Who hates the rush out of the house in the mornings? The inevitable cries of “Mom? Where’s my…lunch, bag, boots, gloves, trumpet, basketball shoes, etc.” And then there is the “Honey, who’s taking the kids to school this morning?” Does this sound familiar? Interested in easing the frustration so your day doesn’t start with stress and fatigue before you even get out of the door? Read on for some tried and true tips for making mornings [mostly] stress-free.
What are my top 3 tips for taming the chaos?
1. Organization Station with Weekly Schedules
2. Grab-and-Go Breakfasts
3. Pack lunches and school bags the night before
Tip 1- Create a Family Organization Station
A simple calendar that lists activities, games, pick-up and drop-off schedules for the week helps keep everyone on track. I update it every Sunday with a daily list of who is going where and which driver is responsible for daily pick-ups and drop-offs. If you are interested in how to set it up take a look at my Back to School Preparation post from August.
Tip 2- Create Grab-and-Go Breakfasts
My youngest has basketball practice at 6:30 AM each weekday. Getting a 13-year old boy up that early is a challenge. What helps is having pre-made ready to go, healthy, and protein-filled breakfast options for him to heat up. He loves the Egg Bites I make in the Instant Pot. Add a piece of fruit and he has a healthy breakfast in under 1 minute; one that he can make himself! My daughter isn’t a big eater in the morning, and I was concerned that her choices were a granola bar and coffee for breakfast (if she ate at all). She likes convenience and carbs, so the solution–protein-packed breakfast muffins. Her favorite muffins are Morning Glory Muffins full of shredded carrots, walnuts, pumpkin, cranberries, apples and I add protein powder for an additional 10 grams of protein. These are low in sugar, and she gets 2 servings of fruits and vegetables. Usually, she eats on in the car on the way to Jazz Band in the morning, or as an after-school snack before weightlifting.
I admit that part of my Sunday is spent in the kitchen making these, but the time and headaches it saves during the week is well worth it!
Tip 3- Pack Everything the Night Before
Calendars and breakfast are great, but let’s be honest and acknowledge that the greatest amount of morning stress comes from when kids forget or cannot find items they need. If you only make one change to your routine it should be this–pack lunches, backpacks, and school bags the night before. This allows you to find missing items, get all completed homework in folders, and have luches in the fridge ready to be grabbed on the way out the door. Put these items in the same place every night so all the kids have to do is grab them on the way out.
Not Just for Kids
These tips are not just for kids. These are strategies that I use each day to help me get out of the house on time. Each evening before I go to bed, I pre-program my coffee pot, pack my lunch, and make sure all of my papers are in my school bag. Chaos Tamed.
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