Do you feel like the morning is the most chaotic time of the day? Does it border on completely insane when you try to trudge through the daily tasks? If you’re already fighting the urge to run back to bed before the sun is fully up, then you may need to master that morning routine. We all go through it and taking back your sanity can be good for you and for the entire family.
The tone that you set with your kids early on in the day can really dictate how everything will go from there on out. So if you’re patient and positive or turn this into a bonding time, then you will both benefit from it. Let’s face it though—with trying to get breakfast on the table, make lunches, get backpacks ready, and everything else you have to do it’s not always easy. I get it, I am just like you and I have had my fair share of madness every single morning. I have found a couple of things that make life easier for all of us though.
Plan Ahead For Everything and It Will Pay Off
First and foremost I think through the tasks the night ahead. It sounds simple enough, right? Yet so few of us actually do this and it can keep the mornings held together nicely. If you know that the kids have school or you have somewhere that you have to be, then by all means lay out everyone’s clothes the night before. Same with backpacks—get all of the homework and other tools put into the backpack so that they literally have to pick it up and go when it’s school time.
Also think through the meals the night before. If you can make a plan for breakfast like cereal, oatmeal, or hard boiled eggs that you can make in advance then it’s a real time saver. Even having the fruits or veggies chopped up and ready to use in smoothies or an omelet can be a great way to stay ahead of the game. Use that same philosophy for making lunches. Put everything into baggies, make the sandwiches, and lay out the snacks so that you literally just throw it into the bag the next morning.
The same sort of mindset works for getting the things done in the morning that need to be handled. Shower the night before, get homework done after school, and even planning out the time you have in the morning will pay off big time. Honestly the less you have to do in the morning the better, so consider what will take the stress out of things and get it done in advance if you can.
A Little Routine Can Go A Long Way
No the kids aren’t robots but if you can try to plot out some sort of morning routine and have things done in advance it will help them to stay calm—you too! You may need to get up a couple of minutes earlier, but it will be an investment into your mental health and well being. Don’t be afraid to try to establish some structure, for even if they fight it at first they will love the idea as time moves on.
So yes we all go a little nutty in the morning when there is so much to do. I’ve been there and I know what it means to feel flustered, out of control, and even chaotic at times. These simple tips can help you to stay calm and focused, and can ensure that your whole family starts off in a relaxed way that will make for a much better day overall.
