First-Time Middle School Parent – Seeking Survival Tips

[Tuk24]

Hi everyone,
I’m a first-time middle school mama — my son is starting 7th grade, and I’m getting a little nervous as the first day gets closer. His bus arrives at 6:50 AM, and we are not early risers! 😅 On top of that, he has soccer practice from 7–8:30 PM twice a week.

I’d love to hear how you all manage early school schedules along with after-school sports. Any tips for smoother mornings or evening routines? Also, I’m looking for easy and healthy breakfast and lunch ideas — suggestions are very welcome!

Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Backpack is packed the night before, including charged computer and placed by the door. Outfit is also chosen and laid out the night before.

[Anonymous]

By 7th grade he should be able to mostly figure this out. Sleep from 915 to 615. He will have downtime between the end of school and practice anyway.

[Anonymous]

Be ready with dinner (prep or prepare beforehand) & maybe move his dinner earlier on sports days.

[Anonymous]

7th grade? Where is this? Around here MS starts in 6th grade. Makes a big difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7th grade? Where is this? Around here MS starts in 6th grade. Makes a big difference.

I'm not OP but most Fairfax County middle schools are 7-8.

[Anonymous]

The early mornings suck. No way around it.

Be disciplined about getting him to bed pretty close to when he gets home after practice. Homework gets done after school. He will have a long time in the afternoon.

Minimize what needs to be done in the morning. Don't be messing around with the backpack etc in the morning. You'll get into a routine. I think it's easier with a boy. Shower, attempt to feed them, grab the backpack that has what he needs because he checked the night before, go to school. My son ate a lot of yogurt and fruit in his middle school years but generally would not eat a lot at that hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:7th grade? Where is this? Around here MS starts in 6th grade. Makes a big difference.

Less MS the better imo, I'm glad it starts in 7th.

[Anonymous]

Tuk24 wrote:Hi everyone,
I’m a first-time middle school mama — my son is starting 7th grade, and I’m getting a little nervous as the first day gets closer. His bus arrives at 6:50 AM, and we are not early risers! 😅 On top of that, he has soccer practice from 7–8:30 PM twice a week.

I’d love to hear how you all manage early school schedules along with after-school sports. Any tips for smoother mornings or evening routines? Also, I’m looking for easy and healthy breakfast and lunch ideas — suggestions are very welcome!

Thanks in advance!

Figure out what time he's going to need to get out of bed every morning and START NOW! At least for the first month, keep up this schedule every day including weekends. He can nap on Saturdays/ Sundays if he needs to. But get in the habit now of an early morning wake up. You too, BTW!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Tuk24 wrote:Hi everyone,
I’m a first-time middle school mama — my son is starting 7th grade, and I’m getting a little nervous as the first day gets closer. His bus arrives at 6:50 AM, and we are not early risers! 😅 On top of that, he has soccer practice from 7–8:30 PM twice a week.

I’d love to hear how you all manage early school schedules along with after-school sports. Any tips for smoother mornings or evening routines? Also, I’m looking for easy and healthy breakfast and lunch ideas — suggestions are very welcome!

Thanks in advance!

Figure out what time he's going to need to get out of bed every morning and START NOW! At least for the first month, keep up this schedule every day including weekends. He can nap on Saturdays/ Sundays if he needs to. But get in the habit now of an early morning wake up. You too, BTW!

Please do not wake your MSer up early on the weekends to “keep a schedule”. That’s crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Tuk24 wrote:Hi everyone,
I’m a first-time middle school mama — my son is starting 7th grade, and I’m getting a little nervous as the first day gets closer. His bus arrives at 6:50 AM, and we are not early risers! 😅 On top of that, he has soccer practice from 7–8:30 PM twice a week.

I’d love to hear how you all manage early school schedules along with after-school sports. Any tips for smoother mornings or evening routines? Also, I’m looking for easy and healthy breakfast and lunch ideas — suggestions are very welcome!

Thanks in advance!

Figure out what time he's going to need to get out of bed every morning and START NOW! At least for the first month, keep up this schedule every day including weekends. He can nap on Saturdays/ Sundays if he needs to. But get in the habit now of an early morning wake up. You too, BTW!

Please do not wake your MSer up early on the weekends to “keep a schedule”. That’s crazy.

