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A Stress-Free Morning Routine With Kids is Possible!
Mornings can be the most hectic time of the day for many families. Mornings at my house used to be so hurried and stressful. It would inevitably lead to raised voices and leave my daughter upset and me completely frustrated. I often wondered if a stress-free morning routine even existed.
Do you find yourself saying things to your kids like hurry up, move faster, and you’re going to make me late. These were things I said multiple times each morning out of frustration when I realized that I again was running late, even though in reality, it was my fault.
I was determined to find as many ideas as I could to help my mornings go smoother and be more enjoyable for my whole family. This is what I started to do to help our mornings be as stress-free as possible so that everyone can leave the house feeling happy and ready for the day.
1. Get Everyone to Bed Early
Well-rested kids and parents are much more likely to have smoother mornings. Try to get into a routine of going to bed early to allow enough time to get a full night’s rest.
2. Be the First to Wake Up
Enjoy some quiet time to yourself before your kids wake up. I started waking up a little earlier every morning and it was a game-changer. If I take time to relax and get ready in the morning without any distractions, when my daughter wakes up, I am already ready and it makes my time with her much more enjoyable. My mornings used to be rushed and stressful, but now that I am waking up earlier, I have some time alone and my mornings are not only more peaceful, but they are also much more productive. I love to spend time reading the Bible, exercising, and working on my blog.
3. Don’t Hit the Snooze Button
I used to hit the snooze button multiple times and ended up waking up late and feeling even more tired and rushed. I learned that hitting the snooze button causes more harm than just making you more rushed in the morning.
Hitting the snooze button disrupts your sleep rhythm and causes you to feel even groggier (sleep inertia). You actually will be groggier than if you would have woken up when your alarm first rang because, in the small amount of time you are snoozing, you end up starting a new sleep cycle.
Finally, when you have a habit of hitting the snooze button, it conditions your brain that when your alarm goes off, its time to go back to sleep. This creates a vicious cycle and makes it even harder to wake up in the morning.
One tip that helps me wake up when my alarm rings and stay awake is to keep my alarm in another room so that I have to get out of bed. Putting it away from your bed decreases the chances of you laying back down and falling asleep.
Also, if you have a solid morning routine, you will have more of a purpose for staying awake. I like to write down a task that I need to complete the next morning and put it by my alarm. This way when I turn off my alarm, I am reminded of what I need to accomplish, and I am less likely to want to get back in bed. It also may help to write a task that you look forward to so you have added motivation to wake up.
4. Have a Morning Routine
Having a morning routine can help you be even more productive when you wake up early. When you have a routine, your brain goes on autopilot and does not have to think of what to do.
The first thing I like to do in the morning is to drink a 16-ounce glass of water and look at my planner to review my day. This helps me remember any important things that my daughter needs that day for school and helps me stay focused on the most important tasks I need to complete.
Then I like to stretch and exercise for about 20 – 30 minutes. I like to listen to the Bible or an audiobook during this time.
Then I shower and get completely ready. After that, I work on a task that I decided on the night before. I usually work on writing a blog post for about 45 minutes.
Next I wake up my daughter. As she gets dressed, I get breakfast on the table. I am trying to make it a habit to eat breakfast together. It is so easy to get lost in what needs to be done that I don’t take the time to connect with her in the morning. I am actively trying to change this.
After breakfast, I load up the car with our bags and lunches while my daughter finishes her morning routine.
5. Shower and Get Dressed as Soon as You Can
I used to get distracted in the morning by jumping straight to accomplishing tasks on my to-do list. I would be so excited to work on my next blog post, research a topic, or do a chore that I would lose track of time and end up not giving myself enough time to get ready. Then my morning would be stressful and rushed once again. I noticed that if I shower, get dressed, and do my hair and makeup first, I am ready to head out the door no matter what unexpected things happen.
6. Speed Up Your Self Care Routine
When you wake up earlier in the morning, you want to be able to use as much time as possible to do what you want to do. For me, I used to waste so much time getting ready. I cut down my time getting ready by more than half by doing a few simple things.
The first change I made was to shorten the amount of time I spend showering. I like to make it a game to set a timer or simply make a goal of how fast I want to get out of the shower and see if I can meet or beat that goal.
The other major area I cut back on was my makeup and hair routine. I minimized the amount of makeup I have and only have one eyeshadow palette with 9 neutral colors, one mascara, and one eyeliner, and a powder foundation that can double as a concealer. I found a couple of hair and makeup looks that I really liked and can do them very quickly now without having to think about it.
7. Set Out Your Clothes Ahead of Time
A lot of people recommend setting out your outfit the night before, but I think it’s even better to set out a whole weeks’ worth of clothes on the weekend. Preplanning my clothes and my daughter’s clothes on the weekend saves so much time in the mornings.
When I am doing laundry on the weekend, I will put my daughter’s clothes, socks, underwear, and any accessories in a 6 drawer organizer for Monday-Saturday. That way in the morning, she can easily dress herself and I no longer have to search for missing items like socks or matching pants. I also pre-plan my wardrobe for the week and set everything out the night before so it’s easily accessible in the morning.
I look at three things to help me choose my outfits for the week. First, I look at the weekly forecast so that I can still plan outfits according to the weather. Second, I look at my calendar and my daughter’s school calendar to make sure we have planned ahead for things like special school events. Finally, I created an album of possible outfit combinations in my closet, and I use this album to help me choose outfits.
If planning your clothes a week in advance doesn’t work for you, try to pick your clothes out for the next day at night as you are changing into your pajamas.
