8 Things Clever Parents Do for Chill Mornings
Successful mornings with kids don't just happen overnight. Follow these smart parenting tips to stop the chaos and get out the door faster.
School is just around the corner (and already in full swing for some!), and with a new season comes a new schedule. You could either walk into the new school season blindly and hope everything works out, or you could follow these fail-proof tips to guarantee each morning is a success. The choice is yours!
Encourage Independence
The best way to set your child up for success in the morning and allow you to have your own successful morning is to allow and enable your child to be independent. Make a list of easy-to-do tasks and hang it on the fridge door so they can mark tasks off as they complete them.
Sarah Busby
Meal-Prep Breakfasts
Most pre-packaged breakfast foods are a nightmare for you and your child’s health. They may taste amazing (okay, they DO taste amazing), but they can be seriously lacking in the proper nutrition you need to start your day. Meal-prepping a smarter breakfast option can be a game changer for busy mornings, and it means a nice, tasty breakfast is ready for you every single day!
Sarah Busby
12 Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfasts for Busy Mornings 12 Photos
End the morning frenzies with these tasty, nutritious, make-ahead breakfast recipes created by registered dietitians.
Create Lunch-Packing Stations
Whether you are a morning lunch packer or a night before kind of person, you could benefit from this tip. Designating a drawer in your pantry and fridge for ready-to-grab lunch options will make lunch packing easy, fun and efficient!
Sarah Busby
Prep Outfits on Weekends
Choosing an outfit each morning is a huge time waster. Let’s face it: No one is on top of their decision-making game that early and should be forced to put that kind of thought into anything. Prepping outfits for each day of the week on the weekend will help save a ton of time and energy that could be put elsewhere.
Jalynn Baker
Keep Homework Organized
To help your little one avoid the “my dog ate my homework” talk with their teacher, it starts at home. An organized work station for homework can save a lot of time and help you put your energy into remembering how basic math works. We suggest a mobile cart so you can wheel it to the table while working and back to the door for easy morning pickup.
Jalynn Baker
Small Space Solution: School Supply Storage Cart 6 Photos
If your kids don’t have a dedicated area for studying or a place to stash all their art and school supplies, then a rolling storage cart may be the answer.
Make Coffee on a Timer
For years, coffee makers have had built-in timer features, and we’re here to say not enough people are utilizing them. Seriously, you could be waking up to the fresh, exciting aroma of a fresh pot of coffee, and you’re still not choosing to? This one speaks for itself.
Jalynn Baker
Get Up and Get Ready Before Kids
This tip may seem like a hard one, especially if you’re not a naturally early riser, but hear us out. Even getting up 30 minutes before your kids will allow you to get so much more done so that you can focus your attention on setting them up for success once they get out of bed.
Jalynn Baker
Limit Morning Screen Time
With so many screens saturating your child’s day, let the morning be a break and a time to focus. Use other forms of media such as music to grab their attention but leave them open to focusing on the tasks at hand and putting their minds in a good place for the day to come.
Jalynn Baker
30 Habits of People With Really Clean Houses 31 Photos
Ever walk into a friend’s home and immediately noticed how clean it is? To get answers, we surveyed people with the cleanest-of-clean homes and asked them for tips.