The morning launch!

So here we begin!  I am starting off slowly with the easy jobs first, so that we can get into the swing of the 15 minute routine.

The first area I want to cover is what is called a family launch area. For my family that will be my entrance hall. This is the place where each morning everybody leaves the house for school or work. We all leave via the front door as this is the most direct route to the car.

Whether you are taking kids to crèche, or school, or you and hubby are off to work, the mornings always seem to be chaotic. So having a designated area in your home, where you can keep nappy bags, school bags and briefcases, is a step closer to the smooth running of the morning.

If you have the space there are some amazing and easy ideas of how to do this. Put up coat hooks and hang the bags from them, ready for the morning rush and out of the way, so no one trips over them.

I chose to put baskets under my entrance table as this is where I have space! Each person can have their own basket or as we do, have 1 large basket, I am using this for a double purpose, when something is found in the wrong place it goes into the basket of whoever owns that item, they have until the end of the week to put it where it belongs or it goes to donations.

If you have the space and the money, then have a bench made with storage for the bags or a locker cupboard made, where each person can put their bags or rain jackets.

The most important aspect of your launching pad is that you need to use it! It really does help! If the area that you have chosen is appropriate, why not make it a charging station for all your cellphones, ipads, tablets and other devices?

I am always losing my keys, so I created a space where we can all dump our keys when we get home.

Here is your first 15 minutes!

Day 1:

Create a simple morning launch area; you can always expand with more permanent solutions later. If you already have an area, get rid of what does not belong there.

Day 2:

Create a morning routine.  Some kids do better with a known routine.  I have one child who used to almost have a panic attack if you changed her day without warning.  Even now, as a teen, she doesn’t do well with surprises.

This also helps with keeping the house running smoothly if, for some reason, you are not there.

When I was working 7 am to 7 pm shifts, my mornings off were torturous for me.  Everyone was running around like headless chickens and someone would invariably leave something at home. The school even sent these coloured cardboard signs for my one child to put up so she wouldn’t forget her lunch every day! With a launch area, this is less of an issue these days.

Day 3:

Making space for homework is important in a routine. Even if your children are of crèche age, assign an area where they can work on an activity. In our home we are lucky and each child has a small desk at which to work.  However, if you don’t have that kind of space and homework is done at the dining room or kitchen table, make a specific box for each child with extra stationary which might be needed. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have heard, ‘but my ruler is at school’ or ‘I don’t have a black/blue/green pen’ just to delay doing homework a little longer.  For much younger kids, have a couple of pictures and crayons for them to use as homework, even beads that they can string together is ‘homework’.

After homework is complete, the children pack the boxes and put them back where they belong. I wish I had done this earlier, when the kids were younger!

Day 4:

Everyone should be getting ready for school, so it is a good idea to go through old stationary and get rid of what doesn’t work anymore. What is left can either be put into the homework boxes (if you buy new stationary each year) or be returned to the pencil box for use.

Day 5:

Decluttering of old school books.  Previously each year I bought school books that the schools requested and quite often I would get some back unused. Thankfully, the new school my girls go to require only flip files and arch lever files and lots of exam pads. I will have to buy one or two books which the school has recommended for one of my children who is very disorganised and distractible. It would be better for them to glue worksheets into a book for her, rather than rely on her remembering to file anything!

Get rid of old exam papers! When was the last time you thought about looking at an old exam with fondness? Keeping report cards is an entirely different matter, so you will need to find a safe place to keep them.

I have also only kept 1 or 2 drawings from each child for each year of school.  As much as it would be great to be able to keep them all, it is not a practical option.

You are now ready for the school year to begin! Don’t forget to print your January calendar. http://kasheringyourlife.co.za/index.php/printables/january-2016-calendar/

Don’t forget to let me know how the first week went, and remember to share! If you have been following my blog or my page on FB Kahseringyourlife, you will have seen the pictures of my meals and how bad they were, in the beginning, so don’t worry about the quality of your pictures! Share!