Remember the good old days, when getting out the door was as easy as grabbing your wallet and keys, slipping on your shoes, opening the door and walking?
Now that you have children, mornings are full of activities that can be speed bumps.
It is proven that children do better when they know what to expect. This means creating routines and consistency is essential in a well-functioning family.
Now that school’s back, it’s the perfect time to get rid of all the rules and routines we’ve been burying in the back of our minds over the summer.
Here are 7 tips – and a few handy things – for getting your kids to school/daycare on time.
1. Prepare the Night Before
In other words, cover all your bases (or as many as possible) the night before, so you have one less thing to worry about in the busy school mornings.
Lay out the clothes for the next morning (include your children if they like to choose their own clothes), set the table for breakfast after you finish dinner, collect lunch boxes and snacks… You can even choose clothes for the whole week ahead (see below for product recommendations). Anything you can prepare the night before will free up brain space and help avoid problems and stressful situations at the right time.
Check out our lunch planner to go the extra mile.
2. Enter the Time Period in the Morning
Always give yourself more time than you think you need, even if it means giving up those last 30 minutes of sleep.
I personally like to wake up before my children to wake them up and prepare them in peace. In turn, it allows me to fully focus on getting my kids dressed, fed and ready for the day, which really helps our morning commute.
Often this comes with the need for self-discipline: I go to bed early to wake up early. No more hitting that snooze button.
3. Set All Timers
“15 minutes before we’re out the door to catch the bus…
5 minutes… [phone timer goes off]. Time to put on our shoes and go!”
All hail times!
Especially if you have children who can’t learn time yet, times help everyone (young and old alike) to always remember the exact time a task needs to be completed.
In our house, we use specific times to get dressed and understand when we need to be out the door, especially when working with the MTA/bus system. I often use my phone, but I also like visual/analog countdown timers that are intuitive for kids: they feature a colored disc that slowly disappears to let them know the time is passing. See the list below for our favorite time-saving tools.
If visuals don’t work, consider making a morning playlist with fun, uplifting songs that your kids know. Music cues and song changes guide them to different tasks they need to accomplish in the morning. For example, when they hear “Here’s the Sun,” it’s time to get dressed.
4. Gamify the Morning
Specifically, make it a race.
I have never seen my children get dressed so quickly as I tell them they should have all their clothes on by the time I finish brushing their teeth.
The power of play is truly magical!
5. Reward Them With “Free Time”
Nothing motivates my kids to get ready like the reward of “free time,” where they get carte blanche on activities to do before we go out.
During recess, my boys are allowed to play whatever they want, as long as they are dressed and ready to go. Sometimes they choose TV (we only allow educational shows, like Story Bots or Sesame Street), but more often than not, they choose free play (with legos or stuffed animals), drawing or reading (video games are banned). The timer returns “free time” so they know they have a certain amount of time before they have to put on their shoes, grab their backpacks and head out the door.
*Be careful, here… there are kids who will get up early to be early and ready for school so they have more time to look at the iPad, for example. Some of them will wake up earlier and earlier…. and that is not what we are going for.
6. Use Checklists
A simple checklist can do wonders for a smooth morning schedule (or any time!) At home, we use a whiteboard that can be easily updated as needed, and I put it outside my kids’ bedrooms so it’s the first thing they see when they open their doors in the morning.
As my kids got older, I wrote their morning checklist (ie brush their teeth; get dressed for school; put your jammies in the hamper; turn off your bedtime light; etc.) but if your kids can’t read yet, you can draw or print pictures of each task.
We’re also big fans of visual morning charts that use velcro tabs. When your child is done with a task, simply flip the tab up, and voila! If you’re feeling in the mood for a little DIY project, you can make your own here.
7. Keep Breakfast Simple
Mornings are not the time to reinvent yourself as a chef. Keep your kids’ breakfasts as simple as possible: peanut butter and banana toast, mini oatmeal, toaster waffles (multigrain), avocado toast, yogurt and granola are some of our favorite options to feed our kids while we’re on the go.
Our Favorite Things to Keep the Morning Going
Hatch Rest ~ $70
This ok-to-wake clock has been amazing to help get my kids out of bed without too much fuss. When they see the light turn yellow and hear the birds chirping, they know it’s time to go out and get ready for the day.
Virtual Time Clock ~ $ Varies
These visual timers feature colored discs to let your kids easily know how much time they have to complete the task. If your kids still don’t recognize their numbers, you can choose versions that include animals instead of numbers or that color code each time.
Kizik Sneakers ~ $69
With their hands-free design, Kizik sneakers are shoes that are easy to slip into – no laces or velcro to mess with. Seriously, changing out of doors has never been easier. My kids have worn them every day for a year, and they still look like new!
Wall Hook ~ $ varies
Make your entrance and school child friendly. We use magnetic hooks to secure our kids’ backpacks to our door so it’s easy for them to grab them as we head out for the day. Similarly (and not in the picture here), we have coat hangers at their level so that they can be as independent as possible when they go out.
Dry Erase Whiteboard ~ $6
Use a dry erase whiteboard like this one to write down your kids’ morning checklist. It’s magnetic so you can put it on your fridge, or just put it somewhere they’ll see it when they wake up.
Chore Charts ~ $17
This reuse list includes a sliding checkbox. When your kids are done with a task, they can slide it off to reveal a marker and feel more accomplished (I know it will bring me so much joy…).
Weekly Outfit Planner ~ $14
Organize all the clothes the Sunday before the school week with this handy hanging organizer.
That’s all! Let us know your favorite tips, tricks and tricks for getting out the door on time every morning — leave us a comment below.
Hello! ~ Charlene
