Thursday, September 03, 2009

9 Quick Tips for Reducing the Morning Stress! .....September Newsletter Article

Think for a moment how your family starts off the day. How would you describe the mornings in your household? Do they tend to be calm and peaceful or rushed and stressful -or, somewhere in the middle? I found that planning ahead really helps to curb the morning madness. Here are nine quick ideas to help make your mornings less of production for you and your family.

Tip #1: Get up 15-30 minutes before the kids. Give yourself time to get up and ready to go before the children need to be up. I find that when I do this I am more relaxed and able to focus on helping my children. The day is more likely to start off with conversation rather than prodding and nagging. I also feel better about myself. When I feel good about myself, it has such a positive impact on my day!

Tip #2: Make sure the kids have adequate time to get ready for school without being rushed. Note how much time it takes them to complete all their necessary morning tasks and chores. Ideally, I like to have a 15 minute cushion of downtime before they walk out the door.

Tip #3: Have the kids empty their backpacks after school, not the next morning, to avoid any last minute surprises. Designate a drop-off spot for school papers, notes or permission slips that you need to see.

The Night Before
Tip #4:
Have your children layout their clothes they want to wear the next day. Make this simple step a part of their bedtime routine.

Tip #5: Make sure the backpacks and school supplies are ready to go near the door. Maybe even the shoes and jackets, too. During the winter month, I get all the snow gear out and ready to go.

Tip #6: What about the lunches? Can they be made ahead of time? Does money need to go to school to pay for hot lunch?

Tip #7: Determine the breakfast menu and set the bowls and cereal out after dinner.

Tip #8: Develop a bedtime routine that works for your family and stick to it the best you can. A rested child is able to focus and learn better than a tired one. Tip #9: Double check your calendar, including the car pool schedule. What tasks do you want to accomplish the next day?

7 comments:

Helene said...

I always feel great when I come here and read one of your posts and it's something I'm already doing...makes me realize I'm doing something right!! Fortunately, I've got the morning routine down pat. Now the bedtime routine...well, can I just duct tape them to the bed??

Heather at My Coupon Coop said...

Wonderful tips. Thanks so much. The less you can leave until morning the better.

Creative Junkie said...

I do several of those things already! **patting myself on the back **

Together We Save said...

Great tips. I like being organized in the morning it gets your day off to such a good start.

Anonymous said...

great tips! thanks! :)

Moore Minutes said...

Wow. This is just what I needed! I just asked for help on this area with my "back to school" blog post. :) And THIS is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much for the advice!!

ConnieFoggles said...

I can finally say that my mornings are calm because of having a routine like this. What a great way to start off the day!

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