HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT YOUR MORNING ROUTINE

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Does your house feel like a total zoo in the morning? Getting everyone out the door on time can feel impossible some days.

We have been struggling big time in the mornings over here.  Actually, truth be told, it’s the girls and I.  Nate mostly gets up and out.  He gets ready, takes out the trash, eats breakfast and he’s off.  Very little drama. With Ruby and Sloane? Some mornings are disastrous. They lay around and play or read until there are only a few minutes to go and they are still in PJs. I start yelling, and it all goes south from there.

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Lately, we’ve been a mess. In an effort to get us back on track this week, I gave a lot of thought to what does work in our favor when it comes to getting out the door without screaming and yelling. 

THREE THINGS YOU CAN CHANGE RIGHT NOW TO MAKE YOUR MORNING SMOOTHER

  1. Make the lunches the night before. I know.. It is a huge PITA . I never feel like it, but you know what? You’ll dread it in the morning too. Get it our of the way the night before. You will never regret it. Your future self thanks you.

  2. Set your alarm for at least a half an hour before the kids are going to likely be awake. I know you are tired and it feels like every minute of shut eye counts. Guess what? You are still going to be tired when your kids wake up. That twenty minutes is not going to make or break your sleep bank. It WILL give you a few minutes to pee, brush teeth, throw on some clean clothes and perhaps even drink your coffee hot before there are kids climbing all over you. Even if you are not a morning person, try this for a few days and you’ll see what a MASSIVE difference it makes in your morning mood. And we already know… if mom is in a good mood, the likelihood of things going well for the entire family is such higher.

  3. Set expectations ahead of time. Talk about them with your kids when it is NOT the morning rush. When we have had a few rough mornings in a row, I try to bring it up individually with each child.

    For example: The last few mornings felt hard. It seemed like you really had a hard time picking what you wanted to eat for breakfast. It took a long time and then you were rushing to brush teeth and get out the door. Is there anything I can do to help you so that this doesn’t keep happening?

    OR: Oh man, this morning was HARD!! You really wanted your blue shirt and when it was missing it felt impossible to get dressed and carry on with getting ready for school. After that, the syrup spilled, we couldn’t find your sneakers and we almost missed the bus! That was hard for me and for you. Let’s try to make a plan so that we don’t have to go through that again.-

    Talking with your children and trouble shooting when you are NOT in the moment can be really valuable. It helps them to think through the issues while feeling supported and not stressed. Be a partner in helping them identify what works best for them.

Lastly, let’s think about chores.

Do you have chores you like to have the children take care of before school? I do. They are simple and while I know it is not ideal to put extra things in the routine, I also expect my kids to partner with me in the upkeep of our home and our life. One thing I insist on is made beds. Making your bed every morning feels like an important habit to me and it also sets the tone for a tidy room. Recently, I switched all three children’s bedding over from traditional sheets and blankets to Beddy’s Beds Bedding (#gifted) and it has made a HUGE difference. All they need to do is roll out of bed, zip it up and DONE! Literally takes two seconds. Game changer. Beds are made and this mama is happy. (use the code LIZZIE20 for 20% off your bedding!!)

While I know that we will always have ups and downs in the mornings depending on moods, sleep schedules, etc., it helps to step back and think about what is working and isn’t working. Sometimes even a small shift can have a big change.