Calming the Morning Madness

Kiersten Blanchard shares some ideas for calming the morning madness

___________________________________________________________

School News Tube

Getting handouts and artwork home from school in usable condition is sometimes a challenge. Let your kids help make a school news tube to protect those all-important papers.

Take an empty Pringles can and cover it with paper cut to the size of being able to just wrap around the outside of the can. This paper can have your child’s artwork, or pictures from a magazine or anything fun and decorative. Cover the artwork with clear contact paper, allowing for a little extra contact paper on the two ends. With the exposed contact paper, stick the covering to the outside of the can, wrapping it around as you go. When you get to the end, use the other bit of the exposed contact paper to secure the paper to the can.

Emergency School Box

Get an inexpensive plastic box and leave it in the car. Be sure to put the things that you might need at the last second if you were dropping kids off at school. Some suggestions of things to include:

Hair supplies (comb, pony tail holders, etc…)

Spare change

Bandages

Fingernail clippers

Breakfast bars or other snacks

Breath mints

School supplies (pencils, pens, etc…)

Lunch Supply System

Let your kids help pack their own lunch. By giving them some control in what they take, they are more likely to eat it, and help prepare it. Everyone gets a sandwich (or whatever the main item might be) but then put out 3-4 baskets of other items. Each child needs to take one item from each basket. You can decide what baskets you want and what goes in them, but some suggestions could be:

Fruit:

Apple

Orange

Banana

Vegetables:

Baby carrots

Celery sticks

Cucumber slices

Cherry tomatoes

Snacks:

Cheese stick

Go-gurts

Yogurt

Crackers

Pretzels

Treats:

Cookies

Candy

Brownies

The kids go down the line and grab one thing from each item, toss it in the lunchbox with the sandwich and a drink, and they’re set.