Off to Work I Go - ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE!

Because I am returning to work after the holiday season, I thought it fitting to do a post about getting yourself and your kids ready for the day.  As a mom, this is one of the hardest jobs we do every single day.  Get children who don't want to go to school up and ready, get a husband who can't fend for himself up and out the door, and get a person (yourself) who is always worried about others to worry about themselves and ready.  You really have to be superwoman to accomplish this feat some days.

It is important that the day start off good for you and your children.  A hectic morning can set the pace and determine the peacefulness of your entire day, believe it or not.  It can cause you to forget important items at home, forget important events and appointments throughout the day, and can ruin any chance of a good mood at work or school.

So what can you do to have a peaceful and successful start of each day, especially when that day means getting everybody in the mood and off to work or school -

ROUTINE - I know you have heard the word a million (and now a million and one times), but really it all boils down to having a set routine that you do everyday rain or shine, sleet or snow.  As a teacher, I can tell you children thrive on routine.  They need to know their world is safe and predictable.  They need to know what is coming next and that next is going to be something good.  They are creatures of habit (even bad ones) and they act out when they don't know what to do next or can't decide what should be done next.  Set up a morning routine.  I paid attention to what my kids do naturally in the morning and use that to assist me in setting up a routine that flows with their natural habits.  I used the following form to set up a routine every       
morning for them.  I no longer need to refer to the routine sheet, but it does come in handy when they stay with someone else when I am not at home and I need their routine to continue to be comfortable for them.  Their daddy finds it especially helpful because he is not home to know what their routine already is.

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Morning Routine Setup Guide

PREPARATION - Believe me, I know at the end of the day the last thing you want to do is prepare for the day ahead.  But if you want a smooth, less chaotic, and peaceful morning - five minutes of prep the night before will go a long way.  Everynight right before I go to bed, I prepare my to-do list for tomorrow with all the major things I hope to get done the night before.  But more importantly, I prepare items for my husband and children the night before.  I make sure booksacks are packed and by the front door.  I make sure diaper bag is packed with fresh clothing and diapers and all necessities and by the front door.  I make sure my husband's lunch is in a container in a designated spot in the refrigerator ready to be put in a bag in the morning.  I make sure things are picked up and out of the way for the morning rush.  I make sure shoes are by the front door and accounted for. By doing these few little routine items every night, in the morning there is no yelling at children to find their shoes, booksacks, or scrambling to look for lost items.  My husband can easily grab his lunch and head out without waking me and the kids.  (He gets up and out to work way earlier than the rest of us).  Our morning is much smoother and I do a lot less fussing, which always makes me happier.

TIME MANAGEMENT - I am an early person.  I arrive early to everything - early to work, early to appointments, early to visits, etc.  I believe in being early to avoid being late.  I believe if you give yourself extra time for the "not planned" events, then they will not cause you to be late and therefore stress about being late.  I always practice how much time I need to do things.  A few days before school starts I practice the amount of time I need to be up and get everything I want done, I practice how much time I need to get the kids up and moving without rushing, and I even practice how much driving time I need.  I always give myself about twenty extra minutes to make sure everything will run smoothly and a last minute dirty diaper or vomiting child will not set my routine on end.  By allowing myself extra time, I allow myself to be calm before I even wake my children.  I allow myself not to stress because one child is taking a little longer to get ready.  I allow myself not to worry if traffic is heavier than normal.  I am calmer, my morning is calmer, and my children are calmer in the morning.  This allows me to start my day fresh, free of stress, and calm (most of the time).  I am not always perfect, and you should not expect to be so either.  There will be times when no matter how much extra time you give yourself - you will be running late, but if you make it a point for that not to be a habit, you will have a much better and peaceful morning.  The MORNING ROUTINE SETUP GUIDE takes all of these elements into consideration and gives you helpful tips to make the most of your morning routine and make your morning routine work for you.