(WXYZ) — As families get ready for the new school year, many parents are also preparing for the daily rush of getting everyone out the door on time.
From laying out clothes to packing lunches, a little preparation goes a long way. Rachel Wills, a South Lyon mom of three, shared her routine that helps her family get out the door in the morning without the scramble.
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For the Willis family, the routine starts before the alarm even goes off.
"I'm a little bit type B, so I'm a little more loose with planning, but in order to manage three kids and my husband and I having jobs and sports for all of the children and we coach, we try to make it as easy as possible in the morning," Wills said.
That prep can be as simple as getting lunch ready ahead of time, and that also means delegating some of that responsibility to the children.
"Everyone can know their role and their expectations that we give our children that's age appropriate, so that way they can feel some pride and ownership in what they're doing and learn responsibility for as they continue to age," she said.
With more than one child to get ready, and two full-time working parents, a visual schedule makes a big different, she said.
"It doesn't have to be stressful as long as you can do the work ahead of time before the day is there," Willis said.
Wills said it also makes a difference to have help. Whether a family member can stop by while you head off to work, or you can team up with another family.
"Because my husband and I both work, my mom lives seven minutes away and comes in the morning and helps our kids finish getting ready for school and getting them onto the bus," she said.
But of course, not every morning goes as planned.
“There are days where I am definitely not calm and I am trying not to shriek, so it is taking deep breaths and reminding my kids that when you feel frustrated, I might too, and we all just need a moment to calm down and reset before we try and move forward with this," she said.
The goal isn't a perfect morning...just one that gets the family out the door with a little less stress.
"So advice for parents who might be dreading the back to school schedule is our children really look to us for how we feel about things to know how they should feel about things. So if we are calm, collected, and in a positive mindset about school or the transition back to school, it helps our children know that it's OK, it's safe, and it's gonna be hopefully fun and a positive experience," Wills said.
