6 Tips to Save Time in the Morning
6 Tips to Save Time in the Morning
Mornings can easily be a a dreaded and chaotic time for your family. With children, there come always surprises. But there are a few things that you can do that are in your control to make mornings happier and calmer. Check these tips out!
1.) Make a morning schedule for your kids
There is nothing worse than feeling overwhelmed and scattered when you are already late to drop your kids off at school! But as the saying goes, ‘proper planning prevents poor performance.’ And while your family may not be performing for a gold medal to get out of the house on time- wouldn’t it be nice to start your day off on the right foot? A great place to start is to make a morning schedule for your kids! A reward chart is a fun way to get your kids involved and taking responsibility. Once in place, it will give you time to get your own things done in the morning! Sandie from the blog Mrs. Organized (mrsorganised.com.au) has fantastic ( and adorable) reward charts to print out! Check them out at mrsorganised.com.au/routine-and-reward-charts/
Little Birdie Says: Remember that it takes 21 days to create a habit. Being consistent is key to any changes in a family routine! Try to stick with the chart for at least one month and give your kids a break on Saturdays and Sundays for a lazy sleep in.
2.) Lay out your Kids clothes for the WEEK on Sundays (Yours too, Mama!)
It’s not rocket science to know that laying your kids outfits out the night before will make everyones lives easier in the mornings- but how about laying them out for the week, on Sundays? While it will take some time on Sunday’s, It will create one less thing for you to do after a long day of work on the weekdays. Try to include your child in the process and try to lay out everything from socks to a bow your your little ones hair. The more you prepare for the small things, the more efficient your weekday mornings will be.
Little Birdie Says: Don’t forget about YOU, Mama! Laying out your own clothes a whole week in advance helps adults too! Not only will you feel more organized but your child seeing you stick to the same method that they use and it will reinforce good organization practices in the long run!
3.) Make lunch the night before
As you are preparing dinner in the evenings- why not make lunches for the next day too? It’s always hard to make lunch as you are making breakfast in the morning and chances are you are already feeling rushed. Use the time that you are already preparing dinner to make your sandwiches for the next day.
Little Birdie Says: To take this a step further, make extra servings for dinner and before you serve dinner, pack what will be your leftovers for the family! It will take time to get into this routine but once you do, your sanity will thank you!
4.) Wake up 30 Minutes before your kids
While this may not be your favorite step, waking up earlier really will be better for your family (and YOU) in the long run. There is something really nice about a quiet house to get your last personal things done before everyone wakes up - and is most likely one of the only times of the day you’ll be alone! Take advantage of it by having a cup of coffee, feeding your dogs and maybe even getting ready before your kids are up!
5.) Lists are king- Write them and keep writing them!
There is nothing better than crossing something off a list on a piece of paper! Write a list of anything you have to do the next day, the night before. That way when you wake up in the morning there aren’t any surprises, and you can map out how to get those things done in an efficient way.
Little Birdie Says: When you plan out your day the night before, you can get a better night sleep knowing you won’t wake up in the middle of the night telling yourself to remember something you have to do the next day! Don’t forget to split the list with your partner!
6.) Have an emergency bag ready to go
In the event that your routine just isn’t going to cut it, have an emergency zip lock bag in the car ready to go.
Here’s what we put in ours:
- Hairbrush
- Hair ties/Bobby Pins
- Sunscreen
- Baby wipes
- Granola bar
- 20 $1 bills for your kids (or you!) to buy lunch if you forgot theirs
- Sugarless gum (In case your child forgets to brush their teeth!)
- Hand Sanitizer
- Bandaids
- Children’s Book
- Change of clothes for each child including extra diapers or pull ups
- Small notepad and pen
- Chapstick
- Your kids Favorite CD or mini pod with kids music (because listening to music together is a much better option than your child having screen time!)
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