The morning routine is a pain point for many moms. You would think that after a few years of this mom thing, I would have mastered the morning routine. Ha! I am still perfecting the process.
Six Tips To Improve the Morning Routine and decrease morning chaos
1. Create a Routine
Raising kids is about routine, routine, routine. I am not saying I am perfect at it, but when it comes to corraling the morning chaos, having a routine, moves you one step closer to not losing your mind and your temper in the morning. The first thing, my daughter and I do when we enter our apartment is put her backpack on the doorknob by the door, she then takes her lunchbox out and puts in the kitchen. I put my bag near the door as well. That way, I am not running around in the morning looking for her bag or mine. I, then go through her backpack for any documents that need to be read, signed filed or thrown away. And trust me, there is always something to read/do for school.
2. Prepare the Night Before
I try to do as much the night before as possible. That means get all your permission slips signed, money for school trips, notes for teachers and placed in the backpack. I can not tell you the number of the times, I have forgotten something and showed up at school scrambling for money for school trips or ripping my newspaper to leave a note for the teacher that my daughter is being picked up by the babysitter.
That goes for school lunches as well. I try to put the refrigerated stuff in the lunch box and just leave it in the fridge so it’s ready to go in the morning. You can’t miss it when you go for your morning milk for coffee. Some people do this early when they get up but I am constantly amazed at the number of mornings, we are ready to leave and no school lunch is made. Needless to say, that is why there is always money in her school lunch account for the mornings, that lunch doesn’t get made.
3. Everything Has it’s Place
Everything you need for the next day should be by the door. That way you know where it is and so does your child. Plus how can you miss it? You have to see as you are leaving. For us, my daughter’s backpack is by the door, her karate uniform is by the door although she has class on Thursday. I have forgotten the darn thing on more than one occasion just because out of site out of mind. Even my bag is by the door.
4. Memo Boards
If you can remember stuff from day to day, more power to you. There is just too much to remember from day to day – doctor’s appointment, school meetings/trips, work stuff, etc. In fact, I have two memo boards, each placed strategically in my little one bedroom apartment. One in the kitchen that holds all the important reminders that are coming up and one on the door. The door memo board is for reminders for the next day, like my keys (I change bags a lot and I always forget my keys in the other bag,) or school trips. You would think I would remember these things since it’s on the big board but alas no. The door is the line of defense before we leave.
5. Prepare Lunches In Advance
I have taken to getting the snacks in order by putting them in little bags. It just makes things easier to prep in the bag.
6. No Television in the morning
You want to derail the morning rush, have the television on while getting ready. It sounds like a good idea to have it running in the background but what happens is that I will actually stop and watch segments that catch my eye. Then what happens, you lose time and rush around like a madwoman.
You are right. Mornings in my house were a war zone. However, I started to prepare for the night before. Make the lunch boxes from the night before. I also moved all the clocks in the house 5 minutes forward (and then try to forget about it). That way when I say “let’s go is 8am” is 7.55.
Sort of tricking myself but it works.
Great post.
@Fab_Single_Mom