Survive the Back to School Morning Chaos

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BackToSchoolReady #CollectiveBias

This school year I will have a kindergartner, a child starting 4th grade and a child starting middle school. Two of my girls will be in dance and I am not sure what to expect from my oldest child, but I am sure that middle school will be quite an adventure. As a mom that works full time as a home daycare provider, I start welcoming kids into my home at 6:30am, so I am constantly on the move and I do not have a lot of time to think. Over the years I have learned different ways to survive the back to school morning chaos, so if you are an “On-the-Go Mom”  like me, I’d love to share with you some ways that I survive each morning, along with an after school recipe.

With 3 girls getting ready for school and the arrival of home daycare kids into my home, mornings at the House of Fauci’s can be chaotic. Over the years I have learned how to prevent some of the morning madness by incorporating a few simple morning habits and best practices.

• Each night before bed, I have my girls lay out everything that they will need for school the next morning. I make sure that their entire outfit is chosen, their backpacks are next to the front door and their lunches have been made.
• Since I have kids that vary in age, I have raised them to help one another. Sadly, a lot of the responsibility falls on the oldest, but since she starts school much later than the younger two, she seems to be okay with this.
• My girls have their own morning drink preferences that they start their day with. Instead of pouring cups for 3 girls, I try to make it easy and have grab and go drinks available such as mini cartons of juice, water, and Nesquick 10 pack bottles of chocolate milk. Not only does this save me time, but it prevents possible spills when my girls try and pour their own drinks during the hectic times in the kitchen.
• It’s important to allow everyone plenty of time to get ready in the morning. I have been guilty of waking up and allowing myself and kids just enough time to get dressed, eat and run out of the door. Doing this can create a lot of chaos, especially if a child is overly tired and refusing to move quickly.
• Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I make sure to make my girls a simple, but delicious breakfast. Oftentimes, I like to make them HOT POCKETS® Breakfast Bites which come in Sausage, Egg & Cheese, Bacon, Egg & Cheese and Ham, Egg & Cheese. HOT POCKETS® Breakfast Bites help make my morning less chaotic because they are fast, easy, and convenient to make.

Before the start of each school week, I make sure to stop at Walmart and gather everything that I need. As a mom that is constantly on the go, I don’t have time to stop in the middle of the week and run to the store. While I am at Walmart I make sure to purchase after school snacks and treats so that I have a smooth afternoon when my girls get home. In addition, if you are looking for quick and simple dinner meals, from July 25 to September 15, when you purchase any two (2) 30 oz. or larger Stouffers products and at least one (1) refrigerated TOLL HOUSE® cookie dough product at a participating Walmart store you can get a $5 Walmart egift card! Check out the dates and complete rules to find out how HERE!! The steps are simple. First, you will purchase the required products, take a photo of your receipt, the image must be clear and legible, with the purchase date included and showing the qualified purchase, text NESTLEFAMILY to 35350, and after confirming that you want to participate by responding ‘YES’, you will be prompted to send the image of your receipt. It’s that simple.

Since I am still busy working with my daycare kids when my girls get home from school, I make sure to have an afternoon snack ready for them before they arrive. Even though I am busy from the moment I wake up, I like to make sure that my girls have their favorite foods available to them. My girls love Nestlé TOLL HOUSE® cookies, so every few weeks I like to surprise them with my Chocolate Chip Fruit Parfait Cups. This after school snack is easy to make and uses ingredients that can be altered. When I make Chocolate Chip Fruit Parfait Cups, I like to use Nestlé TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Cookie Dough, a variety of fruit, granola, and yogurt or whipped cream,

I love making these cups because they are simple to make and since the cookie dough is refrigerated I can make them whenever I have extra time during the day.

After the cookies have cooled, cut them into fourths and then cut your fruit into bite size pieces.

Once the cookies and fruit have been cut, layer the ingredients into individual sized bowls or cups. I love this after school treat for my girls because Nestlé TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Cookie Dough allows this “On-the-Go Mom” to create fast, easy, and convenient food option that my girls love.

Are you an “On-the-Go Mom“? How do you survive the back to school morning chaos? Did you know that Nestlé has a variety of amazing products that are the perfect solution to help prevent back to school morning chaos?