How to Get Into a Morning Routine

Lost shoes, cold lunch preparation, uncooperative kids -- the morning routine can feel like a circus that puts every ounce of your patience to the test. Running short on time is often a problem that leads to frantic scrambling to get everyone out the door. Preparation the night before and coming up with a routine you can keep helps you stay on track in the morning. By taking control of the morning madness, you can reduce your stress and the stress you put on your kids by rushing them.

Instructions

    • 1

      Write down the time you, your spouse and your kids need to leave the house. You may all leave together or have a staggered departure time. For example, the kids might take the bus to school and leave before you do. Knowing when everyone needs to leave helps you plan backwards to complete all necessary tasks.

    • 2

      List all of the tasks each family member needs to complete in the morning. Include personal care, eating, and gathering materials, such as a child's schoolwork or your work documents.

    • 3

      Estimate how long each task should take to complete. Your child might need 20 minutes to eat breakfast, 10 minutes to dress, 10 minutes in the bathroom for personal care, 5 minutes for shoes and coats, and 5 minutes to gather her bag and school materials. Add a buffer of 10 to 15 minutes in case she moves slowly. In this case, your child would need to wake up at least 60 to 65 minutes before she has to leave. Calculate each family member's wake-up time using this method.

    • 4

      Develop an order for the tasks you complete each day. The specific order depends on your family's needs and preferences. You might start with breakfast before your kids get dressed to avoid spills on school clothes, for example. A sample routine is eating breakfast, brushing teeth, getting dressed, finishing personal care, putting on shoes, gathering materials and leaving.

    • 5

      Schedule time in shared facilities, such as the bathroom. Wake up early so you get the bathroom first before your kids wake up. Assign each child a turn in the bathroom for personal care tasks, such as brushing teeth and combing hair.

    • 6

      Complete as much prep work as possible each night. Choose clothing for the whole family so you don't find out in the morning that all of your child's jeans are dirty or he has no clean socks, for example. Have your kids check their bags for all necessary supplies and homework to take to school the next day. Put bags, shoes and coats near the door for easy access. Make as much of their cold lunches as possible at night.

    • 7

      Teach your child the morning routine expectations. If she needs help remembering all of her morning chores, make her a list that shows the tasks in order.

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