Hey Mom! Top 10 ways to take back your morning...

Before I begin, I must say that my heart is with the people of Pune India today. A bakery was bombed over the weekend and 2 of my husband's co-workers were killed. We have a picture of my husband standing in the former doorway of the bakery just a few months ago. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families involved in the terrorist attack.

Are your mornings more about survival than watching the sun come up? Is it all you can do to get your kids fed, dressed and out the door on time? Here are some tips to make your mornings go a little smoother.

Take back your mornings!

1. Hang a rack on the inside of your coat closet, pantry or laundry room door. Hang the kid's coats and school bags on the rack so you know where everything is in the morning. If your kids are little, keeping this rack up high is a good idea. When it's in reach of little hands, coats tend to disappear.
2. Lay out kid's clothes the night before. How many mornings have you spent battling with your 3-year-0ld that wants to wear a sundress when it's 30 degrees outside? Take a few minutes before bed every night and lay out an outfit the two of you can agree on.
3. If you live in a 2-story home, bring the essentials downstairs. As the parent, make it a rule that you personally will be dressed from head to shoes before coming downstairs. Be sure to bring their outfits downstairs with you. It's a good idea to have toothbrushes upstairs and downstairs for the kiddos. I also keep a kit with rubber bands, a hair brush, water bottle and hairspray so I can tackle my daughter's hair... when she lets me.
4. Give each child a clock-radio. Purchase alarm clocks that have a battery backup in case your kids like to unplug them like mine do! Most children wake up better if they do it on their own terms. Set the alarm on radio mode and have it go off a few minutes before you really need the kids to get out of bed. This will wake them up slowly so you're less likely to have a cranky kid that refuses to get out of bed in the morning. As a special note, make sure the clock is set correctly every night and NOT on the weekends!
5. Set deadlines. Time how long it takes to get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, get in the car, etc. Keep this in mind as your morning progresses. Here's an example. I know that it takes my kids about 20-30 minutes to come downstairs and eat their breakfast. I set their alarms for 6:45 and give them 15 minutes or so to adjust to the day. They must be downstairs by 7. By 7:30, breakfast is done and the dishes are in the sink. At 7:20, they get a 10 minute warning, then a 5 minute warning at 7:25. Whatever isn't eaten by 7:30 goes in the sink. I allow a generous 15 minutes for the kids to get dressed. By 7:45, both kids have had their teeth brushed. By 8:00, we're relaxing for 10 minutes. I use this time to review their calendars and make sure their bags are packed. By 8:10, we're in the car and off to school. By setting these deadlines, your morning doesn't get out of control. I hate timers because they create anxiety but it might be helpful to use and egg timer or two the first week of establishing your routine.
6. Get the kids dressed after breakfast and after brushing their teeth. There's nothing worse than being all dressed up only to drop yogurt or smear toothpaste all over your shirt.
7. Do as much as you can the night before. Make lunches, pack bags, lay out clothes, clean your sink and run your dishwasher. Unload your dishwasher as the kids eat breakfast so you have a nice, empty dishwasher for the day.
8. Do you have extracurricular activities? Have a bag ready to go for each activity. Hang another rack on a different door than your coat and bookbag rack. We have a bag for ballet, one for gymnastics and another for t-ball. If feasible, have two outfits for each activity. This way, when you return from an activity, you can throw the dirty uniform/ outfit in the wash and put the fresh and clean outfit directly back in the bag. No more wasted time spent searching for that hat or t-shirt. A shoe rack somewhere in the garage can help keep sports related shoes together.
9. Don't get sucked into electronics! Use your caller ID. If the phone rings, only answer absolutely essential calls. Resist the urge to check your email or jump online.
10. Set up a reward chart. If your kids are not morning people, the previous 9 tips might be easier said than done. By setting small goals for your children, they will be more motivated to cooperate with the morning routine. I've seen some mom's use this chart as a way to earn video game time, an extra story at bedtime or a trip to the dollar store at the end of the week. Remember to keep the goals age appropriate and give them lots of opportunities to accomplish their goals. Do your best not to reward with food.