We can’t believe it either, but those long summer nights are already falling behind us, and the new school year is in full swing. We sat down with Ariel Stein (@ariel.loves), founder of Jewish Family Magic (@jewishfamilymagic), to talk about how she prepares her two little ones for back to school. Read on for a peak into Ariel’s life and her tips on how to make the most out of those hectic weekday mornings.
Our last few weeks of summer have not been so structured, so our morning routine is about to change big time! No more lazy mornings or laid back breakfasts in our pajamas. We’re back to packing lunches and hustling to get everyone out the door on time for drop off. Plus we’re about to have a preschooler AND a kindergartener in our family, so it’ll also be the first time the girls are at different schools. But the one thing that won’t change, is taking our Smartypants vitamins!
Weekday mornings in our home are always a bit chaotic. During the school year, it’s a mad dash to get ready and get out the door on time. On a typical morning, there are clothes all over the place! I am usually scrambling to make the kids’ lunches, and get their bags packed, and try to get the kids to finish breakfast, and brush their teeth all in a very short period of time. It’s morning madness every single day and it feels like a huge accomplishment once the lunches are packed, shoes are on our feet, our backpacks on and we’ve made it out the door!
I’m not going to lie, I’m a little worried about getting back into a good routine this fall. But keeping my family’s health in the forefront is going to be a very important part of our new normal.
I never thought I’d say this, but something I am looking forward to about back to school that I never thought I would be excited about is the morning drop off. To be honest, it used to stress me out a lot! There were always so many people standing outside of the school building and always felt really rushed and chaotic. But this year, I’m actually really looking forward to seeing the teachers and other parents again. It’s an opportunity to connect with other families in our school community and get to know each other a little bit. I can’t wait to see the look on my daughter’s face when she goes into her classroom and can finally reunite with all of her friends who she hasn’t seen all summer.
I think one of the hardest things about raising kids this past year was during the lockdown when we had to stay indoors. We had to get really creative with how we kept our two young kids engaged and safe. We couldn’t really socialize with other people and it felt really isolating, especially during the cold winter months.
That being said, there are also things that I learned during the pandemic that I do want to hold onto. I think the biggest lesson is prioritizing quality time as a family and building it into every single day. For us, now that we are back to school and back to work, it means connecting at the end of the day. At dinner time, we like to go around the table and share a high and a low from our day. We also look forward to having a special family time during the bedtime routine with our kids before they go to sleep. My daughters each pick out their own bedtime books and we take turners reading them together.
One part of our routine that has stayed consistent throughout the ups and downs of the last year and a half, is taking SmartyPants Vitamins every single day. SmartyPants definitely helps our mornings run a lot smoother. Both of my kids love taking their vitamins and sometimes we’ll even put a couple in their lunch as a special surprise for them later in the day. My kids love SmartyPants vitamins because they taste good and I love them as a mom because I know that it’s helping them be as healthy as they can be.
I also love that SmartyPants Organic Kids and Toddler formula gummy vitamins are based on the latest scientific research to fill the nutrient gaps in the average kid’s diet and include the premium forms of nutrients that their body prefers. Plus, it gives me extra peace of mind to know that they are USDA Certified Organic, non-GMO, vegetarian, gelatin free, and free of all major allergens. Sweetened with organic cane sugar and organic tapioca syrup, they are also made with no synthetic colors, artificial flavors, or sweeteners. I know that my kids are getting the nutrients their bodies need, in forms that will go to use.
Something my kids and I can agree on is a huge win, especially since doing homework isn’t one of them! We may have some big changes coming up, but I can count on SmartyPants vitamins to make sure our mornings are smooth sailing.
