Going back to school or starting school/preschool/daycare can make our mornings quite hectic. We are trying to get ourselves ready, our little ones ready all while being on time and keeping our sanity.
Little kids get easily distracted and it can be hard to get them to cooperate in the mornings while you attempt to make lunch boxes and try to look half-way-decent.
The one trick I learned from my previous job at large tech company is to manage my kids exactly as a project manager would: we use a clear task tracker and we complete task after task, marking what's done and moving to the next. Now, we want to simplify this for our little ones, adding illustrations for the pre-readers and very small and easy steps to avoid overwhelming them (you may want to keep it to only 2-3 steps max for the youngest and increase to 4-5 for older school-age kids).
Here's an example of the chart I use at home. Feel free to save it, print it or use it as a template and keep it on your fridge door at their height for visual cues.
Now, next time you intuitively want to nag your little ones to put their shoes on... instead point to the chart and ask "So what is next?". I promise you they will cooperate much more happily, especially if you build your chart with them and make them a part of the decision process.
You can also introduce a rewards system for a week of successfully completing their steps. Try to keep it to an attainable prize that is redeemed quickly (end of the week, vs end of Month, to keep your kids motivated).
