Morning Routine: Getting Your Kids To School With Ease
Morning Routine: How to Calm Down Busy Moms’ Minds
Kids and their timetables tend to be rather confusing and at times, conflicting. If you are a parent raising school-age children, you have likely encountered challenges with morning routines. It could be hectic getting the children ready and in school before your work shift starts, or managing house chores and meal preparations. Or when you thought you were done, you realize you have overlooked something. It’s understandable and is probably part of your morning ritual.
Why have a morning routine?
Moments after our bodies leave the bed, our routine takes over. We get to the rhythm and beat of our respective schools and work areas. Developing a morning routine ensures you remain calm even in the crazy life of a mom. Morning routines make you start your day on the right foot in a well-coordinated manner.
Kids tend to settle into their routines better than we may realize. When their day ahead is well scheduled, it makes it easier for them to focus on achieving more during school hours. Having a plan to follow in the morning hours, will ensure you do not spend longer than needed in getting them to school. The process also makes your kids take charge of their respective routines making them more disciplined.
Kids are like sponges, they often take their cues on mood and behavior from their parents. Moms or parents who have a morning routine of just 5-10 minutes, taking a deep breath while sipping some warm coffee and then a short stretching or meditation, has a better chance to feel calm and collected during the morning rush. You will also find that the morning routine actually goes faster by taking these 5-10 minutes. When you take this time for yourself, you will be more focused, in a better emotional and mental space. Your children will also pick up on this and they will be more likely to go with the flow versus everyone running around in chaos trying to get out the door.
7 Helpful Tips to Include in your Routine
* Time Management is key: Set a fixed wake-up time each morning and stick to it. Have a list of all the activities you need to do and allocate specific time slots to each of them.
* Prioritize: The next step is to prioritize the tasks you have on your morning list. Start by deciding what are the most important things you need to get out of the way and what can wait. Consider activities such as packing bags and prepping for dinner, as well as choosing clothes and breakfast menus the night before.
* Moms also have to take care of themselves: This is one step many moms tend to skip during their busy morning routines. Even if it’s just 10 minutes of meditation, moms need time to feel rejuvenated before they take care of their kids.
* Use planners or Apps: Make use of planners or even Apps to note down all your activities for the day. This can help you to be more organized, efficient and also to delegate responsibilities to your kids. Set a checklist for each family member and assign duties such as having the kids pack their own bags and clean their rooms.
* Have your children pack their bags in advance: This is a good way of saving time in the morning when your kids are in a hurry to get to school. Assign each of them the duty of ensuring they have all they need in their school bags and that all their homework is packed, in advance.
* The breakfast rule: This is another area where time can be saved. If possible, prepare breakfast in advance and have it cold or heat it up. Alternatively, you can also do simple breakfast options and allow the kids to do their part, such as setting the table or packing lunch.
* Eat a healthy breakfast: Moms can save time if they pack a healthy breakfast in advance. There are a variety of breakfast options that are quick to prepare and can be packed the previous day. Some examples include cold breakfast cereals, fruit bowls, oatmeal, and overnight yogurt cups.
* Plan dinners: Moms can save time in the morning if they plan their dinners the night before. Some examples of easy dinner ideas that can be prepared in advance include slow cooker recipes, pasta, casseroles, and stir-fry dishes. By planning dinners in advance, you can save time and energy in the morning rush.
Preparing the night before
Start by packing your children’s bags the night before, or have your child pack their own bag. This not only saves time but also involves your kids in the process, thereby teaching them to take more responsibility. Ensure you have a specific place where school items are kept in the house, so you and the kids know where to get their bags.
Pick out your kids’ clothes, they pick them out for the next day. This will minimize the time spent deciding on the day. This also allows your kids to decide on the clothes they want to wear without you having to make a decision for them. Also, planning what’s for breakfast the night before saves you time in the morning rush. You can either prepare breakfast in advance, or prepare options that can be eaten cold or quickly heated up.
Kids take part by preparing their own lunches. Packing your children’s lunch the night before not only saves time but also provides an opportunity for them to take part. This also helps to engage the kids in the meal preparation process, which can teach them healthy eating habits. Make the menu kid-friendly and include simple items such as sandwiches and fruit, and you can even ask for their suggestions.
How To Create The Perfect Bedtime Routine
Cooling down before bed
Encourage your children to unwind before bed with activities such as reading or journaling. It can also be helpful to make a checklist in the evening that the whole family can participate in preparing for the next day.
Checklist:
This can include things such as ensuring your children have their bags packed with their homework completed and ready for school the next day. Also, ensure all items are kept in one place for the school bag, so it’s easy for the kids to find them when they need to pack their bags.
Kids and their clothes
Encourage your children to pick out their clothes for the next day. Allow your children to have some fun and pick out their clothes for the next day. This will not only save you time in the morning but will also help your kids learn responsibility.
Breakfast menu plan
Pick your breakfast menu the night before to save time. Also, involve your kids in the decision-making process by allowing them to pick out what they want for breakfast.
Pack the lunch
Kids can pack their lunch to save time and also get them involved. Involve your children in the process and they can learn to take more responsibility in the long run.
Tips for keeping your kids engaged and cooperating with your morning routine
Finding ways to involve and engage your children in your morning routine is an important part of making sure your mornings run smoothly. A fun way to keep kids engaged is to turn some of the activities into games or challenges.
Kids can be cooperative with their chores if they are turned into mini activities, games or races such as seeing if they can get their shoes on before you or getting dressed the fastest.
Countdown timers and music can be fun for getting kids dressed and brushing their teeth. Getting dressed and brushing teeth can then be made into a fun activity. This makes the kids more interested and cooperative.
Kids respond well to reward systems. Use a sticker chart and reward your kids with a sticker every time they complete a task within the given time. You can also use a reward system for each time a child completes a chore on the chart, they get a sticker.
Involve your kids in planning the routine: Sit down with the children and plan your morning routine. When children are involved in the planning process, they take more ownership and responsibility for the routine.
Positive reinforcement: Children are more cooperative when their actions are reinforced with praise. Recognize and appreciate your kids when they follow the routine and are cooperative in doing their tasks.
Summing it up
Success in establishing a successful morning routine lies in its execution. It’s not about cramming a ton of activities in a short time. It’s also not just about preparing meals the night before. It’s a healthy blend of both and a bit more, making it doable in an achievable time. Include all family members and divide the duties to make it a win-win for all.
Doing it right in the morning starts the night before. Lay your clothes, have the breakfast and dinner menu decided. Set the table for breakfast, involve the kids to pack their bags. The earlier you get the family involved, the less hectic it will be in the morning. As children get older, you can adjust their duties and your own to fit their age and capabilities. The right routine done the right way is a delight to the senses.
This is a lifestyle change, and the transition may not happen overnight, so don’t get discouraged. Over time you will find a pattern and the kids will be used to the activities. It is worth your effort as a parent as the change has effects that will last a lifetime. Good luck, and keep rocking it, Moms!