Say Goodbye To Stressful Mornings

We all know what stressful mornings are like. The house is a mess, there’s nothing in for breakfast so you resort to a cereal bar and you’re late for work – again!

The worst thing about having a stressful morning is that it often sets the scene for the rest of your day. If you arrive at work tearing your hair out, you will find it difficult to relax and be productive for the rest of the day. But have you ever considered that it might be the same for your children? Whilst they are going to school, and not work, having a poor start to their day can mean they are flighty and unresponsive in class. If this happens repeatedly, it can have a serious impact on their learning. However, there are things you can do to ensure that everyone has a drama-free morning, and a good day all round.

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Get up earlier

When you’re already running on five hours sleep, this might be the worst thing you could imagine. But getting up earlier, and getting the kids up too, means you can avoid things being quite so hectic. Be honest with yourself; if you know you’re prone to staying in bed for at least twenty minutes after your alarm has gone off, set that alarm for twenty minutes earlier. That extra sleep might seem like the be all and end all at the time, but getting up and active can actually help you feel less lethargic. That way, you will be better equipped to deal with your children’s needs too, and you can make The School Run on time!

Encourage independence in your children

Think about it: do you really need to serve your children their cereal every day? Do you need to turn the shower on for your six-year-old? Consider your children’s ages and think about what they could possibly do for themselves. Giving them some responsibility for their own morning routine will take some of the pressure off your hands, and will also make them feel proud of their own abilities.

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Plan outfits the night before

When we’re running to a schedule, the last thing we need to be doing is trying on three different outfits. Plus, if you don’t feel good in any of them, you are likely be self-conscious and therefore not fully engaged  in your day. Plan what you are going to wear for the next day the evening before, and try on if you need to. Doing this with your children’s clothes can also save you bags of time, even if they are in school uniform every day. Simply laying their uniform out in a pile means that they will know where to find it, and the laundry basket won’t be raided again!

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Set a reasonable standard for breakfast

Even if you skip breakfast yourself (and we all know by now that we shouldn’t), it is vital that your kids have something to eat before they start the day. However, planning anything too ambitious will only cause a lot of mess and waste a lot of time. Your children don’t need a cooked breakfast every day. Cereal or toast are both a simple and filling option for breakfast and lay out some fresh fruit for them to snack on too.