I consider myself a morning person... by morning person I mean I enjoy mornings... peaceful, slow, quiet mornings. But Now I have 2 kids and have to be at school by 8:00 every day. My mornings have turned in to a dreaded time of yelling, running, and chaos! Surely I'm not the only person with this struggle? Anyone?? I've struggled with this since my daughter started kindergarten last year. I hadn't had to get up and be somewhere at a particular time in years. So I've put together a list of things that I've learned since starting school that have really helped me to get out of my house with my sanity, my kids, and fully dressed... well most days lol.
5 Tips to a Successful Morning
- Wake up earlier than your kids! I know that seems counter productive. An extra 20-30 minutes of sleep sounds fantastic. But hear me out. I wake up 30 minutes before I wake up the kids. I have my coffee, I read my Bible, I check email/social media, and I just sit and enjoy the quietness. I have found that these few moments of solitude help me to fully wake up and embrace my day.
- Prepare the night before! I always try to set out clothes for everyone the night before. It seems like a simple task, but with an opinionated 6 year old it is much easier to discuss the length of shorts or appropriateness of a shirt when time is not an issue. We make outfit choices at night, together, and then have less drama in the morning.
- Have a lunch plan! I also try to set out lunch boxes, and non-refrigerated items the evening before school as well. This really just helps me to not forget to send my daughter to school with no food! I place snacks, dessert, chips... etc in the lunchbox at night so all I need to add in the morning are the essentials in the fridge.
- Turn off the TV! Ok so this one has taken some time to figure out. I thought I was doing myself a favor by giving the kids something to do in the few minutes before going to school. I thought they'd enjoy waking up to a quick TV show... that was not the case... they loved it! so much so, that nothing got done! I'd come in to add finishing touches to outfits or to tie shoes and they'd still be in their PJs. Once I realized the TV was a time waster, I turned it off.. and turns out the kids could actually sleep an extra 10-15 minutes when they weren't fascinated by animated characters on the screen.
- Be calm and Smile! I know, I know... I've lost my marbles! but no, really, when I've done everything I can to make our day start off right, and it still seems to be spiraling out of control at only 7:30 am... I stop, take a breath, and remember, I love these little people that God has entrusted me with. They can't help it that they are small and not as efficient as me. so I stop, smile, thank them for their efforts. When I make that small effort, I find that the kids attitudes change, my attitude changes, and we are all a little calmer. They are more likely to be compliant and they have a desire to help us get out the door once I stop being so stressed and remember... it's just one morning!
These are just a few of the helpful tips I've learned on this wild journey of motherhood! It gets us out the door with no tears (most days) and gets us where we need to be on time! I hope these tips can help make your mornings a little smoother too.
Sincerely,
A Wild Olive Branch 🙃
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