You know the drill: Start setting that bedtime a little bit earlier every day in the few weeks leading up to the first day of school. The kids may complain, but when they're not falling asleep into their pudding at the lunch table, they'll understand.
Not only do the kids have to get used to getting up earlier, but if you've been staying home with them during the summer, it's on you to bounce back as well! Pro tip: Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier than theirs to give you some zen-out time before all getting-ready hell breaks loose.
How many times have the kids run out of the door without their lunch? Or an umbrella? Keeping a corner of the house completely dedicated to items needed on a day-to-day basis (perhaps near the door they zip out of) can ensure nothing of importance gets left behind. That, and backpacks spilling over with loose papers won't be all over your living room.
Kids need structure. Left to their own devices, they'd hang out in the bathroom making silly faces at themselves in the mirror for 20 minutes every morning after brushing their teeth. Keep a clearly outlined schedule that allots them about 15 minutes for each step: make bed, get dressed, wash up, eat breakfast, out the door!
Summer was kind of an excuse to get a little lax with everyone's eating habits -- hot dogs on the grill and bagel pit stops are the norm when there's great sunny fun to be had! But make those a thing of the past with well-thought-out breakfast options. It doesn't need to be anything fancy, but consider healthy-conscious options prior to mornings-of, lest you default to the Lucky Charms again.
One for you, and one for your charge. Calendars should be kept up-to-date and in plain sight -- maybe in the kitchen for discussions over breakfast? Junior should know when he's getting picked up for karate practice, and you should know when a book report is due. Get on the same page as soon as that first syllabus comes home!
Maybe this isn't on the top of your back-to-school prep to-do list, but consider it. Make a playlist of your kids' favorite songs and time it for juuust as long as they have to get ready. Start the music when they get out of bed, and it may just motivate them to boogie through their routine. That, and once that final song is over, they'll know they should be finished up.
Pets need to be fed, cereal bowls need to go in the dishwasher and trash bins need to go out to the curb. If everyone works together, no morning duties should be left behind, but make sure the kids know this ahead of time. Any extra responsibilities sprung on them won't be a welcome addition to their (or your) morning.