We opened the back-to-school reminder email and immediately closed it again. But here’s the thing: future us? They're gonna need a favor.
This week we’re knocking out 3 micro prep moves now. Like, the kind that don’t feel heroic but actually help later. We say this with all the optimism in the world and a double dad thumbs up. #youcanDOit
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🍽 The “Don’t-Think-About-It” Breakfast List
👉 We made sheetpan banana pancakes last week, added raisins, even threw in some whole wheat flour, and our toddler now yells for her “cookies.” So, win?
Back-to-school mornings are not the moment to reinvent breakfast. Instead, build your go-to list now while you're still functioning above feral. Here's how:
🔷 Use ChatGPT (or your own brain if it still works) to generate 10 breakfasts based on your kid’s food quirks.
Ex: “10 breakfast ideas for a 4-year-old who only eats beige food and thinks scrambled eggs are too wet.”
🔷 Pick 5 you’ll actually make
🔷 Print and post the list
🔷 Choose 2–3 you can batch now and freeze on a weekend when you’re already making waffles, muffins, or anything that doubles easily
Bonus tip: You can use your oven to make larger batches of breakfast foods so much easier! Think sheet-pan pancakes, bulk french toast, even eggs. Reply “breakfast bulk recipes” if you want us to share our favorites!
🎒 Prep Together = Less Whining Later
👉 Want slightly less yelling in August? Have your kid help make their own morning checklist now (depending on their age, this will be more or less effective 😅).
What to do:
Keep the list simple (get dressed, brush teeth, pack bag, etc)
Let them add drawings or stickers
Name it something dramatic (“Super Dino Blast-Off Routine,” etc.)
Already have a fancy magnetic board or chore chart? Awesome. Let them customize it anyway. Draw the icons. Add glitter glue. Ownership > novelty.
We won’t promise this buys you “weeks of smoother mornings,” but hey, we’ve seen magic happen for less.
Did you know? 🧃 JuiceBox is built by a tiny team of working parents just like you. We curate and write this stuff so you don’t have to but we’d LOVE for you to get in on the action.
💬 Got a time-saving tip or a chaos-fighting hack of your own? Hit reply and share it—we all need a village, and we’d love to hear from you.
👯♀️ Know a fellow parent who needs this? Forward away or hit this button:
💬 The Backpack Dry Run
👉 Back-to-school mornings hit harder when they’re cold turkey. (Isn’t everything??) We heard this idea from one of those parenting experts, and…we didn’t hate it.
Call this a dress rehearsal, or call it sugar-motivated muscle memory. Either way, there are donuts involved.
Pick a random Saturday or Sunday in late July
Pretend it’s a school morning: set alarms, get dressed, pack the bag
Then “walk to the bus stop” (or car, or front porch)
Your final destination? The best donuts in a 20-mile radius. We’re talking hot, yeasty, sticky-box-on-your-lap level good to make it worth getting up on a weekend.
💼 This Week’s Work WTF
Inspired by real life events.
Scenario:
Coworker booked a team meeting on the first day of school.
What We Wish We Could Say:
“Ok sweet, I’ll just wave at my child from the car while slamming a coffee and yelling ‘good luck in kindergarten!’”
Steal This Response:
“Hey! Just a heads-up I’ll be offline that morning for back-to-school drop-off. Happy to catch up later that day or the next.”
K that’s all. You’re the best and we love you.
-CK “Beige Breakfast Maker” Fuller (Editor) & the JB Crew 🫡
P.S. Next week we’re tackling the August budget beatdown (you know — new shoes, theme day costumes, and 6 identical water bottles). Spoiler: you’re gonna win this one.