making mornings manageable

I love mornings, I always have.  {Saturday and Sunday mornings are my favorite.}  It's a fresh start to a new day and I have control over how much time I want to spend enjoying it.  All I have to do is get up earlier and there won't be any rushing around.  BUT if you don't like getting up earlier {which seems to be getting tougher to do} then you have to plan ahead.  My husband laughs at me because I always stress about getting out the door on time.  His words were, "You are seriously getting worked up about this?  It's the only thing you have to get done today."  True, however, he has NEVER had to do the morning routine so he really can't judge.  Over the years I have listened to other moms on how they do it and I have recently started implementing these suggestions in my home.  *side note, I only have to get both kids to school one day a week and for whatever reason, this is tough.  Wyatt goes M,W,F and Alexis goes T,W,Th. {home schooled the other days} This does mean that 5 days a week I have to get dressed and leave the house before lunch time.

Here is what I do to make it easier:

1} Have the kids pick out their clothes the night before.

2} Make their lunches the night before.

3} Clean up the house at night.  Make sure the dishes are washed and everything is put away so when you get up in the morning you don't look at a big mess and start your day off frustrated.

4} Have the kids backpacks and school projects, signed papers, etc. ready to go and placed in a visible spot.

5} Give 2 {easy} choices for breakfast or eat left overs from dinner.  I know some people think that is gross but in our house it is a breakfast staple.

6} Sit down and eat with the kids.  Talk about the exciting things everyone will be doing for the day, pray, tell stories...

7}  While the kids are finishing eating {they take much longer than I do to scarf their food down} get up and clean the dishes.

8} Gather their lunches and backpacks, make last call for the bathroom and head out on time.

All really simple, easy things to do... you just have to plan ahead which is something I don't do often.  I prefer to fly by the seat of my pants but dread it in the morning when I am trying to multitask and keep the peace.

Leave a comment below to share how you make mornings a little more manageable.  I would love to hear your tips :)