Between shopping for school supplies, transitioning back to the school routine, creating meal plans and figuring out schedules, back-to-school season can be challenging for everyone. Taking care of yourself as a mom is imperative, including finding ways to reduce stress. Here are 7 ways to make the back-to-school process easier and more enjoyable for you and your family:
Prioritize Self-Care
While all the planning, scheduling, and picking up after everyone can make it seem like a luxury, self-care is essential for your well-being as a mom. Find some activities that leave you feeling happy and fulfilled – it could be brunch with your friends once a month or a dance class three times a week. Or you could take some time in the morning to take a hot bath or do your skincare routine. Knowing that you will wake up to half an hour of me-time might help you sleep better and you may feel more grounded and calm as you tackle the day’s responsibilities and tasks.
Set Time Aside for Grab-and-Go Breakfast Prep
In addition to meal planning and encouraging your children to pack their lunch the night before, you can make things easier for yourself by preparing breakfast items in batches.
Some breakfast items you can make ahead of time include:
Sweet Potato Waffles
These waffles are an excellent way to use leftover sweet potatoes. Mix 1 cup sweet potato puree, 3/4 cup milk, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil in one bowl and 3/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup cornmeal, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt in another bowl. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, then cook on a lightly greased waffle maker.
You can serve with berries and maple syrup or turn them savory by adding toppings like scrambled egg, cheese, or avocado, and corn with pumpkin seeds and salt.
You can store these waffles in the fridge for a week in an airtight container. If you want to make a batch to last up to three months, you can keep them in the freezer, wrapped in parchment paper and placed in the container.
Breakfast Burritos
Cook bell peppers and eggs separately, then set aside to cool. Assemble your burritos with eggs, bell pepper, ham, cheese and some salsa in flour tortillas. You can store them in the freezer, and grill them for three minutes or fry for 10 minutes in a pan.
Once your kids are dressed and packed up, they can pop their waffles into the toaster and add toppings or warm up their burritos. These recipes also works for late mornings. Each child can grab a bite to eat on the way out and finish it in the car.
Use a Block Schedule
You may find that planning your day by the hour or writing to-do lists doesn’t always work out how you want it to. Things come up and schedules get disrupted. It can be pretty frustrating.
Try block scheduling. You can use this method to allocate large chunks of time to related tasks. For example, you would want to put school drop-offs, your morning yoga class and a grocery run in the same time block. You can use this block for anything that requires you to be out of the house. If your workplace allows you to have flexible hours, you can use two or three blocks to work, then you can schedule another block for cleaning, organizing any other housework.
When a time block ends, you move to the next one and focus on other work. Even if you haven’t completed the task yet, you’ve covered some ground and accomplished part of the task.
Be sure to incorporate break time into your schedule, as well. Studies show that taking breaks boosts productivity and relieves stress. Whether it’s a 20-minute nap or a quick walk around the block, that break time will help prevent burnout.
Become a Plant Mom
Plants are a fresh addition to your decor and help create balance and happiness. Research shows gardening or having indoor plants reduce physical and mental stress. Even the act of taking care of plants is therapeutic and soothing.
If you’re a busy or a working mom, find low-maintenance plants like the Kentia palm or rubber plant. You’ll still get the benefits and spend minimal time caring for them.
Create a Digital Family Calendar
Shared calendars are your best friend. You can set reminders for events, create specific tasks and time blocks for each family member and color code to make it easier for everyone.
Once you have all the extracurricular activities, event dates and family schedules, use Google Calendars or an app like Cozi to create the ultimate family calendar. It will help keep everyone in the loop and makes it easier to make changes without confusing anyone.
Practice Self-Compassion
Let go of mom guilt and be intentional about self-compassion. When you notice negative thoughts creeping in, acknowledge them, take time to reflect and then take action. That could mean re-assuring yourself or changing your perspective.
If your child has four games in a month, missing one because you had to stay late for a meeting doesn’t change the fact that you’re a good mom. If you’re a working mom, it’s okay to drop off the little ones at daycare. Studies have shown that daycare has many benefits for your children, like helping them to learn how to regulate their emotions, solve problems and develop autonomy.
Focus On What’s Important
Decide what’s important to you and find balance. Some tasks don’t have to be perfect and can be swapped or delegated to your partner or children. If you can’t make a game, have your partner go. Teach your children to fill out as much as they can of their school forms and read and sign the rest.
You don’t have to buy the most expensive pair of pants or the latest hockey stick every time. Buy clothes and sports equipment as needed. It helps with your budget and the stress of trying to buy everything all at once.
Relieving Back-to-School Stress
While it may take some time to adjust to the new school year, don’t forget to remind yourself that you’re doing fine. Taking time for yourself and using mom hacks like these will help you have a less stressful back-to-school season and make space for more enjoyable moments and memories.
