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We are already four weeks into school. FOUR. Can you believe it? I feel like it’s been days, not weeks. While this back to school season has definitely been crazy, I can honestly say that it’s been the smoothest transition to back to school yet. And make no mistake about it, I was most definitely nervous. Besides being the mom that occasionally doesn’t notice that her daughter is missing items on the way out the door, I have two in school for the first time ever. Sure, Hazeline’s only in preschool, but suddenly she has a schedule and homework and permission slips of her own, on top of the ones that Greenleigh brings home from elementary school. It’s a lot to keep track of. But nearly a month in, we’ve been remarkably organized. We’ve been on time every day and not a single pair of shoes has been left behind. That’s cause for celebration if you ask me!
You know the secret to making it all happen? These chart, right here.
They’ve changed our mornings completely.
Around midway through the second week of school, I found myself saying the same words to the girls each morning – “brush teeth”, “brush hair”, “change your clothes”, and “don’t forget breakfast”. After doing the same routine each morning for the last 2 years, I felt that these were things that the girls should know, and yet they’d try to leave the house without having them done. So I sat down and created a quick list of everything that they needed to do before leaving the house, painted some magnets I had left over from a craft project a few months back, posted it up on the refrigerator. 
The results have been amazing. Each morning the girls arrive in the kitchen eager to move their magnets from “To Do” to “All Done”, and one simple magnet helps them remember what was left undone so they can fix it. Greenleigh even asks me to move her magnets back to “To Do” on the way to school – she’s that excited to start the process again!
I wanted it to be a daily reminder and check list, but I didn’t expect for it to teach such self responsibility, yet that’s exactly what it’s done. All in all, the charts are a hit. The kids like it. I like it. It’s a system that’s working in our house.
The only thing that I seemed to have a problem with was the breakfast part of getting out the door. See those pancakes on the chart? They look good, right? Well, other than the first day of school, I never seem to have the time to get a hot breakfast on the table. The pancakes on the chart became a constant reminder that my kids weren’t getting a hot breakfast in the morning. So I decided to look for an easy, hot breakfast solution while I was at Walmart last week and found Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick. 
Similar to the State Farm Classic Corn Dogs with a signature honey-sweetened cornbread batter that my kids know and love for after school snacks or quick dinners, Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick provide a hot breakfast for those crazy mornings in the car line. They’re surprisingly high in protein too, so it’s a breakfast that will stick with them.
They’re easy to heat in just about a minute and completely portable. And that maple syrup smell… So yummy! Ordinarily, I’m a fan of the Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sandwiches, but I’ve definitely caved and eaten a few of these (no comment on the exact number)!
Want to simplify your back to school mornings? Great! You can find my Good Morning Routine Printable HERE (you’ll also need .75″ circular magnets – which can be found at any craft store – but painting them is totally optional) and be sure to be on the look out for Jimmy Dean Pancakes & Sausage on a Stick the next time you’re in the breakfast aisle at your local Walmart!
How do you simplify your back to school mornings?
