Anyone with kids knows mornings are anything but peaceful. Long gone are the days in which I can leisurely sip my coffee and watch the morning news (Okay, to be honest, that never was my reality. I'm a "sleep until I absolutely have to wake up kind of gal" but that's besides the point). No matter how many kids you have or how old they are, mornings are HARD. Here are a few tips I've found to make them a little less painful.
Clothes prep
It's not earth shattering news that laying out clothes the night before helps with having a smoother routine in the morning. However, I take it one step further. I lay all my kids' clothes out for the week on Sunday. I'll preface this advice with admitting that it is not fun to do it all at once. I hate it. I dread doing it on Sunday evenings. BUT I ALWAYS thank myself throughout the week! It is SO NICE not having to worry about laying out clothes every single night. Â
For my process, I look at the weather for the week. This usually gives me a pretty good indication of what they can wear. I occasionally have to make slight modifications (because let's be real, we live in Illinois and the weather man isn't really batting 1,000...). Most of the time, I don't have to make changes. I also make sure that if there are any theme weeks/days that I have that calendar or flyer in the closet for reference. I used to do the whole process by myself, but my six year old was fighting me a lot each morning on what I had laid out to wear for her. Now, I solicit her help in picking her clothes. She can't complain if she selects them. I give her very specific prompts such as "you need to pick out three short sleeves and two long sleeves" or "five long sleeves but one needs to be black". She's normally very happy to help.
I use these storage cubes to lay the clothes out by day. There are a million and one ways you could do it and a quick Pinterest search can give you an idea that would work for you. I also like this process because my kids' clothes are always wrinkled and I despise wrinkles. When I lay them out on Sunday, I use a spray bottle to wet down any wrinkles with water and smooth them out. Because they're hanging, they dry wrinkle free! No ironing or fluffing for this momma!Â
Designated spaces
Anything and everything that you MAY need in the morning should have a designated spot, and you need to make sure everyone knows where those designated spots are and takes ownership of helping returning said items to those spots. It isn't helpful to have a bucket for shoes by the front door if no one knows to put them there. We have a built in locker system in our house that is probably one of my favorite things. Everyone has their own space for coats, backpacks, shoes, gloves, hats, etc. Find a system that works for you and your family. It could be as simple as lining shoes up by the door to as complex as a whole storage system. Base it on your needs and space. Â
Each evening, I make sure everything is where it's supposed to be. This isn't hard now that we've established everything needs to be in it's place. It is second nature for my kids to return those things to where they go, although Zoey needs gentle nudging to put her shoes IN the locker and hang her coat ON the hook, but we're getting there. Â
We also have a bucket of masks (because..2020) so there is no frantic rush to find one in the morning. Side note: I also keep a spare in each of their back packs, as well as several extras in my van. Â
To-do lists
This isn't something we personally do but I have heard of parents doing it and having success. Making a simple to-do list in the morning for children to complete can give them a sense of ownership and responsibility. I imagine it would include things such as: get dressed, make bed, brush teeth, eat breakfast, pack bag, etc. Â
Partnership
Find yourself a spouse that helps. Seriously. I 100% could not do mornings on a regular basis without my husband. He gets up way earlier than me and gets so much done before I even roll out of bed. He makes my coffee, gets the kids out of bed and carries my load of stuff out to the van every morning. He usually leaves about 30 - 45 minutes before we do, so I'm still on my own to actually get out the door, but my mornings would not be nearly as smooth if it weren't for him (and I would get less sleep, which isn't good for anyone!) Talk to your spouse and see what can be delegated. There are some things that I HAVE to do (the girls' hair, for example), but I would guess that most parenting partners can help with many things each morning. If your partner isn't there at all in the morning, what can they do the evening before to help out? Â
Stay calm
Number one piece of advice. If you lose your cool, your morning will most definitely go downhill. While I make a conscious effort to not yell or freak out on my kids all the time, I up this effort in the mornings. One, because it only makes things worse and two, I don't want to start their morning off on that vibe. Do I fail? Yep. Do I keep trying? Also yep. I notice that on the mornings when I succeed at not yelling at the top of my lungs, things go SO. MUCH. BETTER. It's true that kids feed off our energy, especially us mommas. I know, it isn't fair, but it's the truth.Â
I also know it's super easy to lose your cool when you've asked your six year old to put on her socks SEVEN times, the toddler keeps running away as you're trying to put her coat on and your four year old is having a meltdown because he can't take his tractors to school. So trust me when I say, I get it. But keep trying. Some mornings will be better than others. And the mornings when you get out the door on time, without yelling, with everyone wearing appropriate attire and matching shoes...those are the mornings you feel like super mom.  And you should, because you are. (Forewarning: those mornings are usually followed by ones full of spilled cereal in the mini-van, mismatched clothes, broken coat zippers and everyone crying...including you 😉) Â
What other morning tips do you have? I'm always looking for ways to improve on our routine!