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How to Ease Your Morning Routine
Filed under: Mealtime, Bedtime
Plan ahead to ease morning madness. Credit: Getty Images
Rest assured. You can put the good back in your morning. To help you get your family out the door fed, clothed and still speaking to one another, here are some tips to streamline your morning routine.
The night before: Perhaps the most crucial part of a successful morning send-off is planning ahead. Essentials: Figure out the breakfast menu and set the table; pack lunches; put completed homework and signed forms into backpacks and place by the door; choose outfits for the next day. Depending on the age of your kids, you can assign some of these tasks to them.
Breakfast time: Since you did the bulk of the heavy lifting the night before, your morning should be more about managing behavior than scrambling to prepare. Quick and easy breakfast options include frozen waffles, yogurt containers, cheese sticks or slices and finger fruits like grapes and bananas. Hot cereal topped with fruit is another tasty, healthy option.
Getting dressed: Some parents may want their children to suit up before breakfast. Either way, this is one of those areas where you pick your battles. Top and bottom clash? That's cool. Your kid insists on mismatched socks? Let him. If your biggest goal is to get them out the door, this is where you let your kids' choices reign.
Out the door: It's the getting out of the house part that flummoxes most parents. First, set all your clocks five minutes ahead. This gives you some breathing time that Junior doesn't know exists. He doesn't want to wear a coat? Rather than deal with his tantrum, just hand him the coat and tell him to carry it.
Do as you say: Since kids inevitably do as you do and not as you say, here's a perfect opportunity to set a good example. Do all the things for yourself that you're doing for (or with) your children the night before: Select your outfit, get your gear ready and placed by the front door, prep the coffee maker, etc. The little ones will want to mimic your actions.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
2-01-2011 @ 9:58AM
Darryl Ehlers said...I have to laugh, My wife put some of our kids on the bus with their pajamas on. If they can not be ready they go as they are. It does take long to get the message across. You can imagen how the kid is ribbed Thanks Darryl
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2-01-2011 @ 10:27AM
jon said...I always choose my clothes the night before, even the underwear and socks are put out. I'm a woman so I also line my makeup out on the sink and make sure everything is out and ready to use. I guess it's a little OCD ☺ but it sure takes time off my fumbling around.
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