One thing I was NOT prepared for when having kids, was the struggle bus that is our morning routine. Now that three out of 4 of mine are in school the mental load has grown exponentially. It’s taken some trial and error over the years but I’ve found what works for us, at least for the most part. Through my journey I’m sharing tips I’ve found that transform our morning mayhem into family harmony.
1. Start the night before
I don’t know if this is a given or not, but I try to do what I can the night before. We pick and set out outfits so they are ready to go. When my oldest two were younger I would even just dress them the night before. We also do showers/baths the night before so that there is no rush in the morning. Although, they are still young so this could be subject to change. Really now that I think about it, ‘the night before’ is probably the running theme of the rest of the tips.
2. Homework
We are fortunate that this year the teachers have been really relaxed on homework. Really any homework is just what they didn’t finish in class that day. On that note, I make sure that when it is finished it promptly goes into their folder and in their backpack, then there’s no searching or worrying in the morning.
3. Lunches
Our kids flip flop between doing a school lunch or a home lunch. I try my best to check the night before which one they will want, that way I know how many lunches I might need to pack. We also aren’t always stocked grocery wise, so sometimes I have to inform them there is no choice and they have to do a ‘hot lunch’. This way I can avoid any morning tantrums. I’ve had many mornings of trying to head out the door and at the last minute a child yell, ‘But I want cold lunch!’ and then anxiety hits.
4. Other clothing
Perhaps the most important. As any parent will know the worst part of any outing is trying to find shoes when you’re rushing out the door. I have learned to be diligent and ensure that all pairs of shoes are together. To add to this, jackets and or any other weather appropriate clothing. Living in Idaho we do have changing seasons, so one morning may be warm while the next might snow. I try my best to set out anything they might need so we’re not scrambling to gather coats and what not.
5. The actual waking up part.
My kids are HEAVY sleepers, and I mean heavy. I wake up 30 minutes before anyone else so that I can get my shower in. (Yes I shower in the morning, it’s how I’ve always done it and it’s engrained in my soul). Once I’m showered and dressed I try to gently wake everyone up. Gently being a keyword, it may take more coaxing but I’ve learned that an abrupt wake up is asking for grumpy unstable gremlins.
It’s been a learning curve to figure out what works for us. My biggest fear was that we were starting our mornings off filled with anxiety and I was send little storm clouds to school. We still have difficulties, but we’ve come a long way even from just a couple of years ago. My older two are getting to an age where it’s also been a teaching moment to learn time management.
