Dear FlyLady,

I have four school aged children in three schools. Morning used to be
pure chaos. Forgotten homework, missing lunches, missed buses, lost sports equipment.. It was painful for both me and my children (My DH leaves for work at 5:00 am)

So I set up launch pad areas for each child. I took the design from
the kindergarten room. For each child there is a row of 4 wooden hooks, a mat, and a shelf.. Backpacks, coats, sports gear, Scouting gear, and instruments all on hooks, mats, or shelves in the hall. When the children get home, we go over what is scheduled for tomorrow. After homework is done, backpacks on the hooks.

Instead of hanging the kids’ coats in our small coat closet, they are hung on a hook, so in the morning if it looks like rain, they just grab their raincoat. And as I wash sports gear, it goes back in it’s bag and on the shelf or hook it belongs on.

When the school lunch menu comes out at the beginning of each month we sit down and mark who needs to take lunch on which days. The night before when we are cleaning up from dinner, we set out lunch/snack boxes and prepare the meals (trying to use the leftovers.) I also prep breakfast for my little ones.

In the morning I get up before the children, have my cup of tea and get out their lunch:/snacks. Then start waking them up asking what they want for breakfast (I give them a choice.). No fighting over outfits., no searches for lost anything. When I get the question,
“Mom where is my ._____ ” Check your hooks. And guess what – That is where it was.

Thank you for that morning peace because of our bedtime routines.

Fluttering in Central PA