I am a Kellogg’s Champions of Great Starts Blogger and I am compensated for my participation in this partnership.
Getting three kids out of bed, fed and dressed all before 7:19 in the morning is no easy task for a mama who hates getting out of bed before seeing the light of day filtering in through the curtains. I am absolutely, positively not a morning person and everyone in my household knows it.
Because I am not a morning person, it takes a good bit of planning to make sure that everyone is ready to leave the house on time. What I’ve learned over the years is that to ensure that mornings run smoothly, I actually have to start prepping the night before. And to make things a little bit easier and to teach my children responsibility, I have them help in the process.
While my way of doing things won’t work for everyone, here are my 5 Ways to Get a Great Start Each Morning.
- Pack and Prepare Lunches the Night Before. My children take their lunch most days and instead of spending 30 minutes in the morning preparing their lunches when I could be sleeping, I take time the night before to pack their lunchboxes and put it in the refrigerator. You can enlist the help of your children and/or spouse to help and make it a family activity. You can also make it a lesson on the different food groups and how each food group helps the body.
- Pick Out Clothing the Night Before. I learned very early on that having them pick out their clothes the night before was a must for us. Let them help in the process so that there are no surprises in the morning. Have everything laid out and ready for them when they wake up. Don’t forget the socks and shoes.
- Have the Backpack Packed, Ready and Waiting by the Door. During the rush of the morning activities the last thing you want to do is worry about a backpack. After finishing homework, make sure all papers are signed, in their folders and placed back inside the backpack for the next day. It takes mere seconds and will relieve so much stress from your morning. Trust me!
- Wake Everyone Up in Enough Time to Eliminate Rushing. There is nothing I dislike more than having to rush. It just adds a whole new level of stress that I’d just rather not have to deal with. Help yourself and your children by making sure you set the alarm for a time that gives everyone ample time in the mornings. If there is time leftover, use that time to talk to your children and let them know how much you love and adore them. I actually look forward to this time each morning.
- Eat a Nutritious Breakfast. I’ve said it a million times, but I’ll say it again: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Do your yourself and your children a favor and don’t skip breakfast. There are so many fast, healthy options available that there really is no reason why everyone can’t have a healthy breakfast in the morning. If you and/or your children don’t have time to sit down and enjoy breakfast, pack Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats along with a banana to take while on the go. If you do have time to sit down, learn how to make a balanced breakfast with MyBowl.
The mornings go more smoothly when we all follow the guidelines. It makes for a happy mama and happy children.
What do you do to help with the busy morning routine?
Roechelle says
great tips, I do them all. packing lunches the night before is a huge time saver and so is picking out clothing the night before.
Lena says
These are all the things I am trying to do. I am lucky if I am consistent with half of them
Susan says
Putting items by the front door is an excellent habit to get into. We do it for everything at our house.
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
Those are the same things I’ve always done over here. It makes life in the morning SO much easier!!!!
Donna says
Absolutely have to have everything ready and done the night before. We get up as late as we absolutely can on school mornings, and that’s still too early, so for sanity sake, it’s crucial.
Jenn says
I’m not a morning person either so I need to implement some of these strategies!
Robin Gagnon {Mom Foodie} says
Yeah, it is tough for we non-morning people.
Tammy says
Since we homeschool mornings are actually a bit more relaxed around here, but one thing I always did before we started homeschooling was prepare and program the coffee pot to be brewing by the time I got up. That cup of Joe made a huge difference in my sanity on busy mornings!
LyndaS says
I have learned that I have to kick my son off of the computer at 7:15 in order to make sure that he gets ready on time.
Angela @ About a Mom says
These are all really great ideas. Laying out clothes and getting backpacks and lunch ready the night before was always a big help in my house.
Penelope (NYC Blogger) says
I could really work on the last two! Those are areas I need help in.
Ty @ Mama of 3 Munchkins says
I definitely need to start picking out my clothing the morning before because it takes me forever to find something to wear lol.
Marcie W. says
These tips are wonderful! We prepare lunches and pack backpacks the night before. We also wake up early enough to allow each other plenty of time to eat breakfast and get ready for the day without rushing.
TerriAnn @ Cookies & Clogs says
It’s soooooo hard to get up on time in the morning. In addition to getting everything ready the night before, going to sleep early will help too!
Robin Gagnon says
When I set up my daughter’s backpack the night before it does help a lot. She would have missed the bus had I not done it last night
Mickey says
All great ideas. We have to have everything ready the night before and have a schedule of everything in the morning, with the absolute deadline at 7:30 to walk out the door for carpool. 🙂
HilLesha says
These are certainly ways to jump start a morning!
Theresa @ Faith and Family Reviews says
With ten of us we do much of the same things when planning a day out or else we wouldn’t get out of the house on time! 😉
Mellisa says
We try and lay everything out the night before. It makes the morning much easier.
Angela says
When my son was little, I always found having his clothes and backpack ready the night before to be a big help.
Julie says
Getting things ready the night before has changed my life – even though I’m more of a morning person and rise early without issue, I love being able to get up before my kiddo and have time to myself to knock out some of my own to-do list without a little guy underfoot.
Toni says
I am so not a morning person. I need to start doing some of these tips.
Vanessa: thequeenofswag says
These are great tips to start the day off right. It’s so important to have a great start as it sets the tone for the whole day.
Kathleen says
Our early morning routines look a little different now that I homeschool all the boys, but planning the night before, definitely helps us get to work faster the next day.
Lolo says
We have to have lunch and clothes ready or we run late. We need to always be prepared!
Shell Feis says
Our busy mornings are actually in the afternoon since my son has PM preschool, but yet we still don’t manage to start getting ready in time to avoid rushing most days. We’re working on that!
Rachel @ Following In My Shoes says
Each and every one of those things you do happen in this house too. I am most definitely NOT a morning person and I need even just the few minutes that come from having our routine.
Becca @ Mama B says
All great tips! Picking out clothes and preparing lunches the night before definitely help us get going each morning.
Colleen says
These are all great tips, you can’t go wrong if you are prepared. I really like the one about getting them up in time so there is no rushing.
April Decheine says
Breakfast in the morning is so important to get yourself off to a good start!
Anne - Mommy Has to Work says
Right now I do everything in the mornings…that may change next school year though.
Jenny J says
Love the list! I try to do all those things the night before too – no always perfectly as often by the end of the day I am beat! But I also love doing a family breakfast. We try to always wake up with enough time in the morning to sit down together for breakfast. It’s a great time to check in with the kids and make sure they have a great start to their day!