Wednesday, February 04, 2009

The Morning Rush: 9 Tips to Reduce the Stress

I originally wrote this post in the fall for my Back to School Series. Now that we are in the middle of winter, it seems the morning madness is creeping back at our house. I am reminded to go back to those routines that work for me. For more Works-for-Me-Wednesday Ideas, stop by Rocks in my Dryer.

How does your family start their day off? How would you describe your mornings? Do they tend to be calm and peaceful or rushed and stressful? If you said the latter, here are some tips that might help make the mornings less of production for you and your family.


  1. Have your children layout their clothes the night before.

  2. Make sure the backpacks and school supplies are ready to go near the door.

  3. Determine the breakfast menu and set the bowls and cereal out after dinner.

  4. Give yourself time to get up and ready before the children need to be up.

  5. Make sure the kids have adequate time to get ready for school without being rushed.

  6. Develop a bedtime routine that works for your family and stick to it.

  7. Empty the backpacks after school, not in the morning to avoid any last minute surprises.

  8. Double check your calendar, including the car pool schedule, the night before.

  9. Help your children to learn how to manage their own schedule. An important goal for me as a parent is to help my children become independent and responsible. I believe consistent routines help with this.

Once you feel your child is able (about age 5-7), create a check-list of tasks they must complete in the morning in order to walk out the door and be off to school on time. As parent, be there to help, teach, and support. Remember, perfectionism is NOT the goal.

9 comments:

Totallyscrappy said...

So,you've heard my frantic screams in the morning? Sigh. We're really working on number 9.

Holly said...

Great tips! I think doing stuff the night before is a biggie!

Helene said...

You read my blog post today right?? I should've come here and read your post this morning before doing anything!!! Maybe my morning would have gone better!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for the tips... Morning time in my house is ALWAYS crazy... I'll definitely be trying out your tips!

Arlice Nichole said...

These tips are helpful. Thank-you Paula. :)

Creative Junkie said...

Choosing the outfit the night before has really been a Godsend for us. I did it with my eldest and now my youngest and honestly, it saves so much stress and time in the mornings.

Anonymous said...

I do all of the above except for getting the breakfast ready the night before. My dd never knows what she wants until the morning. But being organized has made our mornings so much smoother.

Mary H. said...

Great tips. I really need to work harder at making lunches the night before, and giving the kids a little longer to wake up in the morning.

Unknown said...

As usual, great tips! I used to do many of these but then got lazy so it's time to gt my butt back in gear ESPECIALLY since I'm so eager to get back into the work place.

Farrah from Wife and Mom of 3
http://wifeandmomof3.net

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