This post is sponsored by The Quaker Oats Company. All opinions are my own.

School is in session and whether you’re doing it virtually or in-person right now, back to school morning routines are so important to have in place for your family.

With 5 kids our mornings can be chaotic without routines. I need them in place to make sure everyone is prepped, prepared and packed for school. With back to school morning routines I feel like we’d be running around late and frazzled every Monday thru Friday.

Back to School Morning Routines

My 4 sons are hybrid right now. They head to school 2 days in, 3 days out and then that schedule switches every other week to 3 days in, 2 days out. Victoria is in 5 days right now.

The good thing is that school starts around the same time for everyone, so that makes for an easier morning routine.

This year is so different for every family out there. Our kids are trying the best they can with the changes. We’re trying the best we can with the changes. And our teachers and school administration are trying the best they can.

We’re all in this “new” normal, so I’ve found that having set back to school morning routines is the best way to keep a sense of normalcy for our family.

Here is what we do to keep ourselves on track for school in the morning. My hope is that this will inspire your family to do the same. The last thing we want in the morning is to feel stressed or overwhelmed. Let this help guide a routine for your family, too.

WAKE UP EARLY:
My kids need to be out the door by 8:15AM (or online). I’m a big fan of getting everyone up early than they need to be, just so we’re not rushing. I usually wake the kids up around 7AM.

This way they can “leisurely” get up. There’s nothing worse in the morning than running late or waking up in a rush.

HEARTY AND DELICIOUS BREAKFAST:
This is the most important part of back to school morning routines for families. You need to make sure your kids have a hearty and delicious breakfast that will help get them through the morning.

We’re BIG fans of Life Cereal, so I always make sure I have it stocked for them in morning. Life Cereal is a delicious cereal that everyone in our family loves. The best part is that it’s offered in a variety of flavors – Original, Cinnamon, and their new Life Chocolate flavor (I’ll come back to this in a second!).

Each tasty square is made with whole grain goodness, with at least 24 grams of whole grains per one cup serving, so I feel good knowing that they’re eating something healthy and tasty.

I like to opt for Life Cereal for my family because there’s 24-26g of Heart Healthy* Whole Grains per one cup serving (*Diets rich in whole grain foods, other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease).

It also has an excellent Source of 5B Vitamins and a good course of calcium.

As you know, my kids are very active and involved in sports (swimming, football, baseball and basketball right now), so I like to make sure what they’re eating in the morning, along with a bowl of fruit and a glass of milk, is healthy for them.

I also want to mention here because I feel like moms and dads eating breakfast is just as important, too! I’m OBSESSED with the new Life Chocolate flavor. OMG, it’s amazing.

Every time the kids head off to school, I grab a bowl and enjoy outside before I kick off my busy day. It’s a delicious part of breakfast that you look forward to every morning (no joke!).

BACKPACKS CHECK:
My kids are old enough now to pack their own backpacks, but I’m still their MOM and I still love to do my “backpack check” (as I call it).

When they’re done with breakfast I go through each child to make sure they have their lunch packed, books/notebooks/Chromebook packed, cell phone packed (and make sure it’s charged!).

In this “new” normal (at least for my kids) I’m not allowed to drop anything off once they’re at school. If they’re missing something, it can’t be brought to them.

This backpack check has become an important part of the back to school morning routines for the kids. *Every morning someone is forgetting something.

CLEAN UP KITCHEN/LIVING ROOM SPACE:
Since the kids get up earlier now and have a little “down” time to watch some TV, the living room and kitchen have been in use a lot more on school mornings.

The routine now is to clean up whatever was taken out or left on. Blankets away. TV off. Books or toys away. It feels so good to come back home to an organized house, too after school and work.

10 MINUTES BEFORE LEAVING:
Last step in the back to school morning routines for the kids – 10 minute check! Right around 8:05AM I make sure everyone has their shoes on and that those last minute details (essentials) like brushing teeth and fixing hair are done.

Usually they’re pretty good, but I feel like having this extra 10 minutes is so helpful for them.

I hope sharing our back to school morning routines helps you and your family. All of these steps in the morning really do help us out. It’s not always easy getting your kids up and out the door to school.

Keeping yourself organized and on a routine truly does go a long way for your family.

Don’t forget the most important routine here – BREAKFAST! It’s so important to make sure our kids go off to school ready to take on the day!

Make sure you check out Life Cereal and bring it into your morning routine. You can also discover the newest Life Cereal Chocolate flavor at LifeCereal.com.

Check out how Quaker is supporting our schools.