photo: terren in Virginia, Creative Commons

The first day of school comes with a sense of new beginnings – along with those first day jitters which can be in the form of butterflies or bats – depending on your anxiety level.  Most teachers and students greet the new school year with a sense of expectancy.  For parents however, the first day of school may bring the added pressure of organizing one’s life around school bells.

It often looks like this:

Monday of the first week of school the children are out of bed before the alarm goes off, clothes were laid out the night before, and lunches were made ahead of time. Monday brings the hopefulness of new beginnings.

By Wednesday of that same week, there is a nagging feeling that life seems eerily similar to routines of the past: calling the kids several times before they are out of bed, searching for clothes at the last minute, and a rush to pack lunch.

There is a real challenge in making changes in the routine.

Routines are so familiar and comfortable; it can be hard to create new ones. There may even be some resistance on the part of a spouse or a child.

The beginning of the school year is a great time to think through implementing a change for the better:

• Be realistic. We all have a long list of changes we’d like to implement, but it’s best to break it into smaller tasks. There is no “one size fits all” solution to any situation.
• Start small. Think about one area of your morning or evening routine that you’d like to run a little more smoothly. It may be a good idea to think of what you can let go of, too. One mother I know never insists on beds being made or dishes being cleared away. She does like a clean house. She simply prefers her children to sit down to breakfast and be out the door on time without a lot of stress, so she lets those things go.
• Think about enlisting help. Even a young child can help put clothes away and match socks. Older children can be taught to run the washing machine themselves as well as make their own lunches and use an alarm clock. You don’t have to do everything yourself!
• Prepare for setbacks. There is no perfect routine on any day of the week. When things don’t go as planned, take notes on why and use them to do better next time.