The running around, the frustration, and all of the crazy! I have been there. You are trying to get everyone ready for school or yourself, time is ticking and things are not going smoothly. You rush and hurry to get everything done and when everyone finally gets out the door, you let out a big sigh of relief, “Ugh, what an awful morning!” I hate feeling stressed in the morning. I am the type of person who likes to follow a plan. I also know that nothing ever goes as planned. I decided that I did not want to spend my mornings flustered, so I made a list of things my family and I could do so everything runs as smooth as possible. These simple tasks can make the difference between a hectic morning and a peaceful one. This is what we do in our home to start the day off on a good note:
1. Set the table for breakfast the night before. This happens to be one of my children’s chores. I am trying to show them how planning and being prepared helps them in the morning. Sure, it only takes a few minutes to get a plate, bowl or glass out in the morning, but sometimes you will need those extra minutes for something else.
2. Make sure you get to bed at a decent hour. For my children it is 8 pm and for my husband and I, getting to bed by 10:30 pm allows us to have a good night sleep. No one likes to start off their day grouchy:) Make sure you lay out your outfits the night before too. My children all have this chore and it allows me to check over the outfit they picked out the night before to avoid any conflicts in the morning.
3. Prepare lunches the night before. Almost everything, if not all of most lunches can be made, packed and stored in the refrigerator. If you feel your sandwiches will get soggy, then make everything else, so in the morning all you have to do is whip up a sandwich and throw it into your lunch bag.
4. Get up early. I now this can be hard for some people, but even if you start waking up 15-30 minutes earlier than usual, you will give yourself enough time to sit and sip your morning coffee or get a quick workout in before the rest of your family is up for the day.
5. Make sure you say goodbye to everyone and tell them to have a great day. Everyone wants to feel loved and cared for when they leave for the day. No matter how the rest of their day goes, they will know they had a good start at home!
What does your family do to help things run smoothly in the morning?
