If you are anything like me, summer has destroyed your school morning routine. I can feel the first day of school slowly creeping closer, and I feel the need to strategize! Gone are the days that I jumped out of bed with a crying baby for an alarm, hair disheveled and brain in a fog while literally hitting the ground running for the day. I have never been one to have the perfect morning routine. But this year, I’m determined to come up with a way to keep my mornings stress-free since the way we wake up in the morning has such a huge effect on the rest of our day. So, let’s strategize together so we can have the best morning routine possible and solidify a brilliant school year! Here are some things that I have found helpful:
- Lay out clothes the night before. Last year, my daughter started doing this for school and it really helped the morning flow faster. Trying to pick out a stylish outfit with sleep still in your eyes seriously stunts the creative juices. Not to mention how many minutes are wasted just staring into the closet. This prep works well for backpacks and lunches too!
- Wake up before the kids. Even the crankiest person can enjoy the silence of the house before the events that happen after the alarm clocks go off. Stealing your own moments before your attention is on everyone else can be a serious game changer!
- Make your bed. Making your bed is the first opportunity of the day to get something done. That small win influences other wins throughout your day. It’s also such a satisfying feeling to know after a hard day of work you can come home, and your bed will be made!
- Have a good breakfast. I must admit that my daughter usually gets a less-than-quality breakfast before rushing out the door for school. And as soon as she leaves, my little man and I cook up eggs and toast. A healthy breakfast can work wonders for kids, plus, it keeps them sustained till lunch.
- Stay calm through the chaos. It’s inevitable that your morning will get off track at some point. We can’t control that. I think what we hate the most about stressful school mornings is our reaction to the stress. I know within the first hour of the day I’ve been the yelling mom, the overwhelmed mom and the emotional mom. Learning to stay calm can turn a seemingly disordered morning into a safe and reliable constant for our kids. There’s no doubt that our kids feed off our energy and our attitudes. If we can learn to cope by staying calm during the messiness of life, so will our kids.
These are the tips that I will be concentrating on for the quickly approaching school year. There are always ways to improve our routines but improving our attitude will pay off 10 times more. Cheers to all the parents that are committed to making these crazy school mornings more enjoyable for everyone! What tips do you have for a healthier morning routine?
