Every September, I convince myself that this year is going to be different. This year, mornings will run like a well-oiled machine. This year, homework will happen without tears (mine or the kids’). This year, I’ll be the mom who packs Instagram-worthy healthy lunches. Then reality shows up around week two, and I’m bribing my kid with Pop-Tarts to put on pants. Back-to-school season has a way of sneaking up on us. Summer was all popsicles, river trips and late bedtimes, and suddenly we’re staring down alarm clocks, lunchboxes, and color-coded schedules that look more complicated than a NASA launch. Fall is supposed to be cozy! Pumpkin spiced everything, soft sweaters and homemade cinnamon rolls. Instead, it often feels like running a marathon while juggling soccer cleats and glue sticks.
I’ve got a few little back-to-school magic tricks up my sleeve to make mornings smoother, faster, and (hopefully) tear- and tantrum-free!
1. Mornings
Let’s rip off the Band-Aid and tackle the trickiest part first… mornings! Everything you read makes it sound so simple: lay out the clothes, prep the lunches, wake up early, sip coffee in peace. Cute idea. But real life is more like this: one kid can’t find a shoe, the other refuses to eat anything that isn’t shaped like a dinosaur, and I’m wondering if cold pizza counts as breakfast. (Spoiler: it does.) I finally invested in hanging closet organizers, and honestly, they’ve saved my sanity more than once. Each cubby gets an outfit, and boom, less drama at 7 a.m. Here is a simple one I picked up on Amazon.
2. Homework
Homeworks is a battlefield. No matter how organized I try to be, we always end up missing something. That’s why I rolled in with a supply cart full of everything: pencils, markers, glue, you name it. It’s basically a mobile survival kit for math meltdowns. And when my child asks me to explain long division, I do what every smart mom does: smile, nod, and pull up Khan Academy on the internet. Because if I didn’t get it in 6th grade, I’m not about to figure it out now. Here is the one that works for me.
3. Evenings
Evenings? They’re a three-ring circus. Between soccer, choir practice and Girl Scouts, I sometimes wonder if I should just keep folding chairs in the back of the SUV because I live in parking lots now. Dinner must be fast, or it’s drive-thru again. My secret weapon: sheet pan meals. Toss chicken, veggies, and potatoes on a pan, sprinkle on some olive oil, seasonings and parmesan cheese, bake, and call it gourmet. When I’m out of ideas, I scroll through Delish for easy weeknight recipes.
4. Lunch packing!
Let’s just say some days it’s Pinterest-worthy with cute little lunchbox notes from inklings, and other days it’s “grab a granola bar and good luck.” Weelicious’s lunchbox ideas have saved me from repeating PB&J and Lunchables a hundred times in a row. On the pinterest-worthy days I feel quite proud of myself with these stainless steel boxes!
5. Schedule
Ohhhh, the schedule. It’s taped to the fridge, color-coded, and still somehow impossible to follow. Everyone has a different practice, rehearsal, or meeting, and I’m just trying not to double- book myself. Google Calendar helps (every kid has their own color) but even then, I’ve shown up at the wrong field at the wrong time more than once. At least I had snacks, which automatically makes you the hero mom. Through all of this, I’ve realized the biggest secret to surviving fall routines: is taking care of yourself, too. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Ten minutes of YouTube Yoga, lighting a pumpkin scented candle, or even just sitting in the car after drop-off with a hot latte and blessed silence, it all counts!
Moms deserve little rituals that make the chaos bearable. So yes, fall routines are messy. They’re exhausting, unpredictable, and fueled mostly by caffeine and prayer. But they also mean a return to structure after the free-for-all of summer. The kids eventually adjust, the mornings eventually smooth out (kind of), and you start to find a rhythm again. And honestly? As long as the kids get to school mostly clothed, homework is turned in more often than not, and dinner occasionally involves a vegetable, I’m calling it a win. If fall is really about fresh starts, then mine starts with a glass of wine at 8 p.m. after bedtime chaos. Cheers to new routines!