Are mornings a little too hectic in your homeschool? For years, I’ve been using a simple morning routine checklist to help my kids get ready for school. A checklist makes things so much easier when kids know what’s expected of them. If mornings are a struggle in your homeschool, take advantage of my FREE get ready for school checklist. I hope it’s a game changer for you!

Why Use a Get Ready for School Checklist

Lessen Decision Fatigue

My number one reason for using a get ready for school checklist is that it reduces the number of decisions you need to make on any given day. This is huge. Do not underestimate the power of a few less decisions in your day.

While I only have one student still using a morning checklist, it’s so liberating to simply instruct her that it’s time to start working on her checklist. If you have more than one child to get ready for school, they can each have a checklist that they can work independently. This is a great deal of mental relief for you, and while you may still need to provide some oversight, you can be working your own morning routine at the same time.

Everyone Likes a Routine

Okay, I don’t know if everyone likes a routine, but most humans do thrive on routine. It’s comforting. Kids especially need routine in their lives. A get ready for school checklist is the perfect way to provide comforting structure and routine to mornings in your home.

Help Your Children Gain Independence

Through the process of routine, kids can become experts in getting themselves ready for the day, which will foster their own sense of independence, too. My daughter is eight and she can absolutely work through this checklist on her own.

What to Include on a Morning Routine Checklist

The checklist I created includes basic activities to get your child ready to start their homeschool day. These include:

• eating breakfast
• taking breakfast dishes to the kitchen
• taking vitamins
• making a water bottle
• brushing teeth
• getting dressed
• bedroom tidying

These were the things I cared most about my younger children completing before we embarked on our school day.

Creating Your Own Morning Routine Checklist

If you find you want to create a get ready for school checklist to fit your particular family’s needs, here are some things to consider:

1-Family Values

Most families value hygiene tasks, but maybe your family doesn’t take vitamins. Maybe you are fine if they stay in pajamas all day. (We do that some days, but I’ve found that getting dressed for the day helps the mindset). Figure out what you want your child to complete before school and put that on your checklist.

2-Simplicity

Keep the checklist simple, especially if you’re using it with younger children. No one wants an overwhelming to-do list. You want your child to have success completing the checklist, and you can always add one or two more things later.

3-Visual Interest

Most kids want lots of color and cute pictures or characters. If you’re using a checklist with pre-readers, you’ll want to make sure a picture is there to help them understand. If you want the same list for all kids, include words and pictures.

How to Use a Morning Routine Checklist Effectively

Once I created the checklist, I printed off copies for each child and laminated them. Using sticky-tac, I hung them in our kitchen/dining area along with a dry-erase marker.

I would let my kids know it was time to start working on their morning checklists, and to report back to me once they were ready for school. I then reviewed their list and would either conclude they were done, or if something was unchecked, would ask them to go back and complete that task.

If using a checklist is something new for your child, you’ll want to walk through the tasks on the list with them several mornings in a row; maybe even several weeks. You know your child best and can determine when you think they’re ready to work on it independently.

Finally, consider using rewards with your child once their checklist is complete. This can be something simple like a using a sticker chart, simply drawing a smiley face on their checklist, or giving them a high-five or hug.

I have used rewards in our homeschool at various times in various ways. You can read more in the article How to Use Reward Charts In Your Homeschool.

Free Get Ready for School Checklist

If you want to save yourself time, you can take advantage of my FREE Get Ready for School Checklist. When you join my newsletter, you’ll have access to this checklist and a variety of other helpful homeschool resources like lapbooks, scavenger hunts, planning pages and more.

Get Ready for School Checklists with Pictures

Checklists with pictures are perfect for all students, especially those that aren’t reading yet. They can simply look at the picture and check off their item. It also makes things extra fun.

If you need a version with pictures, check out my Etsy shop, Holistic Mom Creations. This is the same checklist I use in my homeschool.

This version has cute hand-drawn icons included (These were drawn by my son-thanks buddy!)

It includes a pack of 5 color variations so you can use different colors for each child.

Conclusion

A get ready for school checklist or morning routine checklist can be a helpful tool for your homeschool mom toolbox. With a little time investment on the front-end, your child will have simple steps they can follow to prepare for a lovely day of learning at home. And, while they do that, you can sit back with a cup of tea (coffee?) and enjoy a few minutes of relaxation. 😉