5 Tips To Elminiate School Morning Maddness

This post brought to you by Dollar General

If your morning routine is rush-rush-rush and you feel more like a drill sergeant trying to get the kids out the door in time for the bus (or carpool), its time for a change. (But you already knew that, didn’t you?) There will always be days where everything seems to go array, but sticking to a simple routine can help eliminate the majority of the madness.

Wardrobe Woes – Since wearing the perfect outfit is essential to school-days success (or so believe the majority of the little girls I know), speed up your morning routine by picking out clothes the night before. Make it a family event to check out the weather before teeth brushing. Then with the next day’s weather in mind, layout the perfect attire and accessories the night before. (Hint – don’t forget to round up that missing sneaker to save even more time in the morning.)

Pack it Up – Set aside time after dinner each night to review backpack contents. Remove graded papers and gather all of the important documents (permission slips, homework, etc.). Put everything in its place, and make a list of items that still need to go back into the backpack before bed.

Grand Central Station – Don’t let a perfectly planned morning get thrown out the window when you realize the keys are missing. Create a spot near the door for all of those last-minute essentials like keys, extra circular accessories,  papers, etc. If everything is one spot not only will you know where to find it, but you will also be less likely to forget something since it is all there together (like your wallet).

Lunch Box Crazies – Just say no to packing lunches in the morning. Get everything you need prepped the night before. Dedicate shelf space in the fridge for the next day’s lunch so that in the morning you can just grab the pre-prepped lunch items and ice packs, toss them in lunch boxes and go.

Go-go Breakfast – Even if everything goes right, one of our biggest hangups in the mornings is breakfast. My 5-year-old daughter knows that it is the most important meal of the day, but she is still the world’s slowest eater. (Seriously, there should be a competition for it, she could win every time.) Although I can’t speed her up, keeping her excited about what she is eating by selecting her favorites and changing things up helps. To that end, I am always stocking up on new good-for-you breakfast options including cereal and fresh fruit.

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This school year, take steps to speed up your morning routine with a little pre-planning. Who knows, you might even free up enough time to sit down for a bowl of cereal with your students before sending them off to school.