8. Pack Lunches the Night Before
Another thing you can do the night before is to get lunches ready. I try to do this as I am making supper, so I only need to clean the kitchen once; I usually pack 2-3 lunches at a time and put it in the same lunch bag so that I only have to carry my lunch bag to work twice a week. My daughter’s lunches are packed each night to make the morning easier. It’s a quick process though because everything is already ready to go, I just need to put it in her lunch bag.
If your kids are older, they can help with this process. Keep all the lunch making items are stored together on a low shelf in your refrigerator and pantry so your kids can easily access it. You can keep bags or containers of prewashed and cut vegetables and fruit to encourage healthy choices.
One thing that I used to prepare nightly was filling my glass water bottle for the next day. Although this did work ok, it was one extra step that I figured out a way to remove from my busy schedule. Instead of refilling my water bottle nightly, I fill a glass gallon jug with water and bring it to work on Monday. I leave my water bottle at work and refill it as needed.
9. Prepare Breakfasts Ahead of Time
Meal prepping breakfast foods over the weekend can save a lot of time for busy weekday mornings. Over the weekend, I meal prep breakfast foods so that making a healthy breakfast in the morning is quick and easy. It helps me to have a meal plan for the week so I don’t have to think about what my family will eat in the morning.
One thing I prepare ahead of time is grain-free waffles. I make a double batch and store them in the freezer. We like to top the waffles with sunflower butter or almond butter and a fruit spread. We also like to top the waffles with almond yogurt and fresh fruit.
I also prepare turkey sausages and roasted sweet potatoes. I love using these to make a breakfast salad. I use a power greens salad mix and top it with pieces of the turkey sausage, roasted sweet potatoes, avocado, and boiled egg. This by far is my favorite breakfast in the morning.
I also prepare boiled eggs ahead of time and egg muffins or egg casserole. I like to have bags of frozen fruit in the freezer and lots of fresh greens in the refrigerator to make smoothies in the morning as well.
10. Have a Dedicated Drop Zone
Packing the car the night before or putting everything by the door is a great way to make the morning run more smoothly. I will put my workbag, purse, key, and any other necessary items in the car and make sure my daughter’s backpack is ready to go. I will check to make sure all paperwork, notes, and permission slips, etc. are done the night before. We have shelves and hooks in our garage to keep our coats and shoes organized so we can find what we need quickly in the morning.
11. Keep Your House Clean and Clutter-Free
I make sure that no matter what, I will not go to bed until I have a clean sink and counters. For me, there’s nothing worse than walking into a messy kitchen in the morning. I used to do this on a daily basis. It made preparing breakfast take longer and made me feel distracted and anxious. I love starting the day with a clean kitchen. I find it saves me so much time.
Keeping your house clutter-free saves time in the morning too. It’s very important to have a place for everything. I used to come home and throw my keys and purse in random places, and then I couldn’t find them the next morning. I try to follow the “touch items only once” policy. When I take off my coat and get ready to toss it on the couch or throw it on the floor, I think about this policy and put it where it belongs.
12. Morning Checklist and Routine Chart
If you have younger children, take the time now to teach them how to do things independently. It was a slow and painful process for me, but starting at the age of 4, my daughter was able to get dressed, put her pajamas away, eat breakfast, put her dishes away, brush her hair and get a hair tie for me to do a ponytail, brush her teeth, and then put her shoes and coat on, grab her backpack, get in the car and buckle up. She does all of this with minimal reminders from me.
This level of independence didn’t just happen. It took a lot of guidance from me. She had to learn these steps one at a time, starting at the age of 3, but now that she has mastered so many steps it saves SO much time in the mornings.
Even though my daughter is becoming more independent, having a routine chart is helpful. If your child can’t read yet, you can make a routine chart with pictures of each task. My daughter and I made her routine chart together. We listed the steps for her morning routine and found clipart images on Google that matched. She helped me pick out which pictures she wanted. My daughter is able to refer to her routine chart to make sure she does not forget anything, and she no longer needs to ask me what to do.
13. Build Buffer Time Into Your Morning
Building buffer time into your morning is incredibly important! I tend to always think of the best-case scenario when I plan my schedule. This inevitably leads to hectic mornings because the best-case scenario doesn’t typically happen.
I had to come to the realization that red lights and traffic do exist and will make my drive time longer, that my daughter may have problems and might need some extra help in the morning, and other last-minute things will probably come up.
If I build buffer time in my morning for these types of things, it eliminates stress and overwhelm when those things happen.
14. Leave Earlier than You Need To
This seems obvious, but I am the queen of procrastination. If I need to be at work at 7:30, I used to be pulling in the parking lot and dashing to the door right at 7:30 and if something unexpected happened like getting stuck behind a slow car or getting stopped by all the red lights, I would definitely be late. If you have this same habit, try to change your mindset and make it a habit to arrive at work early every day. Even leaving your house 10 minutes earlier can ensure a less stressful drive and a better start to your workday.
15. Take Time to Connect
Even if it’s just a few minutes, take time to connect with your kids in the morning. It could be snuggling in bed for a few minutes as they wake up, giving them a big hug, eating breakfast together, or taking time to talk (and listen). It’s tempting to just rush and get everything done, but taking this time will make mornings much smoother and happier for both you and your children.
Start Your Morning the Right Way
A stress-free morning with kids is possible! The way you start your morning sets the tone for the whole day. These tips will help your mornings be far less stressful, but when the unexpected happens (which seems to happen often with kids) try your best to stay calm. Prepping ahead the night before, building in buffer time, and giving yourself some extra alone time in the morning will make it so these unexpected things are far less stressful.
What are some things that you do to make your mornings smoother? Share your ideas for a stress-free morning routine in the comment section below.
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