Morning is the most hectic time of the day for most families. There's always a rush to get
everyone out the door on time with the things that they need to start the day. This provides and
especially big challenge to families with children in school. Once they leave for the day there
normally isn't a way for them to rush back for anything that's forgotten so everything needs to
be handled in the morning before they leave. There are a few things that can be done to make the
morning go smoother with much less stress.
Start by getting clothes together the night before. Instead of waiting until the morning to pick out
the outfit for the day go into the closet the night before and pick out clothes for the next day.
Sitting them on top of the dresser or night stand leave them easily accessible for dressing the
next morning. They can also be hung from a door knob if it's an outfit that wrinkles easily.
Speaking of wrinkles while your picking out clothing in the evening iron anything that needs to
be ironed so that it's completely ready for the next day. Along with the outfits come shoes. Pick
out the shoes that match the outfit and sit them next to the door you leave by so that they only
have to be slipped on in the morning on the way out of the house. The last thing with outfits is
any accessories that are to be worn with the clothing. Sit these next to or near the outfit so that
they are easy to grab while getting ready.
Next is homework or any other supplies needed for the day. The night before when homework is
finished look it over and place into a folder specifically designated for returning this work to
school. This keeps it all in one place ready to and makes sure that assignments are done on time
and returned to school. Place the folder in your child's book bag so that it's all ready to go and
there's no looking for it. Ask your child about any special items that they may need for the day
and how well they are stocked up on basic items already at school. If there's anything that they
need to bring place this in the bag with the folder of homework so that it's all ready to go.
Now you can prepare for the next morning's breakfast. Breakfast is one of the most important
times of the day and while it's tempting to skip it in the interest of saving time it's important not
to as it builds a good foundation to start the day with. You can get things ready the night before
though so that breakfast becomes quicker in the morning. For instance if you have cereal for
breakfast in the morning pull out the bowls, spoons, and cereal and sit them on the table so that
they are ready to be used. That way you save time by being ready to eat and only having to pull
out the milk. Quick meals like frozen waffles are also a time saver as they only require just a few
minutes in a microwave or toaster and can be eaten quickly before heading out the door.
If your child takes a lunch to school why not prepare this the night before also? It's much better
to take the time in the evening when you aren't feeling rushed to prepare it and the sit it in the
refrigerator already in it's bag so that all your child has to do in the morning is grab it and head
out the door.
Using all of these tips or even just using some of them will help not only save time in the
morning but will also result in less morning stress. It's much easier to get going for the day when
everything is all laid out and we're not having to rush and find things.