Five tips to help your morning be more organized and less chaotic

For many children, it is that time again when kids are heading back to school, whether that means physically or distance learning. This means routines, structure, and busy mornings are back in swing. I don’t know about you, but the mornings in our household with multiple kids can feel like an absolute zoo if we aren’t organized!

So what’s the secret behind a structured and less chaotic morning?

Following these five tips, which are sure to help you make it out the door on time!

1. Make a morning plan.

Rather than winging it, try creating a realistic morning plan that you follow every day so that the entire household knows what to expect. The power of having a routine is establishing predictability and habit, and if you devise a plan that you follow day-by-day, you are much more likely to feel organized and less rushed.

Your morning plan should include what responsibilities everyone has, such as brushing teeth, getting dressed, and packing lunch. It could also include a list of items needed before leaving the house (backpack, lunch, homework), or any other tasks to be completed within a specific time-frame. 

2. Assign a time to each task.

Once you establish a plan, the next step is figuring out how to execute that plan on time. One of the ways you can do this is by making sure you assign each task a time period. This can be fun for kids if you use a timer to help them stay on track, and remind them that once it goes off, that task needs to be completed and it's time to move on to the next.

Make sure you also know how much time you realistically need each morning so that everyone is awake and moving by that time.

3. Check the boxes.

There is something really powerful about checking items off your list, and many of us are able to complete tasks more efficiently if we have visuals (especially kids!).

Use a white board, paper on the fridge, pom-poms, or anything that helps give your kids a sense of ownership when they complete a task that they are responsible for.

4. Always eat breakfast.

It might be tempting to run out the door with breakfast in hand, but this is possibly the most important step in your morning routine. Planning a nutritious breakfast that isn't rushed makes a huge difference for everyone, so, if needed, assign this step the most time - and preferably at the start of the morning routine.

Many kids have a hard time listening on an empty stomach, and their moods can be highly affected when they haven't eaten enough. We don't want to send them off to school with half a breakfast due to lack of time.

5. Prioritize sleep.

This should probably be #1 for a few reasons...

• Trying to get everyone out the door when they are tired is a near impossible task. We all need adequate sleep to be able to move at a productive pace in the morning.

• By going to bed at a reasonable time the night before, you are much more likely to be up at the time needed in the morning to complete your entire routine. We all know what it feels like to accidentally sleep in and try to rush out the door. Steps get missed and we feel stressed!

• We are all less patient without adequate sleep, so as a parent, trying to lead the charge in the morning is going to feel much harder if you're exhausted. Make sure you're giving yourself a bedtime, too!

If you take the time to get these five things in line, your mornings should become much more stress-free! 

Related:

Here’s why consistent bedtimes are more important than you think

Five ways to overcome the bedtime battle

How to transition your kids back to a healthy sleep schedule before school starts

This is how early your child should be going to bed