Do many of your mornings feel chaotic as
you wrangle your kids through the morning routine while scrambling around for
gym clothes and searching for missing text books? Do you often have to make
school runs to drop off forgotten homework or items for after-school
activities? If your mornings are stressful, you all get a bad start to the day.
While you will always get the odd morning when things don’t go smoothly,
setting routines and processes in place will help you and your family to get a
calm, peaceful start to the school day.
Start
the night before
One of the biggest barriers to a successful
morning routine is tired children. Ensure that your students get enough sleep
on school nights so that they wake up rested and refreshed.
Pick an outfit for younger students and get
your teens to set out the clothes they will wear the next day to ensure that
there are no last-minute fashion emergencies. As students get older, they will
need more time to get ready in the morning so ensure that they get up earlier.
Breakfast really is the most important
meal. Studies show that students who eat breakfast are more attentive, get
better grades and have fewer behavioral problems. Provide a balanced breakfast
and have some quick fixes on hand, like cereal, for mornings when things aren’t
going to plan.
Start a routine where students put their
homework in their bags when they are done with it and where they pack their
backpacks the night before. Check your X skills book for upcoming events and sporting
activities to ensure that they have everything they need for the next day.
Lunch
duty
One thing to realize is that you can’t do
everything yourself. Consider sharing lunch duty so that each family member
gets a turn to make lunches. Lunches should be made the evening before or at
least prepped so that only a few minutes is needed in the morning to put them
together.
Prioritize
Of course it would be wonderful if your
child was able to clean their room and make their beds before leaving for
school. Perhaps you even dream of a clean kitchen or laundry in the basket. But
trying to cram too much into one morning will leave everyone in a bad mood. Prioritize the things they need to do to prepare for the day and leave the rest
until they get home.
If a morning routine is a new concept in
your home, try introducing one thing at time. This will enable your students to
grow accustomed to one new process so that it becomes a habit before
introducing a new idea. It only takes a couple of weeks to turn a new routine
into a habit, so persevere; you will be so glad you did when your mornings are
peaceful.
