.jpg)
Mornings can be a tricky time for many families. Even though I only work out of the home one day a week, the other days are still wild trying to get two ready for school and preparing the other three for the day. Along with the transitional tips of giving warnings and having visual reminders (like a calender on the fridge) here are some practical ideas to get all of the kids out of the house while remaining somewhat calm.
Five tips for easier mornings with the kids:
2. Lay out clothes the night before. I check the weather app and lay out the three youngest kids' clothes on the main floor and the bigger boys clothes in their bedroom. Nya does add the most input as she cares about what she wears.
3. Prepare lunches the night before. I cannot imagine the stress of trying to do breakfast, getting dressed AND making lunches at the same time. I make them all (or have the big boys do their own) and have them in the fridge ready to go for the morning. This means I also have easy to pack snacks for them such as muffins, yogurt, and granola bars.
4. Lay out toothbrushes with toothpaste for the younger kids. I prepare them twice a day so that I can just say "Go upstairs and brush your teeth" and I don't end up with toothpaste all over my counter and kids fighting over it.
5. Make sure the lockers are organized! Each child has a section with their shoes, coats, hat and backpack. This means that we always know where everything is and avoid last minute stress. School forms are filled out and placed back in their backpacks.
Mornings are pretty hectic around here but these tips definitely help. What else would you add?
Love,
Louise
PS You can always pin for later!
I always have the kids do lunch the night before. I can't imagine! In our house, I make sure I am dressed and on my way to being caffeinated before 7 a.m., as that's when my kids need to be out of bed. I also have "targets" on the clock for my older two (Kindergarten and Grade 2). Breakfast needs to be done at a certain number on the clock, dressed and brush teeth needs to be done by another number, chores need to be done by 8:00 and they need to be gathering their lunches and putting on shoes, etc. so that we are pulling out the driveway at 8:10.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, being dressed and caffeinated before 7 a.m. is key for me too! I like the idea of targets on the clock--smart mama.
Delete