15 Changes To Your Routine To Make Your Mornings Calmer

6. Create a morning routine for them.

Kids can be chaotic, but it’s worth trying to corral them during the mornings when that chaos is what’s going to send you over the edge. Take some time to create a morning routine for them, like a checklist that they can run through so they know what they have to do. Not only does this stop the constant nagging, free up your time and ensure things aren’t forgotten, it gives them a sense of responsibility.

7. Lay out clothes.

The little things can make the biggest difference in the morning, especially when it comes to kids. Taking a moment to lay out your children’s clothes, or have them help you lay them out, can really reduce the stress.

Not only does it mean your child doesn’t need to whine about their choice in the morning, but it also means they can get dressed even while barely awake. Believe me, it’s something worth doing!

8. Laundry bags are your friend.

If you have more than one child, you already know about the mysterious conundrum that is socks. It doesn’t matter how many pairs you buy, they seem to disappear as fast as you can run them through the scanner. Or they end up in an enormous pile of mismatched socks that kids need to dig through every day.

Enhance your morning calm by getting a zip up laundry bag for each of your kids in which they can put all their socks. Wash the bags with the socks inside, dry them in the sun, and then hand them over to your kids. Socks will never be lost again!

9. Pack it up.

You’d be surprised how challenging it is to remember everything you need in the morning when you’re rushing around. Improve your memory by packing everything up the night before.

This means bags are packed with everything and ready by the door. It means lunches are packed and ready in the fridge. It means everything that needs to be in your child’s bag is already there, no exceptions.

10. Use when & then.

Sometimes, rewards are a great way to motivate your kids, but you don’t want them to expect a reward for something as simple as the morning routine.

Instead, think of the parts of the routine your child enjoys, like eating breakfast, and use the when & then strategy to get them to do something they don’t like, such as brushing their teeth. So you would say: “When you brush your teeth, then we can have breakfast.”

11. Self serve breakfast.

Having to prepare breakfast for your kids is a challenge, but as kids get older, they are more and more able to serve themselves up a bowl of cereal. Make this easier by setting out a little serve-yourself breakfast bar in the morning before they get up.

Set aside cereal in easy-to-pour containers, any toppings, and milk in something that’s light enough for them to lift. That way, they can look after themselves, while you take care of everything else.

12. Practise It!

Practice makes perfect is the line, and it couldn’t be truer than with a calm morning routine. To make sure you have enough time to get everything done, take a moment to practise it on a weekend or public holiday.

Instead of going to school, take your kids on some kind of outing (like the park or a museum) where they need to have a bag packed with snacks and things to play with. Then run through everything and see how you go for time!

13. Stay calm.

Kids mirror their parents, so when you’re stressed and angry, they will be as well. We know, it’s hard work to do everything in the morning, and nobody is expecting you not to be frazzled when things go wrong.

But trying to maintain a mask of calm can have a great effect on your kids. If things stress you out, try and reframe them in a positive way i.e. “Oh no you’ve dropped your lunch! Who can pick it up fastest!”

14. Praise their efforts.

When kids get it right, they deserve to have a little bit of praise to get them through the day. This is especially true if you’re trying to implement a new routine that they’re having trouble with.

When they do what they should be doing, let them know how happy and proud you are of them, even if it’s just for something simple like brushing their teeth without being asked.

15. Don’t ditch on weekends.

It’s so easy to fall out of the habit of doing things on the weekend, but it’s the worst thing you can do! Obviously, you don’t always have somewhere to be on the weekend, so it’s ok to sleep a little more. But try and have your kids run through a similar routine in the mornings on the weekend.

So have them wake up, get dressed, brush their teeth etc. This makes them ready for the day, every day!

How do you make your mornings calm?