The morning is a fundamental part of the day of a busy person, especially for a busy mother. As it is a milestone of your day, it may either set a seamless mechanism of everything you have to manage during the day or mess everything up before the very beginning. If you do not fit in the timing of everyone’s morning routine, it jeopardizes the day of each of you. For that reason, it is important to have an elaborate plan to get ready for work and school. The challenge of such a routine is quite serious, but with the right mindset and a solid plan, you can do 4 hours of a morning routine in only 2 of them.
The magic of the night before
Possibly, the most important rule of an easy morning is doing certain things ahead of time. You can prepare clean clothes and put it in its places. It also includes the preparation of the bags for your children and the next-day outfit of your husband (if he needs such assistance).
If it is possible to prepare lunch boxes, then do it the night before or at least minimize the actions required to put them together in the morning. The night-before preparation is also knowing exactly where you left everything you need in the morning, because there is little time to search for each item you may need.
Dress up first
This rule works pretty much the same way as the principle about oxygen masks on a plane in the case of an emergency. If you want to look put together and impressive during the whole day, the first thing you have to do is collect your own outfit and start helping others afterwards. In this case, you will know you only have to control that the family follows the procedure assigned to each of them (later about this).
The bad news is that you will have to wake up the first, because it is usually you who checks if everybody gets up on time.
Teamwork only
You never have to do everything by yourself during morning preparations. Each of the members of the family should have a task to take care of. It may be something small, yet important for everybody, such as setting the plates and flatware for breakfast or making sure everybody has a glass of juice. Your function in this team is not doing everything for the entire family, but distributing the morning responsibilities that are important for everybody.
Make it fun
Teamwork in the morning routine is extremely important, but the sole division of responsibilities is not enough to make it function easily and with no pressure. You should think about adding the element of a game to the morning routine of the entire family.
It can be a friendly competition in the small chores designated to each of the members. Another nice competition may be putting things in their right place, because it is a valuable factor in saving your time and keeping your house organized. A tiny competition, whatever it is about, will make morning preparations fun.
Breakfast for all
Even though your whole family may have different preferences in terms of food, you should find a healthy and nutritious compromise for all. It is difficult to cook a different course for every member of the family, so it will be a certain homework for you to figure what all the family will eat. If your children and husband have different ideas about the perfect breakfast, the family can take turns in deciding whose ideal breakfast it will be. The main point is sharing the same food because it saves you a massive amount of time.
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Everything is under control (even if it’s not)
Regardless of how much pressure morning preparation puts on you, the best way to save your time is allowing your family to take their time. Paradoxical as it is, there must not be a hurry in the air, because it will turn your morning in complete mayhem. Distractions and pressure will not help your family to get ready faster. They can only make them forget something they have to do or take, and their day may be ruined. So, just take a deep breath and do not make additional pressure.
Taking the maximum out of every minute
Do not separate the morning preparations for a long day from the quality time you have on the weekend or in the evening. As well as every minute counts in terms of getting ready for a long and productive day, it also works for the time you spend together. When the time is up, you all take different directions and mind your agenda. So, consider the morning as a time of bonding with your family, when you all help each other to have a great day. Magically, it will relieve a lot of stress the hurry may cause.
Consistency is the key
It goes without saying that a positive attitude is not enough to avoid the mess that a collective morning routine may bring. For that reason, everything must be organized and have its place in the house. Teach your children to put things back in their places, so there will not be a quest for the hairbrush or lunch box every morning. After all, it is you whom they ask where everything is. So, make sure you and your family are on the same page about the order in your house.
Your day and the day your family will depend on the way you prepare for it. Morning may be a stressful part because you have to do a thousand of things in a very short time. The main thing is that you need to develop your own morning scenario, so let these tips be of help to you.
Photo by Bino Le on Unsplash