Tips to Make the Morning Routine Easier with Kids

Planning ahead is key to helping mornings go more smoothly with kids. Here are some tips that have made the routine easier for my household.

Tips to make the morning rush easier for parents

Follow a routine

Make every morning as predictable and routine as you can. Follow the same schedule. It can look something like this: Wake up, dress, wash face, eat breakfast, grab a backpack, leave for school.

Layout clothes the night before

To jump-start the morning routine, plan ahead the night before. Before bedtime have your kids lay their clothes out on the floor, crime scene style, to make it fun and easy.

Once selected, there's no arguing in the morning. They wake up, they put on their clothes, easy. No outfit changes allowed.

Make-ahead breakfasts

If you can have grab-and-go breakfasts available and ready, this will be a huge help to get out the door.

I alternate between the following:

• No-Bake Protein Energy Balls - My boys love helping themselves to these before and after school. In fact, I'm due to make more. 

My protein ball helper

• Slow Cooker Overnight Oatmeal
• Overnight Oats 
• Healthy Granola Bars

Set Alarms

My friend Alex, a mom to a boy and girl says, "I set multiple alarms that go off throughout the morning signaling what we should be doing in order to ensure we're out the door on time because sometimes I'm just as distracted as the kids."

Tag Team 

If you have a partner at home, splitting the getting out the door duties is key - one can be in charge of waking kids up and starting the getting dressed process. The other can start on breakfast cereal and making sure they're at the table.

Reward your child

This is a simple way to help your child get the most out of a smoother morning. For example, if your child gets ready for school and still has time to spare before it’s time to leave, let them choose the snack that goes into their backpacks or let them use a tablet on the car ride.

My friend in Los Angeles with two little girls says, "We have told the girls that if they get up, get themselves dressed, brush teeth, brush hair, and put on their socks and shoes, they can watch 10 minutes of TV while they eat breakfast. They know the checklist and keep each other accountable. If they lag, they know they will run out of time and have to eat breakfast in the car and miss TV time."

Final Thoughts

Basically, prep food, outfits, and other items (your child’s and yours) the night before.