It’s August once again, which means that the new school year is just around the corner! Are you among the many parents out there dreading the return of rushed and chaotic school mornings? Then this post is for you! We’ve compiled a list of several tried and true tips to help streamline your morning routine and remove the stress from the start of your day.
1. Prep the night before.
You can save many valuable minutes in the morning by planning ahead the evening before. The selection of school outfits, bathing, lunch packing and breakfast prep can all easily be done ahead of time and will give you a nice head start in the morning.
2. Stick to a standard bedtime.
Many hectic mornings are caused by children who have to be dragged out of bed kicking and screaming. By setting a reasonable, consistent bedtime and not allowing your kids to stay up too late, you will ensure that they are well-rested in the morning. This should at least help cut down on all the requests for “just five more minutes”!
3. Just say no to screens in the morning.
Kids who are in the habit of watching morning television or playing around on their tablets or phones can become extremely distracted and difficult to keep on track as they’re getting ready for school. Pulling their eyes away from the screens can prove to be a challenge and is likely to make you late. By enforcing a firm “no screens before school” rule, you’ll save time and gain a few more precious moments of quality time with your kids at the start of the day.
4. Expect the unexpected.
One thing every parent knows is that school mornings are rarely uneventful and they typically don’t go completely as planned. Whether it’s a forgotten homework assignment, misplaced shoes, a wardrobe malfunction or some other meltdown, children are experts at throwing curveballs into your morning. Luckily, you can easily thwart their efforts simply by planning ahead. A good rule of thumb is to figure out how long your “ideal routine” takes and then build in an extra fifteen or twenty minutes of time in the morning to deal with the inevitable roadblocks.
We hope these tips help lessen your morning frustration and save you a little time. If you’re looking to save even more time during the week, consider scheduling Mini Maid to come in and handle the housecleaning! You can get a free cost estimate by calling us at (352) 371-4141.
