Those lazy days of summer are coming to an end. And that means those hectic days of back to school are upon us. If your house is anything like mine, routines usually slide in the summer—after all, what’s summer without crazy bedtimes, sleeping in, an ice cream habit, and wearing swimsuits for days on end? So from going to no routine to a routine can be hard to re-adjust come fall. Here are some tips I have found that have help me get my own girls ready for the school year.

For pain-free adjustments, start school-time preparations early. For example, a few weeks before school starts, move bedtime back to an earlier time and wake up time to the time the little ones would need to wake-up. That way it gets the kids (and you) ready for those first days of school.Also, establish a “get ready the night before” policy. Pick clothes for the next day, pack the lunch, and pack the backpack every evening before bedtime. This will not only save precious time in the mornings, but make your mornings a little more stress-free.

School Supplies

Don’t underestimate the fun and importance of new stuff for the big day. A bag full of school supplies, a new backpack, lunch box, and a few new items of clothing tend to gear kids up. I know my girls got super excited when they got their new backpacks and lunch boxes. They couldn’t wait for the first day of school. Also, take advantage of all those amazing back to school sales.

Plan healthy meals. Get creative with easy, healthy ideas for school-day meals. If you plan and gather what you need on the weekends, you’ll make life a lot less stressful and meals more nutritious during the week. Here are some ideas for breakfast and lunch:

Breakfast – The most important meal of day and you want to make sure the little ones walk out the door with a full tummy. Try making a batch of muffins, pancakes, or waffles over the weekend and freezing them. In the morning, just heat them up and serve with yogurt or a fruit and breakfast is served. Or make some of these breakfast biscuits that are a favorite in my house. They are great because they are quick and grab breakfast.

Lunch - Try some creative ideas for making school lunches healthy and fun. You can use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into fun shapes, buy baked chips and low-fat crackers and pretzels, skewer fruit to make it fun to eat and sneak veggies like lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers into sandwiches. Every day the little ones will be excited to see what's inside their lunch boxes.

Set up a family calendar in a common area in your own home. That way, family members can write down his or her activities and you can sit down to review the weeks activities and plan accordingly. With the new school year comes lots of different activities for each child. Seeing it laid out in front of you will help everyone plan for each activity.

Most of all enjoy the school year and all that it brings. It's a new year filled with learning, friendships, memories, and a new chapter in your child's life. Have a wonderful school year and if you have any tips on getting your kids back into the "groove" of the school year leave a comment and let us know. I would love to hear them.