The September Reset
The Menoirs | MANCUB
A note from our Founder Dominique:
I don't know about you, but I've been torn between loving every second with my Cubs this summer, and counting down the days until they go back to school. It's been amazing, long, hot, chaotic, fun, expensive, a nightmare, dreamy, and alllll the things. I've been juggling running MANCUB, designing our Christmas collection, getting all your summer holiday orders shipped on time, whilst being a full time stay at home mum. It has been... interesting, to say the least.
Anyway, here we are. September.
Am I ready for it? HELL YES! Do I have my ducks in a row? Absolutely not.
So I made myself a little back-to-routine survival guide. Sharing it here in case your ducks are equally badly behaved.
Do it the night before, or don't complain in the morning
Bags packed, uniform out, water bottle filled. Ten minutes tonight buys you a full personality transplant tomorrow.
Give them a job, not a role
'Helping' is a terrible job description. For partners, Cubs, anyone. If you're still delegating every individual sock, lunchbox and water bottle, congratulations: you've somehow become morning middle management.
Give everyone something that's entirely theirs and step away. No supervising. No reminding every thirty seconds. No doing it again because they didn't do it exactly how you would.
They rise to it. Suspiciously reliably.
Get up five minutes before they do
Not for journalling. Not for Pilates. Not to become one of those women who has already conquered the world by 6am.
Just drink one coffee while it is still hot and nobody is screaming 'Muuuum'
Keep one morning slow
Term time has them now. Keep one morning that belongs to you lot. Nobody dressed properly. Breakfast that takes as long as it takes. Cubs still in pyjamas at 10am. Dad in a matching hoodie because apparently that's his personality now.
The questions we all ask Google / ChatGPT at 10pm
What time should kids go to bed on a school night? Earlier than they’d choose. Later than Pinterest would recommend. The exact time matters less than doing roughly the same thing every night. Mostly because a tired Cub at 7.30am is nobody’s idea of a good start.
How do I get everyone more involved in morning routine? Stop 'asking for help' and give everyone something they actually own. One person does water bottles. One finds shoes. Cubs carry their own bags. Whatever works in your house. The important bit: once you hand it over, resist the deeply compelling urge to manage how they do it.
How do I make school mornings less stressful?
Start earlier than feels remotely necessary. Because somebody will lose a shoe they were wearing four minutes ago.
Same routine, slightly better Mondays.
See you on the other side.
Dominique x
