7 School Night Hacks For Busy Moms to Become More Organized

After a long day at school, the last thing kids want to do is their homework and the last thing you want to do is think about the next day. However, planning ahead on a school night could be the trick to making your morning routines a lot less hectic. If you're looking to streamline all of your nightly duties to make school nights less of a drag, we've got you covered.

Read through for seven school night hacks for busy moms who want to stay organized.

01

Create a bin for permission slips and homework that needs to be checked.

Hang or set a bin somewhere near the kids' backpacks for them to put anything that needs to be signed and their homework for the next day. Older kids can pack everything into their own backpacks in the morning, and you can throw everything into the bags of younger kiddos to keep them organized.

02

Put your crockpot to good use.

If after a long day, you can't imagine starting dinner just before the time your kids start to whine, "I'm hungry, Mom!" enlist the use of your trusty crockpot. You can whip something up before bed or first thing in the morning, depending on your schedule, and let it cook for hours on low so that dinner can be heated up and served when everyone gets home from school and activities.

03

Lay out clothes for the next day before bed.

The whole family can benefit from this one! Set out clothes the night before so that everyone knows what they'll be wearing and (hopefully) there won't be any meltdowns.

04

And get shoes by the door.

Once you have outfits picked out, get shoes next to the door or right by their backpacks so the next morning they're not screaming, "I can't find my shoes!" Pro tip: throw clean socks into their shoes so that they can put everything on at once.

05

Make lunches the night before.

This will save you a lot of hassle in the morning so that you can just grab their lunch and throw it into their backpack first thing. And if you're feeling ambitious, you can make the whole week of lunches on a Sunday night by freezing meals or prepping anything that doesn't need to be refrigerated in containers.

06

And while you're at it, get breakfast ready.

Freeze a bunch of waffles or pancakes, premake egg sandwiches to be heated up in the morning, or blend up a few smoothies. Whether you prep on Sundays or each school night, your groggy first-thing-in-the-morning self will thank you.

07

Keep a visible family schedule.

If your kids are old enough, they should have a responsibility to look at the calendar each night and know what they have going on the next day. For younger kids, go over their schedule with them every night so that they know what to expect and what materials they'll need throughout the day for school and any after-school activities.