There’s nothing worse for busy and stressed parents than the manic morning routine.
Trying to haul everyone out of bed and getting them properly set up for the day is enough to make most parents scream! – Of course, it doesn’t have to be like that.
In fact, there are a few simple things that you can change in your morning routine that might just make everything a little bit more zen. Check them out!
1. Wake up before your kids.
Parents need time to get ready too, but if you’re running out of bed at the same time as your kids, you’re likely to be more chaotic than you want to be. Instead, get up just 20-30 minutes earlier and take some time to (quietly) get ready yourself.
Have a shower, get dressed, take a moment to prepare for your day, have something to eat, and most importantly, get your caffeine! – If you do all this when the kids wake up, you’ll be able to focus on helping them, not stressed about making yourself presentable as well.
2. Check your sleep needs.
We know, we’ve just told you to get up earlier, but it’s also important to check the sleep needs of your family. The amount of sleep we need in our lives changes as we grow, but you’d be surprised how many kids really aren’t getting enough of it.
Take a moment to figure out how many hours of shut eye you and your kids are getting each night and put that against the National Sleep Foundation’s numbers. If you don’t think they’re getting enough sleep, bring back their bedtimes to make sure they are ready for the day.
3. Do what you can at night.
If you aren’t a morning person, getting together the motivation to do what you need to do can be downright impossible. That’s why it’s a great idea to prepare for your morning the night before.
Whatever you can do to make your life easier, you should do it. When things are ready to go, it’s easier to breeze through the routine and get out the door with time to spare!
4. Use a family calendar.
Family calendars, displayed publicly in a way that makes them difficult to miss, are a great way to keep on top of everything that’s happening in your lives. This is especially true if you have a few children, each with their own interests, hobbies, homework requirements and other responsibilities.
Having things scheduled in means that you can check the night before what should have been done and what needs to be organised or packed, and make it happen.
5. Have a place for everything.
There’s nothing worse than trying to fly through your morning routine only to be interrupted by kids who need things signed, permission forms filled out, or some kind of item for an event they forgot to tell you about.
Stop this by having a family inbox in the kitchen where kids drop school newsletters, permission slips and other things – as soon as they get them. Drill this into your kids, and within a week or two, they should be able to drop that stuff in the inbox so you can take care of it before the morning.
Next Page: More’changes to your routine to make your mornings calmer
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