A Morning Routine that Works with Kids

Since I was a young child, I always found comfort in routines. A good routine eases my mind and helps me feel less overwhelmed. As a mom, they help keep my household running more smoothly and with less stress. A less stressed mom makes for a happier household. Before we found a morning routine that worked for us, our mornings were hectic.

So I decided to share my routines for common times that tend to be chaotic and hectic without a consistent routine. I am sharing tips and tricks for smooth morning routines before school, then after school routines, and finally the important bedtime routine.

Our Morning Routine Starts with Me

Our morning routine has to work around the fact that we have one bathroom in our house. One bathroom in our house means if I don’t get up before my husband has to get ready for work, I don’t get a shower for the day. Showering in a quiet house gives me some nice alone time to start the day, so I don’t usually mind.

On the best days, I am showered and all ready to go before my kids wake up. It doesn’t always happen that way, but I try. Some mornings I am walking around with a towel on my head. I confess some days I have my kids clothing laid out the night before. The mornings usually go smoother when I do this. But honestly, most days I lay the clothes out right after my kids wake up. The kids typically dress themselves.

Get Ready First

The rule in our house is no electronics until you are completely ready to go, from shoes on to hair combed. This is enough motivation for my son to wake himself up, get dressed, and sometimes get his own breakfast. He has been doing this since he was 7 years old. He went from not wanting to get out of bed to getting himself around. It works for us, but might not work for everyone. Our children also must get permission to play on electronics, and all electronics are played in the living room only.

Breakfast and Lunches

Usually, I am in the kitchen by the time my kids are dressed and have used the bathroom. They only eat breakfast after they have dressed and went to the bathroom. I typically pack lunches and drink my tea while my kids eat breakfast. Again, lunches might be simpler if I packed them at night, but our routine has been working with packing lunches in the morning. (I am not going to guilt myself over it if it is working for me.) Once lunches are packed, I set them in front of the door for the kids to put in backpacks.

At ages 6 and 9 years old, I still prompt my kids from time to time. Did you use the bathroom? Put your shoes on first. Let’s go brush your hair.

Set an Alarm

One of the best things for getting us out the door on time is setting an alarm on my phone ten minutes before we leave. This gives the kids one more minute to save the game they were playing, to put lunches in backpacks, to get coats on, and to buckle up. Yes. On good days, it doesn’t take ten minutes, but on slow days, it helps get us out the door on time without all the chaos.

That’s our morning routine, and it works fairly well for us. What are your tips and tricks for a smooth flowing morning routine? Or what might help your morning go more smoothly? Tell me in the comments below.