Back to School- Sleep, Butterflies, Focus, Lunches and More

After summer’s free-for-all, returning to a back-to-school routine of bedtimes, alarm clocks, hurried mornings, and getting out the door on time can be a challenge. Especially if we aren’t ready for summer to end!! To make this seasonal switch easier, I put together a few simple tips to help you get ready for that first day of school hopefully without any tears or meltdowns. From get organized, setting up a routine, back to school schedule, sleep tips, calming back to school butterflies, lunch ideas, quick breakfast and more!

This summer we went through and organized everyone’s bedroom, donated clothes that didn’t fit or weren’t worn, and decluttered! I have also been working through common areas, making sure everything has a spot!

Start a Routine and Set Yourself up for Success-

This was when we organized Lola’s room, her friends and my mom helped! Highly recommend taking time to do this, especially helpful after each season ends to get rid of things that weren’t worn or grown out of. Also helpful to see what is really needed for back to school so you don’t spend money on things you don’t need.

Feels so good to have a fresh clean slate before school starts!

Let's Organize- Organizing Checklist By Room — **Get all the organizing tips by room HERE**

Start a Routine-

Finn's Schoolhouse bedroom-Utah Ranch House — Don’t wait until the night before school starts to set up new routines for the start of school. I know, this tip is easier said than done. We are all just soaking up summer to the very last second!

**Finn has an echo dot that he can tell to wake him up, “Alexa set alarm for 7:30 am”, he enjoys taking on that responsibility!** He also like to ask Alexa to sing a song or “how many days until Halloween?”

He also has this LunaMist waterless diffuser and nightlight. I can control from my phone or manually. So nice to set a morning routine and have it diffuse citrus fresh every morning to wake him up! And start the day with a mood boost!

**Print this Back to School Checklist Routine HERE**

Sleep-

Diffuser for Sleep-

We started with essential oils because my daughter needed help with calming her mind to go to sleep. It was a game changer for us. A weighted blanket helped too when she was younger, now she just uses her diffuser for sleep support. She starts her diffuser about 30 minutes before bed, honestly she has it going as soon as she get’s home from school! Her bedroom always smells so good. She also likes to put a few drops of oil behind her ears before bed or grab the Tranquil Roller or Sleepyize Roller and roll on her chest and behind ears.

Create a diffuser station for your kids to easily use their oils and support their needs. Ella has this disco ball diffuser and the Adobe Misst diffuser in her room, with a bottle of water to easily refill her diffuser and a dish of her favorite oils (mostly Stress Away, Peace & Calming, Orange and KidsPower).

We just got this Wake-Up light diffuser and are obsessed! Ella quickly claimed as hers but we all want one! It’s a waterless diffuser, can hold 2 different essential oil bottles and you can set up morning and night alarms and routines. She wakes up to birds chirping, the smell of Peppermint and a sunrise light. And then at bedtime, she taps into her sleep routine and a sunset light appears with white noise and Peace & Calming starts diffusing…lights out!!! Sleep routines made easy.

Sleep Diffuser Blends-

Lavender and Peace & Calming are top sleep oils! But we also love so many as you start to add to your collection.

Linen Spray-

Supplements for Sleep-

On nights when high-energy children need extra help settling down or busy minds to calm, try KidScents Unwind. This magnesium-based supplement is our go-to for unwinding before bed. It also includes tryptophan and essential oils that help promote a calm state. Because it can help with restlessness and sleeplessness, it can also improve focus and concentration in the classroom

How to Handle Nerves and Butterflies-

Anyone get butterflies starting something new? Or have a child that needs a little support in that area? Chatting about why they are nervous and offering tools to support those feelings is a great place to start. One of my favorite things to do is have my kids help me make a calm or bravery roller. These rollers also double as perfume and or cologne. Finn puts on his cologne every morning (he loves KidPower ready made roller) and my girls make a roller that is similar to the brave roller recipe below.

To make a roller all you do is grab a 10 mll roller, drop your essential oils in then rill the rest with a carrier oil, we use Jojoba Oil (it doesn’t clog pores). After you make it kids can roll behind ears, on chest whenever needed!

Stay Well-

As kids go back to school, they’re inevitably exposed to more sicknesses. Then they bring those illnesses home and share with the whole family. It’s important to strengthen children’s immune systems. Incorporate children’s supplements into their morning routine to help your kids get a boost of vitamins and minerals to start their day.

One of the most powerful things we can do for our health is to balance and support our belly. Especially important when kids head back to school and are around a lot more people. Many today consider regularly taking a high quality probiotic to be one of the core pieces to a healthy gut which in turn is a key to brain, immune, skin health and more!

We love MightyPro for our probiotics and prebiotic, specially formulated for children. Packaged in easy, one-dose packets that can be taken almost anywhere you go. Tastes like a pixie stick! Features over 8 billion active, live cultures to support digestive and immune health. Children whose guts have healthy flora tend to feel calmer, crave less, and have more serotonin available to regulate their moods! There are foods with probiotics like yogurt, kefir, pickles, sauerkraut, miso, kombucha, some types of cheese and traditional buttermilk. If you are like me and my kids, and don’t eat those foods that often, a supplement is needed.

Back to School Mornings-

My kids top breakfast pick is usually mini waffles, quick and easy and gets their bellies full. But, have you ever made eggs in the mini waffle maker? Easiest egg clean up! This is Finn’s favorite breakfast, he get’s in a lot of protein and can make it himself! Just spray a little avocado spray in the mini waffle maker, crack and egg right inside, close the lid and let it cook for about 2 min or until how you like your eggs cooked!

Happy Hair for Happy Mornings-

8 Things I bought from Urban Outfitters! — You have to work smart when parenting because all the demands can start to weigh you down after a while. One smart parenting hack I’ve come to love are products with multiple uses. Here’s a quick back to school perfume that is not only a lice deterrent, and helps detangle hair, but also promotes emotional support & focus! Just spritz your kids hair or hairbrush before brushing every morning, we even use in Finn’s hair.

Back To School Perfume & Hair Spritz

In an 8 oz spray bottle add
20 drops Tea Tree
20 drops Lavender
15 drops Stress Away or 15 drops Geranium
Add a splash of witch hazel (helps the water and oil combine) and top with distilled water and shake before using.