We had to be out the door in 10 minutes. One was in their pajamas, one was eating breakfast and the other was head first into a video game. Where had the morning gone? I began doing what I hate. Yelling. “What are you guys doing? We have to GO! “I grabbed one by the hand and nudged them to their room, I threw the food one was eating away and turned off the TV in the middle of the others game.

Tears ensued. Followed by a tantrum, more yelling and me ready to pull my hair out.

NOT my happiest morning.

The sad thing is the mornings used to be like this on a regular basis. Chances are mornings are often like this at your house as well.

Whether we are rushing to get out the door, or rushing to start school, we oftentimes spend our mornings. Rushing.

What if I told you there was a better way? What if I told you that you CAN have more peaceful mornings?

Believe me! You can 🙂

Plan Ahead

I knew the night before that we needed to be out the door at 8:30. What I didn’t do, was plan ahead. Clothes were not laid out, breakfast was not ready, and the kids had no clue when they got up at 7:30 that an hour later they had to be out the door.

I failed at planning. And because of this, our whole morning was hectic. So, now I tell the kids the night before what needs to be done the next morning. If we have to leave they know when we have to be out the door, and what they need to do before hand. Here are a few tips to help you plan ahead:

• Pack snacks and drinks the night before or morning of if you have a long day planned.
• Have necessary items by the door waiting to go on your way out.
• Give yourself a 15-30 minute grace period. This allows time for the unexpected occurrences.
• Tell the kids the night before what time you need to be out the door. This puts the responsibility on their shoulders to get up and get moving.
• For younger kids lay out clothes, pack the diaper bag, etc the night before.

Have an Established Routine

What do your mornings look like? Do your kids have chores, eat breakfast the same time, and have an established routine? Or does everyone wake up when they want, eat when they want and lounge around until someone tells them they need to get moving?

One of these scenarios is going to be more chaotic than the other 🙂 the key to a peaceful morning is often times having an established routine. Everyone’s morning will look different, but for us, the kids are allowed lounge time until 8 (we have always been early risers here). From 8-8:30 they can start chores or eat breakfast, and then from 8:30 to 9 they do the opposite. At 9:00 we start school. This is our routine. It only gets shook up if we have a place we have to be. In which case the Plan Ahead scenario comes in 🙂

This routine has saved our mornings. I no longer yell at the kids to get moving. I no longer push them to start school or nag them to hurry up and eat. Our routine is established and with it, peace (and my sanity) was restored in our home.

Just Move On

So, you planned ahead, and you have a routine established. BUT mornings are still hectic, kids are still in jammies when it’s time to leave, and school is NOT happening. What do you do? Just MOVE ON!

I have taken my kids to the store in their pajamas. Yep, it has happened, and you know what? It never happened again. That child learned a lesson and they no longer have to be prodded out the door.

School has happened instead of a 4H meeting. Books have been packed and completed during a play date. Why? Because a child didn’t want to get moving when it was time to do school. The next week our mornings were more peaceful and school hasn’t been packed to the park for some time now.

Every action needs to have a consequence and once a child is a certain age, we as parents, just need to MOVE on… This allows us to have a more peaceful morning and teaches our children that we are serious and that there are consequences for their actions.

Moms, we are responsible for the tone in our homes. If you want more peaceful mornings then plan ahead, establish a routine and move on when things don’t go as you want them to. I have found that nagging, and yelling, and rushing leads to chaos, not peace. And I don’t need more chaos 😉