Get Ready For School
Tips For The Long Awaited Return To In-Person Classes
Navigating some new rules, like wearing a mask all day will have some families feeling a little uneasy about their little ones returning to school. Whether it’s your child’s first day of kindergarten or the start of middle school, back-to-school season can bring a range of feelings in ordinary circumstances. These days are anything but ordinary but here are three tips that will help navigate a successful school year:
1. Set out your clothes the night before
Sure, this seems so minor. But on a dark morning, stumbling around looking for that cute scarf and matching Tieks (who am I kidding, I can’t afford Tieks) is more than I can handle. I’m lucky if I have brushed my hair. So setting everything out the night before (down to the undies, earrings, and shoes) saves me 15 minutes in the morning when my brain isn’t functioning and cannot make simple decisions until it has had three cups of coffee.
2. Make your lunch the night before
As much as getting dressed is hard for me in the morning, prepping my lunch in the early hours for the day ahead is a nightmare. On a bad day, I tell myself that I won’t need lunch that day anyway, or if I get hungry, I’ll just get something from the vending machine. At the end of the day I come home $7 lighter having eaten Lays ‘Nip-Chee’ crackers and a Snickers bar, washed down with a Dr. Pepper, and feeling bad about myself. So instead I make myself get lunch ready the night before.
3. Get up when the alarm goes off
Don’t think about it. Don’t hit snooze. Jump out of bed and get in the shower before your brain has time to think about what just happened. Is it easy? No. But by forcing yourself out of bed you have given yourself an extra 15-20 minutes to regroup in the morning. Give your brain time to catch up with what is going on, write a list of things you need to get accomplished during the day, meditate or do yoga. Savor your coffee instead of drinking it on the go. Successful people get up early. You are successful.
