to let go of the free flow of time we savor every summer. Despite the challenges, it is a perfect time to reset your expectations, create new routines, and to remember your blessings {especially at 7am}.

The morning rush off to school and the evening rush before bed tend to be less than ideal in our house. I had visions of all my kids running into the kitchen in the morning excited for the day and ready to devour the delicious breakfast I just prepared. I imagined bedtime going smoothly with 3 kiddos brushing their teeth and sharing their days and I’d be able to snuggle up with each of them for prayers and kisses.

Maybe your house looks like that, but mine does not. {sometimes on a rare occasion yes, but usually not.}

Over the years, I tried various tactics to get everyone off on the right foot in the morning. Typically tied to some reward or another. But this year I’m posting signs! Seriously. That’s it. That’s my strategy. My older two especially, know the expectations and with these cute signs from i heart organizing as reminders I’m going to see what happens. These are just an idea. You can take these and adapt for your family’s needs and the ages of your children.

To help our morning along, the kids have their clothes picked out the night before. They cannot come to breakfast until they are dressed and new this year, their bed is made. I choose the breakfast menu. NO short order cook here, right moms?!

Here is its bedtime routine companion. I will need to add to this one to include picking out clothes and saying prayers.

This is another idea for a morning routine checklist from its overflowing.

I am a happy chart girl. My kids are too. It takes the guess work out of everything. No one complains that they’ve been asked to set the table each night this week while little sister only had to check the mail. Even-Steven here. Our “helpers” chart, as we call it, is not connected to any type of allowance. These are simply things that I decided a few years ago that they could do to help while I was getting dinner on the table. This chart is being redone right now as my youngest is going to make her debut on the “helpers” chart. You’ll also notice that these only applied during our school week. Sundays are being added this year.

This is a wall in our kitchen that I had some moulding applied to the wall to look like a frame. Then painted chalkboard paint inside. I use Bistro Chalk Markers to draw the chart and cute photos of the kids with removable mounting tabs on the back to switch the helpers around each day. It has worked really well for us. I need to remind them it’s time to do their helping jobs, but the ownership is all on them.

The final note I have on blessings was inspired by a home I saw several years ago with a quote painted on the walls high up nearly at the crown moulding. It wrapped the entry walls. I never forgot about it and wanted to replicate it in my own home. Problem was I couldn’t settle on one quote! A few years later The Book of Positive Quotations was recommended to me. That settled it. I would occasionally add to my chalkboard with a simple blessing, thought, wish for my family. It’s a conversation starter with the kids and reminders to me about the simple beautiful things in our life.

{Now I need to get to repainting my chalkboard as it’s looking a little tired in these photos!}