The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the chaos inside the house has just begun. Lunches need to be made, breakfast scarfed down, clothes found and thrown on, and everyone ushered out the door on time. Finding a morning routine that can help everyone in your family stay on track and make mornings run more smoothly is one of the top items on most moms' wish lists.
Don't Curl up for Bed Before Things are Sorted for the Morning
Kids should have their backpacks packed, clothes/uniforms washed and sorted and know where their shoes and additional gear is before they go to bed at night. Even kindergartners should be responsible for getting organized before bedtime. Lunch money or lunchboxes can often be organized the night before a school day, too. Mom and dad can find their car keys, look at the calendar and schedule to sort carpools and after school activities and get themselves organized before bed.
Keep the Television and Computer Turned Off
Waiting for a television show to finish or to check just one more e-mail means less time together as a family, and you'll try to compress a 30-minute morning routine into a 10-minute time span. Keep technology off in the morning, you can save a radio to listen to the weather or morning news, but that's it. Your family's morning routine will go off without a hitch if the technology is turned off.
Insist on Eating Breakfast Together
Allowing everyone to grab and go on their own might seem like the best choice on a hectic morning, but in fact, it may slow you down. Rather than everyone getting in each other's way, and no one getting a healthy breakfast, put mom, dad or an older sibling in charge of breakfast on any given morning. Scrambled eggs and toast for the whole family don't take a lot of time and allow everyone the opportunity to sit down and eat together.
Get up when the Alarm Clock goes off, or When you First Wake up
One of the hardest things about getting out of bed in the morning is fighting the alarm clock. But the longer you fight it, the less time you have in the morning and the more pressure you'll be under. Instead, consider waking up a little bit earlier and don't fight the alarm clock when it rings, either. A smooth morning routine is more likely if you simply realize that you have to get up. Don't fight it by trying to sneak in five more minutes.
A successful morning routine for families helps everyone's day get off without a hitch. Get ready ahead of time, keep the TV off, eat together and get up when the alarm clock goes off. Mornings that start off right turn into great days!