It's actually not. It's better to get them up in the morning on a general schedule - maybe sleep in a half hour or so - and then let them nap in the afternoon if needed. Learning to wake up for an early morning bus on a daily basis is very difficult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Tuk24 wrote:Hi everyone,
I’m a first-time middle school mama — my son is starting 7th grade, and I’m getting a little nervous as the first day gets closer. His bus arrives at 6:50 AM, and we are not early risers! 😅 On top of that, he has soccer practice from 7–8:30 PM twice a week.

I’d love to hear how you all manage early school schedules along with after-school sports. Any tips for smoother mornings or evening routines? Also, I’m looking for easy and healthy breakfast and lunch ideas — suggestions are very welcome!

Thanks in advance!

Figure out what time he's going to need to get out of bed every morning and START NOW! At least for the first month, keep up this schedule every day including weekends. He can nap on Saturdays/ Sundays if he needs to. But get in the habit now of an early morning wake up. You too, BTW!

Please do not wake your MSer up early on the weekends to “keep a schedule”. That’s crazy.

Yeah that’s just idiotic.

[Anonymous]

My daughter did better than I expected, but has always been ok with mornings anyway.

She showered at night, and I prepared her breakfast and lunch. I know everyone will jump on me for that, but with the lack of sleep (she gets home close to 9 three nights a week) I didn't want her to skip eating healthily.

She's our oldest, so it was easy to be fairly strict with bedtime, but she also wanted to get to sleep as early as possible, because otherwise she felt terrible.

She did her homework right after school, while it was quiet (siblings still at school) and then if she had time she did nothing for a bit before after school activities. She's not a napper, but I know a lot of her friends napped right after school.

She had a bagel with peanut butter and an egg everyday. Some days it was a long time till lunch. Some teachers let her eat in class, and on those days she would have part of her lunch early.

Be gentle with him for the first month. He will be likely be exhausted!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Tuk24 wrote:Hi everyone,
I’m a first-time middle school mama — my son is starting 7th grade, and I’m getting a little nervous as the first day gets closer. His bus arrives at 6:50 AM, and we are not early risers! 😅 On top of that, he has soccer practice from 7–8:30 PM twice a week.

I’d love to hear how you all manage early school schedules along with after-school sports. Any tips for smoother mornings or evening routines? Also, I’m looking for easy and healthy breakfast and lunch ideas — suggestions are very welcome!

Thanks in advance!

Figure out what time he's going to need to get out of bed every morning and START NOW! At least for the first month, keep up this schedule every day including weekends. He can nap on Saturdays/ Sundays if he needs to. But get in the habit now of an early morning wake up. You too, BTW!

Please do not wake your MSer up early on the weekends to “keep a schedule”. That’s crazy.

It's actually not. It's better to get them up in the morning on a general schedule - maybe sleep in a half hour or so - and then let them nap in the afternoon if needed. Learning to wake up for an early morning bus on a daily basis is very difficult.

You do you, but waking a 12-14 year old up at 6 am on the weekends for no reason other than to keep their schedule is not normal. They are not infants anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Tuk24 wrote:Hi everyone,
I’m a first-time middle school mama — my son is starting 7th grade, and I’m getting a little nervous as the first day gets closer. His bus arrives at 6:50 AM, and we are not early risers! 😅 On top of that, he has soccer practice from 7–8:30 PM twice a week.

I’d love to hear how you all manage early school schedules along with after-school sports. Any tips for smoother mornings or evening routines? Also, I’m looking for easy and healthy breakfast and lunch ideas — suggestions are very welcome!

Thanks in advance!

Figure out what time he's going to need to get out of bed every morning and START NOW! At least for the first month, keep up this schedule every day including weekends. He can nap on Saturdays/ Sundays if he needs to. But get in the habit now of an early morning wake up. You too, BTW!

Please do not wake your MSer up early on the weekends to “keep a schedule”. That’s crazy.

It's actually not. It's better to get them up in the morning on a general schedule - maybe sleep in a half hour or so - and then let them nap in the afternoon if needed. Learning to wake up for an early morning bus on a daily basis is very difficult.

You do you, but waking a 12-14 year old up at 6 am on the weekends for no reason other than to keep their schedule is not normal. They are not infants anymore.

+1 weekends are for sleeping in! Also, napping isn’t good for you and interferes with bedtime.