HOW TO EASE YOUR KIDS INTO A BACK-TO-SCHOOL ROUTINE WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND

When the holidays end.....

So you've had a great holiday.

Late mornings. Later nights. Some days were a blur of snacks, screens, and sunscreen.

Routines? What routines?

And now, here comes that creeping dread. School is around the corner, and your kids' sleep schedule is literally a joke. You say "bedtime" and they say, "But it's still light outside". Or worse, they just disappear with their screens until 11 pm and call that winding down.

You're definitely not alone if you're already bracing yourself for when school starts, especially the first week, when everyone's tired, grumpy, and searching for socks at 6.59 am.

Preparing your kids for their back-to-school routine after the holidays can feel and look like herding squirrels!

But there are things you can do to prepare them for it, so you can minimize the chaos that always comes when you force structure down their throats when they haven't seen structure for weeks.

This post is here to help you with that. No overhauls. No military schedules. Just simple changes you can make starting now to help your kids (and you) transition back to a school routine without making mornings miserable.

Why It's Worth Preparing (Even If You're Tired)

Here's the thing.

Kids don't just "snap back" into school mode because the calendar says it's Monday. Their internal clock (and moods) are real. Sleep affects their focus, how they feel, and their energy. And the back-to-school routine doesn't just show up by magic. It needs to be reintroduced and built back up.

If you wait until the night before school to start their routine again, you're just setting yourself up for a rough week. Bedtime protests, rushed breakfasts, forgotten water bottles, and cranky small humans are things you just don't want to see happening. None of that helps anyone start the term right.

A little prep now gives you wiggle room. You can do it gradually so it doesn't feel forced and rushed, so they (and you) don't get stressed out.

5 Ways to Get Your Kids Ready for Their Back-to-School Routine

The back-to-school routine doesn't just magically happen the night before school starts. Your kids need time to switch gears, whether it's mentally or physically, maybe even emotionally. Here are five simple things you can do now to make that transition back to school feel way less painful for everyone.

Start Nudging That Wake Time Earlier

Don't wait until Sunday night before school to suddenly expect them to wake up at 6 or 6.30 am. That's just cruel. Instead, start moving their wake-up time earlier by 10-15 minutes every few days. Do it slowly. Their body clocks need time to adjust after weeks of holiday sleep-ins.

Try pulling back their wake-up time first, and bedtime will follow more naturally. If it helps, open the curtains and let the morning sun in when it's time for them to wake up. That morning sunlight will help regulate their sleep-wake cycle.

Kids aren't robots, so give them time to adjust. And yes, they'll complain. And that's fine, you'll just have to accept it.

Bring Out the Visual Routines

If you've ever yelled "Put on your shoes!" while your kid is mid-cartwheel, this one's for you.

Kids thrive on visual cues.

For your younger kids, bring back those routine cards or charts you might've used before. You know: those little drawings or simple checklists like "First: Brush Teeth. Then: Get Dressed and so on. Put it up where they can easily see it, maybe on their bedroom door or even on the fridge. For your older kids, let them make their own checklist.

Just having a visible guide for them helps cut down on "what do I do next?" questions in the morning. Plus if your kids have a hand in creating these visuals or checklists, they're more likely to use them. It's a weird human brain thing where ownership creates buy-in.

You don't need fancy printables. A whiteboard. Sticky Notes. Handmade. Done for you. Doodles on paper.

The goal is to help them move from task to task without you repeating yourself twelve times before 7.30 am.

I created a template if you'd like some inspiration. You can definitely make it your own based on your needs and what your kids need. It's linked here. You do need a Canva account to customize it, but Canva is free!

Do Morning Practice Runs (Make it a game)

This one sounds weird, but hear me out.

Pick two or three mornings a week, maybe the last two weeks of your holidays, and do a "mock school morning". Not a full-blown one, just a five-minute run-through.

Set a timer. Let them race the clock. Brushing their teeth, getting dressed, and packing a pretend lunchbox. Make it silly. The sillier it is, the more they'll get into it. You can be the judge.

Award points for things they can do without any help. But it's not so much about getting everything perfect, but it's about helping them remember the sequence.

If you make them practice their routines in a low-pressure, fun way, it'll help them build confidence and muscle memory. So when school mornings come, they'll already be pros at it.

Hopefully (fingers crossed), you won't have to narrate every single step. Plus, these practice runs will help you too, because you might just realize that their lunch bag is full of crumbs from June.

Shift Screen Time Earlier

This one is going to be tough, but important.

Even if your kid can fall asleep after screen time, and you better bet that they will argue with you that they can, the quality of the sleep they get won't be what they need. That's because this blue light from screens messes with their melatonin, and it affects everything from how fast they fall asleep, how deeply they sleep, and how rested they feel when they wake up.

You can slowly start moving screen time to earlier in the day, maybe late morning or early afternoon. To soften the blow, you can create activities that are a bit more slower and quieter. It could be drawings, arts and crafts, board games, books, a walk, or listening to audiobooks.

You don't have to ban screens completely. You're not that mean. But reducing stimulation before bed can make a big difference.

If your kid insists they're not tired at 10 pm, but also just finished a 3-hour Roblox session, then you already know what's up.

Also, try and keep screens out of the bedroom. I know. Easier said than done. But it really helps.

Turn Bedtime Into Something They Want, Not Something You Battle

This one's a mindset shift. Instead of treating bedtime like the end of fun, treat it like its own event.

Create a wind-down corner. Let them help design and decorate it. Pillows, favorite plushies, cozy blanket, favorite books, low light. Maybe even a playlist of soft music or bedtime stories. Make it feel special.

Create a predictable order. They can start with bathtime, pajamas, storytime, cuddles, then lights out. Kids really thrive on predictability, even if they give you such a hard time about it. Let them have some control, if so. Offer them small choices: "Do you want to read this book or that?" "Do you want your panda or your cat plushie tonight?".

When bedtime feels like connection time instead of a shutdown, there's always less pushback. You're not fighting them, you're guiding them.

And if they say, "I'm not tired", that's fine. Let them lie in bed with a book. The goal is quiet and calm, not immediate sleep. The routine matters more than the timing at first.

In the end, you're building more than just a routine

Getting back into the back-to-school routine isn't just about the logistics of it all.

It's about giving your kids the emotional and physical tools to start their day well. To feel ready, rested, and not completely disoriented by Monday morning.

Yes, it takes a little effort now. But it saves you the stress later.

So start small. Pick one thing from the list today. Nudge a bedtime. Print a checklist. Shift screen time.

You don't need to do a complete overhaul immediately and all at once. You just need to guide your kids back into a rhythm and routine that works for them (and you).

Because when the back-to-school routine runs smoother, your whole house will breathe a little easier. And who doesn't want that?

If you enjoyed this post, I'd love it if you shared it on Pinterest! Thanks!