Back to school can be stressful on parents. Getting kids back on a morning school schedule after a full summer of sleeping in? Those first few mornings land somewhere between a hostage negotiation and a battle of wills. So here are some tips to reduce your morning school stress:

1) Meal Prep for Them

If you’re doing any lunches for your kids, doing two meals — breakfast and lunch — at the same time in the morning is stressful. Get most of the lunches packed the night before. Bagged snacks, treats, water bottles. Leave the fresh stuff like sandwiches for the morning.

2) Meal Prep for You

Nothing is less interesting for parents than preparing MORE FOOD after preparing kid food. Try this on Sunday night: Make something for weekday lunches for yourself and stash them in lunch-size portions in your fridge.

3) Class Schedule & School Calendar

The last-minute morning freakout of “OH NO! It’s that dress-up day at school!” or “I forgot my textbook because it’s B schedule day!” sends everyone into panic mode. Keep a school calendar and/or class schedule on the fridge or wherever your children spend their mornings before school. It can lessen the panic moments.

4) Start a Weekly Breakfast Tradition

Kids thrive on schedules and special moments. Combine that with having a special breakfast morning every week and you’ll have one guaranteed day where they’re excited about the morning. Don’t go overboard though. Do what works for your family. Pancakes. Smoothies. Donuts. Muffins. A cereal they love but you don’t want them eating every day.

5) Make Time Everyone’s Responsibility

It can be frustrating to be the only one tracking time. Time your morning schedule. Know exactly when they need to be out of the door to make it to school on time. Something as simple as a clock on the wall near the breakfast table will help to share the responsibility of time. If your kids are frequently distracted or tired, give them time updates as the morning goes on. The more you’re all on the same schedule, the better. Pre-school morning stressors are hard to avoid but they can be simplified and avoided by some planning and shared responsibility with your children. And coffee. Sometimes good coffee can help. Good luck with the school year.