5 Evening Routine Additions for Calmer Mornings
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Stop rushing around in the morning trying to get everyone out the door! A little preparation can help set you up for A.M. success!
These 5 evening routine additions will ensure calmer mornings. And who doesn’t want that?!
These easy new habits will get you enjoying chaos-free mornings with the kids in no time!
We all run late, but we don’t have to feel the pressure every morning. Making these simple changes has helped bring my stress levels down.
A calmer morning equals a calmer mom. I want to send off my kids with serene vibes instead of frazzled energy.
Evening Routine Additions for Easier Mornings
I am super lucky that I work from home and don’t have to worry about getting myself somewhere by an exact time. But with my kids at different schools with different start times, I’m always trying to make sure we are on track.
As much as I try to get them to be responsible, I still need to check in and make sure that alarms are being acknowledged and showers are being taken.
And breakfast can really trip us up. While I’d love to be able to cook them a hot meal every morning, it just doesn’t always happen.
But I still want to make sure their stomachs are full as they head out for the day.
By preparing a little the night before, our mornings are less rushed, and they have more time to enjoy a yummy breakfast.
I think having time to enjoy their meal lets them ease into the day instead of feeling rushed and behind from the start.
These easy ideas will help you set your family up for morning success!
1. Choose Breakfast the Night Before
Even if it is just serving cereal, choosing what breakfast will be the night before takes any guesswork out of the morning. And if they do start to run behind, they don’t have to think about it.
I like to set out everything they need (that doesn’t need refrigeration) so they don’t have to waste any time looking. It also helps me to know what they are consuming in the morning and I can help guide their choices.
My kids are big fans of the Malt-O-Meal® Blueberry Muffin Toasters® Cereal (which is their Blueberry Muffin Tops cereal back by popular demand with a new name!). This lightly puffed cereal, made with whole wheat and rice, really does taste like blueberry muffins!
Since I don’t always have time to bake fresh blueberry muffins, this is the next best thing!
2. Make Lunch Ahead of Time
Another thing we like to add to our evening routine is to make lunches the night before. Doing this saves us valuable time in the mornings!
While I’m doing dinner dishes, the kids are putting together their lunches. I think it’s a great way to teach them responsibility, while allowing me to monitor what they are packing.
It also allows them to take dinner leftovers if they choose to, which I know is usually pretty balanced.
But I also keep their lunch favorites on hand to make it easy on them. Once the lunches are packed, they are kept in the refrigerator until they are ready to head out the door.
Trying to make lunches in the morning always leads to extra stress. From messy counters to running late, having this as part of our evening routine is so helpful.
3. All Paperwork is Reviewed and Signed at Homework Time
There’s always so much paperwork!! Whether it’s returned projects or worksheets or papers that require your review and signature, I always make sure to handle this mom job during homework time.
We generally do homework at the same time each afternoon, so I know when the boys sit down with their binders, I need to go through their backpacks and handle any paperwork they need to turn in the next day.
This is a lesson I learned when my son almost missed a fun event at school because of a missed permission slip…
It’s also a good way for me to talk to the kids about their assignments or what they are looking forward to most about an upcoming field trip.
It allows me to connect with them and invite conversation instead of rifling through a pile of papers as they head out the door.
Malt-O-Meal Blueberry Muffin Toasters Cereal also makes a great homework-time snack!
4. Pack Backpacks and Put Them in Their Place
The last thing the kids need to be doing in the morning is looking for their school supplies.
In fact, I noticed the panic in my son’s face this morning when he put his lunch in his backpack and didn’t see his binder.
Luckily, we found it pretty easily on the table, but it really reinforced this idea that backpacks should be packed up and ready to go the night before.
This includes homework, jackets, library books, and anything else they need for the day. Everything except for lunches.
We also put the backpacks in the same place each night. There is no searching for anything. They can just pick it up on their way out.
A calmer morning just means a nice, peaceful start to the day.
5. Schedule Everything. Including Showers.
I’m not a drill sergeant about exact times (well, I mean give or take a few minutes), but knowing the times of when things need to be done is really helpful for everyone.
With four people trying to get ready in the morning, each person needs to be responsible for themselves, but aware of everyone else.
We discuss showers the night before. I usually try to have both kids shower at night, but sometimes they want to do it in the morning.
If that is the case, we figure out exactly when each kid needs to be in and out of the shower. And then we stick to that. There’s no deviation in the morning. We stay on plan.
One late shower can make other people late. So, it can’t happen.
We also note benchmarks of when other things need to be done.
For my youngest, if he hasn’t gotten his Malt-O-Meal Blueberry Muffin Toasters Cereal by 6:45, he needs to get on it. By 7 am, he needs to be wrapping everything up and putting his shoes on. 7:20 am he’s out the door.
A smooth morning allows me to start my own day in a calm place. I find that I’m more efficient when I have a clear head and a positive mood.
Then I can enjoy some Malt-O-Meal Blueberry Muffin Toasters Cereal, too.
I’m not a big cereal eater, but seriously, the flavor is SO good. It’s perfect for when you’re craving homemade muffins, but don’t want to take the time to make them.
This cereal comes in a 31-ounce bag and is a great value at $4.98! You can find it at most grocery stores nationwide, or check out their website to find out where to buy Malt-O-Meal Blueberry Muffin Toasters Cereal.
Evening Prep Makes Your Mornings Run Smoothly!
These evening routine additions don’t add on much time to your regular nighttime habits, but will make such a change in the tone of your mornings.
It might take a few weeks to get into the habit, but you’ll notice how your mornings are less chaotic!
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A little preparation goes a long way! These evening routine additions will help you start your day off on the right foot!