Olivia Dupuy MA, RD, LD

Starting a new school year is a very exciting time for parents! Maybe not so much for the kids, but I know most parents are very eager for kids to get back on a schedule! No more figuring out day by day what activities you and/or they can do, how to occupy their time, how to keep them productive. However, there’s always an adjustment period when it comes to getting used to a new schedule. There will be some hiccups and some things that you don’t realize you need until you need it. But hopefully this blog can help give you some ideas to make sure you have everything ready to go for not only your kids, but for you as well!

Tips on how to make your mornings smoother:

• The mornings can be very chaotic and that can be a rough start to your day. My advice would be to try to get everything you can for the next day ready the night before! Even if it’s something as little as picking out what you’re going to wear. This includes not only your outfit, but your kids’ outfits too. If they want to pick out their own clothes, still ask them to do it the night before.
• Pack whatever food you can for the day as well. What food are you going to take with you for breakfast, lunch, and any snacks as needed? What food needs to be pack for your kids for the day? Go ahead and put everything in everyone’s own lunch box. You can get your kids involved in packing their own lunch, too! Getting that ready to go the night before will make it easy for everyone to just grab it on the way out the next morning.
• Are there any other bags that need to be packed? Your work bag, kids’ bookbags, etc.? Have these ready at the door the night before as well. If any of these tips, if not all, can be done in your household the night before, think of how much stress and chaos you can save yourself in the morning!

So what are some foods that can be packed for both you and your kids for the day?

For parents, an easy lunch to pack can include leftovers from dinner the night before! If leftovers aren’t usually available, try cooking more to be able to save yourself a portion. Would meal prepping for yourself for the week be easier? If unable to cook, what are some healthy ready to eat options that would be easy to pack? These are all questions that could be asked to get a plan in motion. Some examples include your own salad fixings, tuna/chicken salad with some whole wheat crackers, deli chicken/turkey and cheese roll up, with lettuce and/or a whole wheat wrap. You could also think of these quick meals as making your own “adult lunchables” which would include your ready to eat proteins, raw vegetables and fruit. Need any condiments to make the meal more enjoyable? Some low-calorie condiments with meat can include mustard, low fat mayo, salsa, relish. Some dips that can be paired with raw veggies include hummus, guacamole, or plain low-fat yogurt mixed with a ranch seasoning pack. Dips that can be paired with fruit include peanut butter and low-fat yogurt. Are these food choices your kids would also enjoy? Similar breakfasts and lunches could be made for them as well!

Staying on top of Day-to-Day Tasks

When you get home from work and/or when the kids get home from school, it seems like the chaos isn’t over yet. There’s still dinner to cook, children to bathe, homework they need to get done. All on top of keeping the house clean? That sounds impossible, but don’t feel overwhelmed. Anything that you can spend a little time doing in the evening will make day to day life easier and keep tasks from piling up. So you decide what all can be done in an evening. Some examples to choose from include doing the dishes, taking out the trash, picking up toys, doing a load of laundry, whatever you think would help you feel like you’re “resetting” the house and getting it ready for the next day. Spending 30 minutes in the evening to clean, declutter, or tidy up SOMETHING will help you keep up with the household. Keeping up with the kitchen especially will make it easier to be ready to cook the next evening!

Self-Care

Lastly, when it’s time to relax, what are some things that you WANT to do. It could honestly be as simple as just lying down and having sometime to yourself to close your eyes. Or this could be an opportunity to get outside and take a walk, read a book, watch TV or a movie, spend time with family and friends, go shopping, whatever it is that you’ve been wanting to do for yourself, by yourself!

I hope reading this gave you some ideas, helped you feel more at ease, and gives you a plan of action. The transition back to school is not easy, but we are here to help you and don’t want anything to get in the way on your weight loss journey!