Have you ever wondered about taking the stress out of a stressful parenting style?
Here’s an innuendo- Figure out the situation that creates the most stress and make it go smoother.
Yes, it’s that simple, every other thing will fall into place with time. Easy peasy right? #winks
Well, summer break is officially over and by the time you read this post, we may all be counting down days to resumption or even ‘counting up’- if there’s a phrase like that.
Back to school routines can be a struggle for mums, but hopefully, this will help you to establish a smooth sailing routine without hitches.
During the school year, I try to get us ready and out of the house by 7:15am or 7:20am. Without a routine, getting the whole family ready for school and work feels like I am herding cattle or dogs or cats. It could be any animal for all I care, what’s the difference?LOL
I mean, the point is that sometimes, it seems like I am simply conjuring up a recipe for disaster! Can you relate mamas?
Believe me, we’ve had our own fair share of morning meltdowns but over time, I’ve worked on managing the morning routine and setting the whole family up to start the day with a ray of happiness rather than whines. Hope these tips help you too!
My number one rule is to ensure that everyone is getting enough sleep. Emphasis on EV-ERY-ONE! That means, ‘you’ inclusive.
For kids, they need at least 9 to 11 hours of good night sleep. So technically, a 2 year old who needs to be up by 7 am should be in bed by 8pm at the latest.
For the first few weeks, I make small adjustments and try to get into the rhythm eventually. Small adjustments are what I can handle with everything I have going on. That’s what we mums do most of the time right?
Another thing I try to do, like I wrote about in one of my previous posts, is to prepare the night before. Prepare some meals to a reasonable extent… choose and iron clothes for school and work too… put things like food flasks, water bottles, back packs and so on together in a particular designated corner, so as to avoid confusion during the early morning rush.
I also ensure that I wake up at least 30 minutes to an hour before the kids do. It’s easier that way because I would have showered, prepared and packed up meals before they are awake.
You may even try to load up the car as well if you so wish, before waking the kids up. That way, you are not looking for a bunch of keys or wallet or spending the time asking your spouse where your phone is…
I know a mum who always does that- Not me please! LOL.
Recently over the holiday, I made a morning routine chart for my older kids to encourage independence, which may come in handy on school mornings now that I think of it. It includes activities like;
Brush teeth
Brush hair
Get dressed
Eat breakfast
Put shoes and socks on
You could include other activities to suit your own lifestyle like
Grab backpack and
Head to the car… or something.
My employer gave me this bonus tip and I have been trying it out for a while now;
‘Have a breakfast-on-the-go option for days when you’re running behind schedule.’
Then, a mum friend gave me this tip and she called it her ‘ME time’ every morning…
Morning check in
Meditation and
Exercise
They help to kick start her day and keep her CAFFEINATED without the use of coffee. LOL!
In all, try to remain as calm as possible during the mornings because kids can sense when you’re frazzled or frantic. If you’re used to yelling a lot or showing frustration through manners like hissing, etc., try to reduce them and focus on a healthier attitude.
Morning routines should be a task set aside for the whole family, so that no one is extremely overwhelmed at the end of the day.
Instead of being the most stressful part of the day, our mornings are becoming a whole lot calmer, eventually setting the pace for an awesome day ahead.
Over the course of the next few weeks, see how you can achieve a more successful morning routine simply by following some of the rules above and most importantly, by changing your family’s sleep pattern.
What does your morning routine look like at the moment? Do you have tips that might help other working mums too? Please share!
XOXO,
Yours Truly.
