After the the more relaxed mornings of summer, back-to-school can bring a whole new level of chaos to our family. Here’s what works to keep things a little less hectic for my family.
The Night Before
One surefire way to have a calmer morning is to do as much preparation the night before. I find there to be two components of this that are equally important for me.
First, is the mental preparation aspect. Check your calendar and touch base with your husband. Does anyone have a special appointment tomorrow? Is it a special day at school that requires a special outfit or taking something to school. What are you going to have for dinner? Think through the whole day and have a grasp of what it’s going to look like.
It’s also not a bad idea to sit down with your kids and/or spouse and talk through the order in which you’ll do things. Do you want them to get dressed before or after breakfast? Does hair get brushed before or after teeth? Who will feed the pets? Which parent will change and dress the baby? Have those things figured out before you’re in the moment and things are chaotic.
Now it’s time to take action. This is when you make the lunches, pull anything that needs to thaw for dinner out of the freezer, and pick your outfit for tomorrow. I’m very blessed that Keith cleans up the kitchen while I’m putting Leah to bed but if he didn’t, I would do this every night. I think it starts the day of much better if the first thing you see when you go to make your coffee in the morning, isn’t a big ol’ mess in the kitchen. I try to also make sure backpacks and daycare bags are all packed up and ready too. I say try because I could be better at this. Even though I swear I won’t every morning, I tend to leave stuffing diapers for the morning and I lose too much time doing it. It’s not a terribly long task but better suited for the night before.
Don’t forget to get your coffee ready to brew too!! A great choice is the new Starbucks Fall Blend.
Crafted with Sumatran beans to provide the warmth of fresh spice notes, coffees from Kenya to add citrusy brightness as well as beans from Peru that offer balance and a subtle nuttiness. A layered and full-bodied blend reminiscent of fall season, this medium roast creates a cup that’s hearty and refined. Look for Starbucks Fall Blend where you buy groceries.
Get Up Early
Sorry mamas!! This is going to hurt you to hear just as much as it hurts me to say. Getting up before the rest of the house is a great way to calm the morning. Even if it’s only 15 minutes so you can have your coffee while it’s still warm.
For me, I get 45 minutes – 1 hour before Brooke gets up. I can grab a shower & slap on some makeup, put together my pump parts and throw them in my bag, pack my lunch and get started on our breakfast. When she finally rolls out of bed, I’ve already checked tasks off my list and my head is in a good place.
Create a ritual
I resisted getting up much before Brooke for a long time. But when we hit a rough patch with lots of outbursts and tantrums, I came up with a game plan for more one on one time. Since nights are crazy and Leah’s in a stage that still requires almost constant supervision, mornings would have to be it. So now, every weekday morning and quite often on the weekend too, Brooke and I have breakfast together, just the two of us. We work together to get breakfast around, eat, talk, read through a devotional. I treasure and look forward to that part of my day every day. Even though it means getting up earlier than I would otherwise need to.
Rituals don’t have to be that involved and don’t have to be with a kiddo. It could be as simple as time spent doing hair, putting shoes on, driving to school with your kids or a cup of coffee or prayer time with your spouse. Look at your morning and try to find a place where you can be intentional about your time spent with the others in your house and make it special.
Mornings can be a crazy time but I believe it’s so worth it to put some time and effort into making small changes that can start your day off on a much calmer note.
Do you struggle with chaotic mornings and need help calming them down? Feel free to ask for help in the comments.
Do you have a great tip for keeping mornings running smoothly? Share those in the comments too!!
This post was sponsored by Starbucks via the Modern Mom Insider Program. While I was compensated for this post, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
