Resetting Routines: How We’re Surviving the Back-to-School Shift (Barely)
The backpacks are packed. Lunches are (mostly) prepped. The alarm goes off way too early, and somehow, the house still looks like a tornado hit it by 8:15 a.m. Sound familiar?
Whether you’re sending kids off to kindergarten, navigating new schools, or just trying to remember where you left the coffee, the back-to-school season can feel like a full-body experience. It’s exciting, chaotic, exhausting — and for moms, it usually means the mental load doubles overnight.
This year, instead of aiming for perfection (which never actually happens), I’m focusing on something that’s both more realistic and more rewarding: resetting our routines — not reinventing them.
What’s Actually Working This Year
Let’s be real. I’ve tried the Pinterest-perfect methods. I’ve printed the color-coded schedules and pinned every “How to Create a Peaceful Morning” blog post. But what’s actually worked for our family this year is… simpler.
Here are three things that made our mornings easier this time around:
Sunday Night Prep: We pick outfits for the entire week and put them in labeled bins. I also try to prep snacks and review the calendar so nothing sneaks up on me.
Lunch Packing After Dinner: We make this part of our evening rhythm, and when the kids help choose their snacks, they’re less likely to complain the next day.
A Visual Checklist by the Door: I printed a dry-erase morning checklist (teeth brushed? backpack ready?) and laminated it. It’s helped them take charge—and reduced how much I repeat myself.
Empowering the Kids (And Preserving My Sanity)
My favorite shift this year has been watching my older two become more independent. They’ve taken ownership of their mornings in a way I didn’t expect, and a big part of that is thanks to a tool I created out of sheer desperation last fall:
The Kids Planner + Chore Chart Bundle.
These printables are now part of our everyday rhythm. The kids know what’s expected, and they feel proud checking things off plus, I’m not the only one managing our schedule anymore.
If you’re looking for a way to take the pressure off your mornings (and your voice), check out the Kids Planner + Chore Charts in the shop. They’re cute, functional, and designed by a mom who gets it.
Real Talk: It’s Not Perfect, But It’s Better
There are still mornings when someone loses a shoe, or I forget it’s picture day, or we eat granola bars in the car. But resetting our routines to match our actual life—not some idealized version of it—has made a huge difference.
This season isn’t about getting it all right. It’s about finding rhythms that serve your family, adjusting when they don’t, and letting go of the pressure to have it all together.
And if you’re in the thick of it right now? You’re not alone. You’ve got this, mama.
