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How To Manage Morning Madness |
Organise, organise, organise - Preparation, organisation and routine are a necessity! Have an area where you will leave your keys, bag/briefcase etc ready for the next day to ensure you're not rushing around in the morning trying to find cell phones, keys etc. The same thing applies for your children, have an area where they can leave their school bags when they have finished their homework, so that bags are ready for the morning.
Start your morning the night before - After dinner spend some time setting out the following day’s breakfast items - coffee mugs, plates, cereal bowls, vitamin tablets etc. In consultation with your children, decide what they will have for breakfast and lunch. This way you can ensure you have all the ingredients instead of frantically rushing around for alternatives in the morning. Get out the lunch boxes and pack as much of the lunch as you're reasonably able to - the dried fruit, the spoon for the yoghurt, nuts etc. Fill up bottles with water or juice and refrigerate, ready to grab in the morning. If your children are old enough, delegate and let them assist with this.
In the evening, also set out all clothes for school and, if possible for yourself for work as well. Make sure children have their PE kits, after-care clothes etc and also that homework books are signed, bags are packed and ready in their place.
Check schedules the night before - Review the schedule for the next day so there are no nasty surprises in the morning. Use a white board on which you can write down important events and appointments so that you don't forget them. Use different color marking pens for each member of the family. For older children make it their responsibility to update their section of the board on a daily basis.
Start the morning well - Set your alarm to give you a reasonable amount of time to get ready in the morning or you will only have yourself to blame for the rush. It's also a good idea for parents to get up first and allow for varying wake-up times to meet each family member's personality. Some children need more time waking up than others. However, if your child does battle to wake up and get going in the morning, then it's definitely time to review how late they go to bed.
Everyone can help - Let children make their own beds, but don't expect perfection if they're very young. Everyone should learn to clean up after themselves, rinse plates, push in chairs, tidy the bathroom when they're finished etc.
Do not allow the television to be turned on in the morning or you’ll spend most of your time nagging children to get ready. Have regular announcements of how many minutes to go until it's time to leave. This is helpful for young children who easily lose track of time.
Simplifying your morning means trial and error to see what works for your family.
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