Are chaotic mornings the only constant in your home? Mornings with kids can feel like a whirlwind of activity that leaves you wondering “will this ever end?”
Your morning energy levels are no match for the energy levels of the younger generation, whose idea of getting ready means playing dress-up (with every imaginable tutu and crown in sight) or building the world’s largest Lego fort.
But does that mean your mornings are doomed until the kids fly the nest?
Luckily not! Adults aren’t the only ones that thrive with a good morning routine. Creating super easy morning routines for kids is one of the best gifts you can give your family.
You can establish new routines to do as a family or simply tweak your own routine to create a day that begins with harmony.
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The Importance of Morning Routines for Kids
Many of us struggle in the morning to get the kids to school on time and then get ourselves ready for work. All the while, remembering everything that everybody needs. This incessant madness, with no end in sight, is a recipe for stress.
A rough start to the morning often leads to a tough day for everyone. That’s why it’s so important that you help your family by developing mindful and happy morning routines for kids early on. The creation of this habit will not… Click To TweetHere are some ideas for morning routines for kids that will make a difference.
Preparation
Do as much preparation as you can the night before. Prepare lunches, select your outfit, help the kids choose what they are going to wear, lay out boots, an umbrella, or library books to be returned, fill out school notes (and return to the right backpack). Prepare anything you or the kids will need the next day.
Write yourself a reminder note about anything you need to do that you can’t set out ahead of time.
Create a Schedule
Establish a family schedule for the mornings. Who goes into the shower first? Who walks the dog? Who feeds the dog? Work out all these chores ahead of time, and then stick to the plan. Add it to a planner or family chart and put it where it can be seen by everyone. Make a checklist for the kids (brush your teeth, make your bed, etc.) and hang it on the bathroom mirror or on their door, where they’ll see it. It may take some experimentation and adjustment at first. However, when everyone knows what they’re expected to do, things go more smoothly.
A Place for Everything
Hate those frantic early morning hunts for a suddenly ‘missing’ object or homework assignment? Teach your kids, at a young age, that there is a place for everything. Designate a space near the door for things the kids need with them each day. When kids finish their homework, have them put it into their backpack, and the backpack should be placed by the door to prevent a morning crisis!
Rise Early
There is something truly peaceful about the early morning hours. Getting up before the rest of your household is the key to calmer mornings. This is especially important if you find yourself and your family constantly running late. Use this extra time to get some morning tasks done or save it for your own personal morning routine. If you can get yourself ready for the day, before the kids wake up, you’ve just banked time. You’ll be ready for whatever comes your way, including those morning meltdowns and emergencies.
Breakfast Time
Consider creating a breakfast menu for each week. Your family likely eats the same types of meals each morning anyway. Set up a weekly breakfast menu and mark it on the calendar so that everyone knows what to expect. This means less daily decision making for you as well as simplified grocery shopping trips. Plus, starting your morning together as a family around the breakfast table is what so many memories are made of.
Lunch Prep
Preparing and packing lunches each morning can be a time-consuming task. You can streamline this process by having a lunch packing work station that has all the necessary items nearby for easy access. Making lunches the night before or in advance can also simplify your mornings – all you need to do is pack it and hand it over to the kids. Better yet, have an assembly line and let them do the packing.
Faster Dressing
We all have to get dressed in the morning – a relatively simple process if we open our sock drawer and can easily find matching socks, if the jacket hem that needed a few stitches has been mended and hung up, and if the shirt or blouse we plan to wear is clean and pressed. If these things aren’t taken care of, or if the closet floor is strewn with “stuff,” then a simple thing like getting dressed can be a nightmare. This stress is multiplied if you have to get the kids ready too.
Here are some ideas for everyone’s closet that will help you organize and save time while getting dressed in the morning:
- Sort through your closet and save only the items that you enjoy wearing. A stuffed closet takes time to manage. The same goes for the kid’s closets, only keep the items that still fit and they wear regularly.
- Hang your clothes and the kids’ clothes in categories so everyone can find what they want to wear quickly.
- Build your wardrobe around one or two main colors to make it easier to coordinate outfits and match accessories. A basic color scheme will also minimize the number of choices you need for shoe colors, handbags, etc.
