Back-to-school routine can be daunting — but getting organised early can be the key to a smooth start.
Aussie mum-of-two Rachael Hallett, 32, has shared her back-to-school system to streamline mornings — including how she organises uniforms, pack lunch boxes, labels everything and sets a “recurring” alarm.
“I have two primary school aged children so my advice is based on these things,” Rachael posted on Facebook.
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Uniforms
Rachael started the post by stressing the importance of having uniforms “ready in advance”.
“I like to have five days of uniforms so that I can have it ready on Sunday and not have to think about it for the rest of the week,” she explained.
“I look at the weather before choosing which items they need for each day.
“There are many ways to store uniforms, but I chose the IKEA Trofast (storage combination with boxes). You can also use hanging organisers in the wardrobe or hangers etc.”
Lunch boxes
Next Rachael detailed the importance of having the best lunch boxes and where you can purchase them.
“I really like the b.box large lunchbox for my kids. You can fit lots inside and the compartments are a good size — two are leakproof,” she said.
She suggested finding them at supermarkets such as Woolworths and Coles.
Her other go-to lunchbox brands include Decor, Sistema, Smash, Omie, Go Green and Yumbox.
Rachael also recommended purchasing a Kmart food thermo for “warm foods”.
Lunches
When it came to lunches, the Aussie mum had many helpful suggestions.
“School lunches can get tedious. You can do a bulk cook up and freeze many items in advance. Sandwiches, sausage rolls, sliders, pinwheels, wraps etc. these all freeze well,” she said.
Rachael explained that she also likes to keep a list inside her pantry with ideas to “fill each of the spaces inside the lunch boxes”.
She also suggested to “budget in a lunch order on your hardest weekdays, if you can”.
“Usually, they aren’t too expensive and a decent meal,” she said.
The mum-of-two went on to explain that “you can also send warm foods in a food thermos. You can really send almost anything”.
“If it’s a pastry or breaded item, then throw a paper towel in with it. We often send noodles or hot dogs, and they are great.”
Afternoon tea
When it comes to after-school hunger, Rachael suggested “having some snacks on the table waiting”.
“I find this really helps my kids not just eat everything in sight,” she said.
“I remember being a kid and the absolute ravenous hunger after school,” she laughed.
“Sometimes I’ll throw nuggets in the cooker just before I leave to get them.”
Rachael explained that when they have “sports close to school finish time, I will often cook dinner and take it in a thermos”.
The mum-of-two said that by taking dinner in a thermos, “it really helps avoid a drive-thru or a really late dinner.”
Alternatively, Rachael suggested “having areas where the kids can grab easy stuff is helpful”.
“In my fridge I have a kids’ shelf with options they can always take easily — mini cucumbers, strawberries, cheese sticks, slices, salami etc., plus the fruit bowl and crackers,” she explained.
“All easy stuff.”
School bags
School bags were up next on Rachael’s list, “pick the best quality bag you can afford”.
She recommended, “the school brand bags are often good — alternatively Smiggle and surf brand bags are “excellent quality”.
Rachael said that “while some cheaper bags are good,” in her experience, “the cheapest don’t last.”
Another tip when it comes to school bags, is having a “dedicated hook or area for school bags,” she explained.
“We have hooks for the school bags by our front door.”
Drink bottles
She recommended “choosing a double-walled bottle if you can.”
“They are heavier, but they can have ice cold water all day. This is more important in summer months, obviously,” she said.
“Kmart has a 950ml double wall for $15 — the $3.50 Kmart bottles are pretty good too and a decent option if lost bottles are an issue.”
Rachael also suggested Big W for “cheap water bottles.”
Label everything
All parents know the stress of losing items and having to delve through mountains of lost property as a result.
“Avoid losing items permanently by labelling everything,” recommended Rachael.
“There are so many ways to label; permanent marker, laundry marker, vinyl decals, iron on labels, sticker labels, label stamps and more.
“I typically just do last name so the items can be used by anyone — especially as my kids are close in age.”
The Aussie mum shared that she “chooses to use iron on labels for clothes.”
Her sneaky tip is to put “hidden labels on jumpers too so if someone rips one off, the hidden one is back up.”
“I also use a marker and write our surname on the waistband part, on the inside.”
She said that “pants and shirts get one label; they are much less likely to go missing.”
For hats, Rachael likes to “use a marker and use massive letters inside with the name, small names can be crossed out.”
“I also label socks and underwear for swimming lesson days. Just a couple and I wash and reuse them (only two weeks of the year),” she said.
Rachael warned to “label shoes, it’s common that kids will have the same shoes and may mix them up. You can get shoe stickers or just use a marker.”
The organised mum said that for “lunch boxes and drink bottles I mostly use vinyl decals.”
Stationery
These days school stationery can be expensive.
Rachael explained that “each school will have their own method.”
“Our school provides everything, so I don’t need to shop or label (this is genuinely the best).”
However, she explained that “if you are getting your own you’ll likely need to label it all.”
The mum-of-two warned that “it’s amazing how quickly stuff goes walkies! I think a stamp would make that so much quicker.”
Alarms
The early morning wake-up for school is a struggle for most kids and parents alike.
To help with this, Rachael suggested setting a recurring alarm for school days so you wake up on time.
“I also have an alarm for when I need to leave to pick the kids up. I work from home mostly and may be engrossed, not realising the time,” she said.
Mums were loving Rachael’s tips and tricks — with many thanking her for sharing her incredibly detailed routine.
“I love how you live and that you share the ideas with us,” one mum said.
“There are some really great tips in here. Thanks for taking the time and sharing your wisdom,” added another.
A third said, “Thanks so much for these tips, lots of good ideas here.”
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