In a few weeks, my 3-year-old is starting preschool and I am eagerly counting down the days. I was telling a friend she’d be at school from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and they said, “Oh wow, that’s a lot of hours, to which I replied, “I know, isn’t it great?”
I’ve been thinking a lot about the significance of this milestone and the (welcomed) changes that’ll come with it. If you’re a mom who’s also getting your little one ready for the school year, here’s what I’m doing to mentally and physically prepare, from organizing our home to establishing new routines.
Preparing Our Home
Organizing My Daughter’s Room
I know there are certain things I can’t plan for; but from a home-organizing standpoint, I can start preparing her bedroom. Since the start of the summer, I’ve started setting out clothes for the week ahead. I’ll take a look at her robust schedule and the weather, then set out her outfits (and pajamas) for that day. Her closet stores almost all of her belongings, so I’m going to maximize the space by getting two large over-the-door racks for her book bag and school supplies. Everything will be labeled so anyone can get her ready.
Organizing the Kitchen
I’m absolutely going to be a bento box mom, so I’ve prepped a shelf and cabinet in the kitchen to store her lunchbox supplies. This will support my morning routine of getting her food ready and evening routine of cleaning and putting things away.
I meal prep every week, and already make snacks and lunches in Tupperware containers for me to pull out from the fridge throughout the day. So I’ll be adding her school snacks to the rotation by either preparing them at the top of the week, in the evening, or early morning. I’m giving myself the space to experiment and see when will be the best time to make her food for school.
Developing Her Independence
I’m intentionally placing all of my daughter’s items in low, easy-to-reach areas so she can become a self-sufficient, independent toddler. I’ll be hanging the hook for her school bag low enough for her to reach. Right now, she knows to put her shoes on when we’re leaving the house, so getting her school bag will be added to that routine.
I’ll also be teaching her to pack her school bag – I know she’ll be so excited to do this. In her closet, I plan on adding magnets with labels for the day of the week and the weather to make it fun for her to get ready for school.
Getting Emotionally Ready
Making Sacrifices as a Mom
Last year, I accepted my role as a full-time mom. Doing so has been emotional but triumphant, mostly because any title that suggests my child is my sole job has always been loaded with negative connotations. So, being able to say I’m a full-time mom is a big deal. It only happened after months of internal dialogue recognizing that watching my daughter grow up is exactly what I asked for.
Once I accepted the role within myself, restructuring my life became easier. My first order of business was potty training my daughter, then doubling down on her evening and morning routines. Next, I surveyed our neighborhood for weekly toddler activities to get out of the house and socialize (I started at the library). Finally, I made friends with the moms of the toddlers my daughter got along with and scheduled weekly playdates.
Creating this structure was a two-year journey. I had to relieve myself of expectations that didn’t align with her schedule and making this sacrifice forced me to speak nicer to myself. The stories I came up with about my identity, value, skills, and worth will never cease to amaze me. But I unlearned those thoughts with compassion, patience, and time.
Managing Separation Anxiety
Start the inner work to get comfortable with your kids being around others. I say inner work because receiving support can be an emotional journey if you’re not grounded in yourself. Your intuition is your child’s safeguard.
When I think about transitioning from being a full-time mom to having my baby in school, I think of her teachers as a new part of my support system. I’ve toured her school and been in the classrooms, so I know she’s going to be OK.
Establishing a New Routine
I’m always up early because I’m a mom, but I wouldn’t call myself an early bird. However, I’m mentally preparing for the chaos of transitioning to early mornings to get my daughter ready for school. In the summertime, we have the luxury of leaving the house when we feel like it. Although her current routine includes getting her dressed for the day, I’m expecting there to be hiccups once she starts school as we have to get her up earlier.
I’m preparing myself for this by getting more focused on my daytime tasks, so I’m not working after I put her down for bed, so I go to sleep and get up earlier. I can’t have a 5 a.m. wake-up time if my bedtime is past 10 p.m. Luckily, we already have a morning routine – it just needs to get pushed back a few hours. And since I won’t be the one dropping her off at school, I’ll definitely want to help pack her school bag, do her hair, and get her ready.
As a professional organizer, I love being able to incorporate my organizing framework into these new experiences. Just preparing myself, my home, and my daughter for preschool has already affirmed my expertise and made me feel more confident as a mom. Balancing a preschooler and my new job will not be easy. I know there will be challenges, hiccups, and moments I may regret sending her to school. But all we can do is prepare ourselves for what we can control and hope for the best.
Rebekah Love is a home organizer, writer, creative, and the founder of Organize For Love, a home-organizing company. She is passionate about expanding how African American families experience the freedom that organization brings to their home. Through her home-organizing program, products, and educational content, she helps her audience of 40,000 create a healthier and happier home life. Rebekah is a PS Council member.