- If you have trouble pulling outfits together, take snapshots of your outfits as they should be accessorized. These photos will be quick reminders for you in the mornings.
- Don’t buy high maintenance clothes for your daily morning routines.
- Help your kids to get ready on their own by making their clothes easily accessible. Hang them on lowered rods or place them on lower shelves or in kid-friendly drawers.
- If you have space, store summer and winter clothing in separate closets. Your closets will be more convenient to use.
Think Like a Child
When it comes to creating morning routines for kids, it’s important to think like a kid. By keeping their perspective in mind, you can establish routines that actually work and that they’ll stick to.
Finding the Calm
A good morning routine is all about centering yourself and finding a sense of calmness for your day ahead. Your kids need this space and peace in preparation for the day just as much as you do. That’s why morning routines for kids are essential. So, make sure to find calm, enjoyable, and happy moments to share together in the mornings. Whether they join you for a quick stretch or sit with you while you enjoy your morning beverage. Encouraging children to find stillness even during busy mornings helps them become well-adjusted and happy. Cultivating morning routines for kids is the ultimate gift.
Summary
Invite calmer mornings into your home through preparation and gentle guidance.
Easy morning routines for kids can be accomplished by developing a schedule, planning for breakfast and lunch, making sure everything has a place, and that you’ve prepared things in advance.
Do you have morning routines for your kids?
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Comments 10
We always had a morning routine, and I still have one for myself. I love that graphic with the list of things to do. It helps children remember everything. Some kids have a tough time remembering a string of tasks, so It is great to have a visual. I remember having a “flip chart” that hung on the doorknob to help us remember which “special” (e.g. gym, library, art) was taking place. That way we would remember to bring the book or wear the sneakers. It’s all about having a solid system for sure!
Seana,
I agree with everything you said. With kids, who are too young to read, you just replace the written list with images that describe what they need to do,like brush their teeth.
Besides morning, I created evening and bedtime routines. I just didn’t want the evening to spiral out of control. I never had sleep problems with my children and I do contribute that to the routines.
These are wonderful tips, Ronni! There is something very comforting to the entire family when everyone knows the expectations and how things (like the morning) will work. Doing a little prep work the night before takes the worry about things like what will I wear tomorrow or packing lunch. Thank you very much for these fabulous tips!
I do believe that children like steady, routines, and helpful systems. Such as a place for everything and everything in it’s place.
I love that my 2 1/2-year-old grandson knows where everything is. It’s so funny. When I look at him, he looks so pleased with himself.
You take me back to when our girls were young. We used many of the strategies you described. One of the best things we did was to encourage their participation in the prep and planning. Sure. I had systems to help faciliate things, but the kids did their own prepping and thinking about what was needed. So at a point, I no longer made their lunches the night before- they made them instead, but I had all the ingredients available for them. Same thing with getting dressed. Eventually, they selected what they would wear to school, and not me. Supplies for getting ready were made as easy and accessible as possible. We set up locations for staging. They became more independent and great at navigating the mornings. Also, because we all worked as a team, it created less stress. And if someone needed some extra help, we were there.
Routines were always so helpful in our home. As I told Sabrina, I had three little ones, which included a set of twins. We had a color-coded family chart, so I knew who was supposed to go where and when. We had our bedtime routines, our play room routines for cleanup and more.
Today I would say that
all of my kids are pretty organized.
Great tips! When my kids were small, I loved making routines because it gave them and me some order. I was a small business mom and was just starting my business, so it was difficult to stay on schedule if I didn’t have a routine. Thanks for sharing your amazing ideas! I will definitely be sharing it on my Pinterest boards. =)
Sabrina,
Thank you for your support, as always. When my kids were young we needed routines. I had three little ones including a set of twins. That’s built in chaos. The routines made a huge difference. Especially sleep time!
My stepkids didn’t live with us till they were teenagers, so I managed to avoid this for the most part – though not altogether. I’ve always wondered how families with young kids managed mornings without going insane!
Janet,
Parents with young ones manage the mornings with a good night sleep, a lot of patience, and smart morning routines. It’s also what they do ahead of time.