Prepping for a "Normal" School Year

After four months of a global pandemic, our family has a new daily rhythm down. We like it, but at the same time, working from home, schooling from home and just being at home every day has me feeling like I don’t remember how to do a regular schedule for myself or my family.

For example, in our blended family of five, there are some of us who still wake up at 6:30 a.m. like clockwork. Others start the day very close to 8 a.m., thankful the commute to work is less than two minutes away. Finally, there are some who, in the midst of tween growth spurts, would prefer to wake sometime after they’ve had a full 12 hours of sleep.

This schedule will absolutely not work when school starts in August.

Of course, there are also more positive habits that have been formed during our stay-at-home days. We have been making and eating most of our meals at home as a family, and my husband and I are exercising daily. I would love to continue these trends into the future, but I also know that I will certainly have less time for meal planning and prep than I’ve had, and I won’t be able to jump on the treadmill for 30 minutes in between my afternoon meetings.

I also worry that, as restrictions loosen and our kids become more involved in their activities, we may all be pulled away from the time together as a family that we love and have had in abundance the last few months.

But instead of losing sleep at night worrying about everything, I’m going to make a plan for myself and start some new habits before August arrives.

1. Actually talk about and make a plan for the next day. It seems simple, but because all the days have blended together, I have had little to no prep for the kids for the coming day. Helping everyone in the house think about what’s needed for the next day the night before will start good habits before we get into the crunch of homework, favorite outfits and extra supplies for that “special” art project at school.

2. Set aside time with my husband to review the week ahead. We once relied on the Google Calendar as though it were a member of the family. Getting back in the habit of our weekly review will not only help us mentally prepare for what’s ahead, but also identify time when we can intentionally be together as a family.

3. Restart a morning routine that will serve me and my family well. During the school year, I wake up way early to get myself ready, have time for devotions and prayer and get a few breakfast items ready for the kids. If I’m being honest, I have become the biggest culprit of hitting snooze. Over the next month, my goal is to hit reset on my routine so that not only can I get ready, but I can also carve out time for a quick workout prior to the start of the day.

4. Practice creating a meal plan. I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of meal planning, but typically cook what looks good when I go to the grocery store. With fewer grocery store trips and even less time, meal planning will allow me to create an online shopping cart and save some time after work.

While there will be new challenges that come with the beginning of the year, I’m looking forward to creating a new normal that helps everyone be as successful as possible.

Read the original piece at Momaha.com.