Mornings can be chaotic, especially when you must be responsible for kids or other people and ensuring everyone is ready in the morning on time. As a parent, it’s important to establish a morning routine that works for you and your family so you can start off the day feeling relaxed and in a good mood. In this blog post, we’ll discuss a few tips and tricks for creating an efficient and stress-free morning routine with kids.
Know Your Tasks, Routine, and How Long Each Item Takes
How long does it take you to complete all necessary tasks (i.e., showering, packing lunches, making breakfast, ensuring your kids are dressed), from the time you get up until you and your kids need to be out the door or starting the day?
Figuring out what you must do and how long each one takes is important. Also accounting for being interrupted or other things you cannot fully plan for is crucial. Therefore, identify each task/activity you and your kids need to do each morning. Consider writing them out in a list and noting estimated completion times. If the amount of time needed does not match the time available, you can move certain things to the evening, cut out non-essential items, or move the wake up or time to leave the home as feasible. Brainstorming ideas and planning for the routine collaboratively with your kids for items that involve them can greatly help with them being more motivated to follow the plan. Finally, for kids (and you too), having a visual schedule of the finalized morning plan can be useful. Consistency with a routine that is practical, is vital to establishing a good morning routine.
Make Quality Time a Priority Also
While it’s important to prioritize the tasks and activities that need to be done each morning, try to carve out quality time with your kids also. Perhaps read together (for younger kids), eat breakfast as a family, go for a morning walk, or play a board game together. Starting the day off with some positive interactions can make a big difference in everyone’s mood and mindset for the rest of the day.
Conclusion
Creating an effective morning routine for yourself and your kids is possible. However, it takes planning, some trial and error, and being willing to work at it until you and your kids find a plan that works well. By setting a schedule that is practical, preparing the night before/cutting down unnecessary items in the mornings, and carving out quality time, you can start your day off well and make mornings more enjoyable and efficient.
