Back to school schedules are a transition! Gone are the leisurely mornings of the summer...lounging on the sofa, drinking your coffee and discussing the day ahead, full of easy beach and pool play while the kids stir up a mess of pancakes in the kitchen!

School day mornings mean getting the kids dressed, ready and FED--- the proverbial "morning rush to get out the door"--- if not orchestrated well leading to an anxious start of the day for all.

We offer a few tips, starting with a MINDFUL MOMENT for mom & dad so you are able to lead the show with your effort toward a balanced start for all. We know mornings are tight on time, so we found three breakfast solutions to partner with a schedule that works, allowing you to take a few minutes to sit and breathe with a cup of coffee or tea, FIRST--- mindfully present for just 10 minutes before you prep the lunches, breakfasts and send them out to school ready to thrive.

A Mindful Morning Schedule That is Working For Us:

6am mom & dad wake-up for an 8am walk out the door time (night before, set the coffee to brew at 5:50 so it's ready for wake-up)

6am-6:10: 10 Mindful Minutes for mom and dad to sit quietly, with their coffee, breathe & have gratitude for the day ahead.

6:10-6:45: Pack lunches (we have some suggestions for this on the way)

6:45-7: Prep breakfast for the kids (see our suggestions below)

7:00-7:30: Kids wake-up time and breakfast (mom and dad get dressed 7-7:30)

7:30-7:45: Kids brush teeth & get dressed

7:45-7:55: Practice a mindful moment (actual practice is about 3 minutes) with the kids using Sitting Still Like A Frog CD (purchase yours on our Favorite Authors and Influencers Page)

Leaving 5 minutes to gather anything forgotten, put shoes on and head off to school--- happy and balanced... most days!!!!

3 Breakfasts That Work for the School Day Morning

Our Favorite Pancakes: Don't assume pancakes can't be had on a school day! Instead, prep the batter the night before, or make them & freeze them for later (be sure to stack wax paper between each cake). We buy Trader Joe's Buttermilk Pancake mix and spin a little magic into the mix.

Recipe: (makes 11-12 pancakes)

1 3/4 cups Trader Joe's Buttermilk Pancake Mix

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 cup puree of our favorite berries (usually strawberries, blackberries and blueberries)

1/4 cup Trader Joe's Just Almond Meal

Preheat griddle (or if reheating frozen pancakes, simply put into toaster over for one cycle, butter and serve with organic syrup or powdered sugar) to about 375 degrees (medium/high). Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir with wire whisk until smooth. Use slightly less then 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbles, then flip, continue cooking 1 more minute or so. Use organic butter, syrup, yogurt or powdered sugar to taste.

Classic Scrabbled Eggs & Toast: We love eggs and toast in our house, scrabbled, fried, hard cooked, it's all good stuff to us. The bread we choose gives some nice variety. Sour dough some days, french baguette, and Trader Joe's Sprouted Fourless Whole Wheat Berry Bread is great too!

Recipe: (serves one)

1-2 eggs

1 slice of bread of choice

Heat skillet to medium, add dab of butter to pan. Pour in scrabbled or drop in full egg for fried. Cook to liking. Toast bread, add butter. Serve.

Weelicious' Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie: Smoothies are the simplest, quickest way to get some power punch in a quick breakfast. We love the Weelicious Peanut Butter Smoothie because our kids devour it and there's really good stuff in there! This recipe is egg free, dairy free and gluten free.

Recipe: (makes one smoothie)

1 banana, frozen in chucks, if possible.

2 dates

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 tablespoon hemp seeds

2 tablespoons kefir

1 1/2 cups almond milk

handful of ice

Throw all ingredients in your favorite blender, blend, drink and ENJOY! This one's yummy for mom and dad too!

Image Credits: Weelicious & Jaime Oliver