'twas the night before school....

Well as a follow up to my last post, I thought I would share some of the changes I will be making to help our mornings run a lot smoother! 

Tomorrow is Kieran's first day of Grade 2! I am still trying to get over the fact that he is already in his 3rd year of schooling... it has gone WAY TOO FAST! 

So here I am the night before ready to put all these new routines into practice.... 

1. Uniform ready and placed out... Check

2. Alarm times set .... Check

3. Morning routine chart set.... Check

Here is a sneaky preview of my own version of the routine poster:

It's not quite finished yet, but it has all the necessary features to give it a test run in the morning. Materials included a photo frame, material, velcro dots, craft glue. I just picked these up from Spotlight. It was having a closing down sale, so I managed to get a great discount- BONUS!

In the morning, Kieran and Heath will use this chart to see what they need to do in the morning to get ready. As they complete each task, they remove the disk and place it in the box (not sure if you can see the little box in the photo). When all their tasks are completed, they can watch a little T.V or have a little play. 

Test run tomorrow.... Kieran was already excited when I explained what he needed to do. 

I think it is so important for children to take responsibility for getting themselves ready and completing tasks on their own. Hopefully this year with the aid of this chart, it becomes second nature to the boys.  More importantly, I'm hoping I'll regain my sanity! 

The last little change we have made in our house is setting up a lunch and snack station, so  the boys can easily pack their own lunch boxes. 

My plan is to prepare all the snacks at the start of the week so it's ready to go each morning. In the containers I have cut up fruit and veggies, cheese, crackers, sultana buds and tiny teddies. Each morning, the boys will be able to choose which combination they want from the selection. All I need to do in the mornings will be make their sandwich/ roll. I'm also wanting to mix up their lunch a bit more this year. It's so easy to get into such a rut and put the same old thing in- but how boring! With a bit of organisation, we should be able to create a bit more variety!

So that's the plan... we will be giving all this a test run tomorrow. The real test will be next week with a full week of school and kinder! 

On a side note, today as I was completing the worlds worst job of sorting through paperwork, I put on some music. It instantly made me feel much better and the task really became a lot less tiresome! It reminded me how important it is to enjoy those little moments that bring you joy as much as you can throughout the day. 

Please share with me any comments you have. 

Have a great day xx

Tara

Back to School = Morning Madness!

And so it all begins again.....

the Morning School Rush!

Well that's how it feels in our house! With 3 young boys, most days of the week are absolute MADNESS! Kieran has just turned 7 and is about to start grade 2, Heath has just turned 4 and is about to start 4 yr old kinder and Xavier will turn 2 in March! 

Reflecting on the past year(s), it has really come to my attention that something has to significantly change in this household to ensure the mornings are a lot less stressful and chaotic!

 Look, I definitely take responsibility for the morning madness- I tend to wake up at the crack of dawn to get some study and work under my belt before the three little men start to rise! However, I sometimes get so caught up in my work that I allow the boys to sleep in a little later then they should and hence we end up with the crazy rush! We also haven't been overly organised and there hasn't been much of a routine- except, scream, rush and tears! 

But that is all about to change.... with a little bit of research on blogs and Pinterest, I have found some inspiring ideas to help mornings become a peaceful and invigorating start to the day! So I thought I'd share some of these ideas and hopefully you can gain some benefit from them as well! 

I have a few major issues that I need to address including:

* The boys get up too late!

* There are normally items from the uniform that are no-where to be found! Particularly SOCKS! (I seriously think there is a gremlin in our washing machine who eats all our socks!)

* I have to ask the boys a million times to do certain tasks like eat their breakfast, get dressed, brush their teeth etc. 

* I end up having to complete the tasks myself or stand over them to ensure they do it!

* I have an obsession with not leaving a messy house- beds need to be made, kitchen needs to be clean, rooms need to be tidy and a load of washing needs to be done!

So now to the solutions....

Issue # 1: With the aid of my trusty iPhone, it is time to set 2 alarms- I know this sounds pretty straightforward, but it is something I have never done! I think it is because I am already awake so it has never occurred to me to set another alarm for when it is time to stop working and get the boys up! 

Issue # 2: Uniforms and clothes (including socks and shoes) need to be set out the night before! This is a MUST! Once again, another no-brainer solution, however it is something we have never done! As I have always worked in the afternoon/ evening, the boys are often in bed or heading to bed by the time I have finished and so this simple little step has never been enforced! 

Issue # 3 & 4: It is time to create a visual morning routine that the boys can follow and complete themselves! 

I have seen some inspiring ideas on different blogs and Pinterest including:

This routine chart was featured on one of my favourite blogs http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com.au Jen has lots of creative ways to get organised!

Here is another super idea that I found on Pinterest from a blog called creeksidelearning.com

I think this is a really novel way to get kids to tick off the tasks that they need to complete in the morning! As the child completes each task, they move the corresponding picture over to the done side. Once all the disks have reached the green side, they can be awarded with some play time. 

In my next post I'll suggest some more ideas for Stress FREE Mornings! I'll also share our personal adaptations of these ideas!

I would love to hear how others deal with the morning chaos! Please comment and suggest your tips for creating a smooth start to the day! Otherwise, feel free to comment if you experience a similar morning to myself!

A new year.... A fresh start?

So it's 2013- a new year... and I thought...What the heck....Why don't I start a blog?! 

So here I am!

And what is this blog about? Everything and Anything! I have given it the title of "My 2013 Project" because this blog itself will be a year long project- documenting my daily (or weekly- depending on how frequently I get around to posting!) life into an online journal. But the real project will be all the things I try to implement to create a happier, more fulfilling, and simplified life! 

Don't worry, I'm not trying to rip of "The Happiness Project", however, that was a great book- one which I found very inspiring (and that reminds me....I should probably read that again in the near future!). No, all I am hoping to achieve by creating a blog is an opportunity to reflect and analyse on a more regular basis... as well as seek advise, share advise, gain inspiration, remain focused and most importantly... being accountable! 

I have only recently started to read and follow different blogs so I am still extremely new to this blogging world! But already I have been inspired to try new things and make positive changes! I think when you read many of these blogs, how quickly you realise how many of us share the same concerns and struggle with the same things! So this blog will be my struggles, my concerns and my triumphs! I aim to lay it all on the table... The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly!

If you do wish to follow my blog and this "little" project of mine.... please comment and share your thoughts and experiences- I would love to learn how others tackle the day to day life! 

Tara