Create a morning checklist and display it in your house So, when things don’t go as planned, I just take a moment to sit down with the kids and discuss what’s happening (or just hug them), and after this break, things run much more smoothly for the rest of the morning.Ĩ. But I realized that taking a break and reconnecting with my son when he was not willing to follow the schedule was much more effective than constantly hurrying him. Remain calm and take a break when things don’t work wellįor me, it was really hard to remain calm when I was late. This playful approach is a great way to get kids motivated without constantly reminding them what they have to do.ħ. Instead, if you ask the kids for help and explain to them that you need them to do something quickly to be able to get out of the house on time, they will probably be a lot more willing to help!Īnother helpful tip is to use a timer and challenge the kids to finish a task (or a set of tasks) before the timer ends. They will feel bossed around and angry, and this will only lead to power struggles. Given a lot of instructions all morning long is probably not the best way to make your kids follow the schedule. This will encourage kids to get creative and play after they wake up, while you prepare the breakfast or take care of other tasks.

Another idea is to prepare every evening a tray with an “invitation to play” for the kids and leave it on the breakfast table for them to discover in the morning.

This box will make the play time more fun for the kids and allow you to have some quiet time during the morning routine. If your kids wake up early and you can include 20-30 minutes of play in the morning routine, create a special Morning Play Box with toys or games the kids can only use in the morning (and change them from time to time).During breakfast, invite every family member to share one thing they are looking forward to doing that day.

Play a song every morning before starting the morning routine and dance together in the living room.Here are some ways to include more play and connection into your mornings: Spending a few minutes every morning connecting with the kids after they wake up is a wonderful way to start the day! And your kids will be a lot more willing to follow the morning routine if they feel connected with you! getting your kids’ backpacks ready (and prepare part of the lunch boxes in advance, if possible).planning what you’ll have for breakfast (and even prepare something in advance, if possible).Here are some things you can prepare in advance: This will allow you to have fewer things to do in the morning and be able to focus more on the kids. This checklist was one of the ideas that worked best for us and made our mornings a lot easier to handle!įrom our experience, the key to having peaceful mornings with kids is to allow them to have a little time to do the things they like every morning and to set a routine that you consistently follow every day.ġ. Prepare as much as you can the night before I want to share with you all the ideas that helped us transform our mornings, and I hope they will help you as much as they helped us!Īt the end of the article, you will also find a printable morning checklist to download and use for your kids.

I started implementing some of the tips, and in a couple of weeks, I already felt the difference: our mornings were more peaceful, and we even started to enjoy them! How to create an stress-free morning routine for kids

One day I felt so overwhelmed that I started searching for tips about creating a morning routine for kids, and I made a list of ideas that could work for us. He always had other plans in the morning, and we ended up being late almost every day! I’ve gone through this over and over again, especially when my oldest son was a toddler, and we needed to get out of the house on time for me to get to work. If you have a young child, I’m sure you know those chaotic mornings when nothing seems to work, and you start your day with endless power struggles.

Morning routine checklist printable