Getting out of the door in the mornings on time can be nearly impossible when you have kids. Many parents find that it’s easier to do so if they make a few adjustments to their morning routine. If you are struggling to get yourself and your kids out of the door on time, there are some things that you can do to make it possible even on those difficult mornings.
Lay Out Clothes the Night Before
Parents often struggle with getting their children dressed each morning. They may have a difficult time finding something that’s clean or getting their kids to cooperate with putting on their clothes in a timely manner. You may be able to keep this from happening by laying out your children’s clothes the night before. Have your kids help you pick out their outfits so that they may be more willing to actually wear what you picked out when it’s time to get dressed.
Place Backpacks by the Door
It’s not uncommon for children to struggle with finding everything they need to take to school each morning, and this can cause you all to be late for work and school. You can keep this from happening by having your kids their backpacks by the door when they are finished with their homework each night.
Use K-Cup Pods for Your Morning Coffee
If you are like many parents, you need to have at least one cup of coffee before you feel like you can function properly in the morning. Unfortunately, you probably don’t have a lot of time to measure coffee grounds to put in your coffee pot and let them steep, but K-Cup pods can help. All you have to do is put them into the coffee chamber of your coffee maker in order to brew the perfect cup of coffee in just a couple minutes. You can find Starbucks K-Cup pods and other brands of the pods so that you always have your favorite ready to go fast.
Make a Morning Playlist
It’s easy for both kids and adults to lose track of time in the mornings and end up making themselves—and the rest of the family—late because of it. However, simply having a clock may not get the message across, especially for younger kids who struggle to read clocks. Instead, make a morning playlist. If you start it at the same time every morning, your kids will be able to tell what part of their routine they should be at based on which song is playing. You can let the whole family add some of their favorite songs to help everyone enjoy the playlist more. To keep it from getting too repetitive, revise it every few months.
A similar cue for kids and adults alike would be changing the lights. If you have smart lights or lights that you can put on a timer, have them turn on, flash, or change color at certain times each morning. For example, when the lights in their room turn blue, they’ll know it’s time to go eat breakfast.
Have Easy Breakfasts on Hand
While you may want to cook breakfast from scratch each morning for your children, it probably isn’t very realistic with everything else you have going on. This is why you need to have easy breakfasts on hand. Things like microwavable pancakes, breakfast bars, oatmeal, and fruit will provide your children with the nutrition that they need even though these items are quick to prepare.
If you are struggling to get yourself and your kids out of the door on time on those difficult mornings, there are some things that you can do to make it easier. The most important thing is that you prepare ahead of time as much as possible so that you will be able to handle any unexpected hurdles that you may face.
Bio: Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University, and now writes articles about health, business, family and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. You can follow her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.
