This Back-To-School morning routine post is sponsored by Crest.

I can’t believe another school year is already starting. This summer just flew by. I say that every summer, but this one just seemed exceptionally quick.

My friend Michelle was recently telling me how it’s that time of year where she has to start sleep training her son Alex. No more summer sleep schedule; it’s back to a school year routine. And that also means helping your kids get back into a back-to-school morning routine too.

We’re here to help.

We put together a back-to-school morning routine checklist. Even better, we made a free printable that you can find it at the end of the post, to make your life even easier.

Before you print it, though, make sure you’re prepared for back-to-school with everything you need for the back-to-school routine list: like vitamins, breakfast, and toothpaste.

Everything you need to get the morning started right should be in your home. Hopefully. If not, you have a little time left to shop before the school year starts.

Back-To-School Morning Routine

Brush Teeth With Crest.

We suggest Crest Gum & Enamel Repair, mostly because Crest is who originally sponsored this post. That’s why the printable specifically says to brush with Crest.

But, your kid can brush with whatever toothpaste he or she likes. As long as teeth are getting brushed, you’re off to a good start.

Get Dressed.

The easiest way to help your kids get dressed is to lay out an outfit the night before. That way, your kids know what they are going to wear instead of having to decide that morning.

If your kid is particular about what he or she wears, that’s awesome. But only if your kid is particular the night before. Have him or her lay out tomorrow’s outfit before bed. And let him or her know that there’s no changing the outfit in the morning. Because sitting there and trying on 100 outfits might end up making your kid late for school.

Brush Your Hair.

Some of my favorite memories of before school time was my mom brushing my hair. So, tell your kids that even if you help, they can still cross this off the list.

And, side note, my mom would brush my hair while I ate breakfast. So you might want to do this one out of order so you can accomplish multiple things at once. Sometimes, that’s the only way you’ll get ready on time.

Make Your Bed.

Even if it’s quick, and even if it’s something you (as the parent) have to redo later. Let them try.

Making your bed is a good habit to get into. There’s this amazing commencement speech given by a US Naval Admiral that talks about making your bed. You can actually stream the entire Make Your Bed speech by clicking that link. It’s so good. I listen to it every so often, just to make sure my mind stays motivated. So, before the school year, sit down with your kids and have them listen to the speech. It’s a great motivator, and a great thing to remind your kids about when they don’t want to make their bed in the morning.

Eat Breakfast.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so definitely start the day off right.

Make ahead breakfasts make your life a lot easier. If you have something you can grab out of the fridge and just warm up for your kids before school, you have a better chance of actually having time for breakfast. If you have to sit there and scramble eggs in the morning, your kid might just skip breakfast.

To make your life a little easier, we have a few make ahead breakfasts listed below.

– Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes
– Heart-Shaped Hard Boiled Eggs
– Make Ahead Breakfast Bowls
– Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole

Take Your Vitamin.

If you sit a vitamin next to your child’s breakfast, it will be an easier way to assure it gets taken.

If it’s easier for you to remember weekly instead of daily, pick up a weekly pill organizer. Put one vitamin in every day of the week. Then, in the morning, you can tell your child what day of the week it is, and he or she can take his or her vitamin out of the corresponding day. Look at that. Extra learning opportunities.

Pack Lunch.

I don’t mean or expect your kid to make lunch. That’s definitely a job for you, and (to make your life easier) something you should do the night before instead of in the morning.

Instead, this just means your child should take his or her lunch out of the fridge and pack it in his or her lunchbox.

Take Backpack.

Put lunch in the backpack, plus anything that needs to go back to school (permission slips, show and tell items, etc.). Then take the backpack off its hook.

Put On Your Shoes.

This is the last thing to do before your kid runs out to the bus stop.

Have A Great Day!

I did include a checkbox here as anticipation. At one of Pete’s schools, they used to say, “You choose your attitude” during the daily announcements. Having a great day on this checklist is a great way to help your kids choose a great attitude.

Now, about that printable …

Just right click the image above and save the Back-To-School Morning Routine printable to your computer.

It’s formatted to fit an 8.5- x 11-inch sheet of paper, which is the standard size for home printers.

I would suggest printing it out, then putting it in a sheet protector or laminate it. Your child can then use a Dry Erase marker to check each box after each task is done.

The next morning, before you wake your child up, be sure to wipe the sheet clean. Then, your child can start over the next day.

And, since it does say “Brush Teeth With Crest” on it, you may want to stock up on Crest. If your kid is anything like me, they’ll be a stickler for doing everything on the list exactly as it says.