How a Morning Routine Can Lower Stress for You and Your Kids

Mornings can be tough. Dawdling children are not the only problem. Deciding what to wear, discovering a shirt isn’t ironed or searching for keys can also get us off to a bad start.
Here are a few tips to streamline the morning routine. You might want to practice before school is back in session. There is a hidden benefit. In an article in my local paper, the Star Tribune, Amy Susman-Stillman from the University of Minnesota’s Center for Early Education and Development stated that,

“Kids don’t have a sense of urgency. They are struggling with concepts of time. Time is a very abstract concept for kids.”

For children, this is a developmental thing! Establishing routines will help make your mornings more mellow while giving your kids some structure.
** Pack lunches the night before.
** Lay backpacks and briefcases by the back door.
** Fill out forms or sign permission slips in the evening, not as the kids are flying out the door.
** Create a “Go Box.” Place things you need to take with you in that container. Things like your cell phone, library books to return or a package on the way to the post office are a few possibilities.
** Establish a place for keys and use it every time.
** Lay your clothes out the night before.
** Put the cereal bowls and boxes of cereal on the table before you go to bed. That will give you a little jumpstart and everyone can serve themselves.
** Get yourself ready first. Then you’ll have more time to help the kids.
** Allow enough time. If I get my kids up one hour before we leave, there’s plenty of time for dressing, breakfast and even a little extra time to review for the spelling test. If we try to get by with less time, we run into problems.