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10 Tips to Make Your Morning School Routine Easier

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Are you ready to jump back into your kid’s morning routine for school?

I don’t blame you if you’re not. I am not a morning person and since I don’t drink coffee I have to push extra hard through the tired.

Taking steps to make my morning routine easier benefits not only me, but the whole family.

It’s always nice when I have mornings where I actually have time to run a brush through my hair instead of throwing it into a messy bun that I hope looks semi-okay.

Here are some tips that get me to those easy mornings. I hope they can help make your morning routines easier too!

10 Tips to Make Your Morning School Routine Easier

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10 Tips to Make Your Morning School Routine Easier

1. Prep Everything 

Last year I slacked off on the morning prep. It was harder with a baby in the house to get it all done the night before and I would always pay for it the next morning.

When I do prep my morning routine is so much easier and it’s my goal this year to get my nightly prepping down.

Spending even 10 minutes a night on prep can improve your morning routine greatly.

Here are some ways you can prep for your morning routine.

  • Pack lunches the night before. Have easy to pack lunches ready for the days you miss out on prepping. I love Uncrustables, Cheese Sticks, and GoGurts for these days. Just throw it in the lunchbox and you’re ready to go.
  • Prep outfits for the week. If you have a younger child you can pick out the outfits and fold them next to their bed or in a designated area each night. If your child is older and likes to pick out their own clothes have them do this as a part of their bedtime routine.
  • Have your child’s homework and school papers ready to go for the next morning. I can’t tell you how many times we ran 5 minutes late to school because I had to fill out a field trip form I had put off the night before.
  • Don’t forget to have your freezer packs or freezable lunch bags in the freezer for the next morning.

2. Organize Things You Will Need In The Morning

Have a place for backpacks, shoes, and jackets. We have baskets for shoes by our doorway and a stick on hook in my son’s room for his jacket and backpack.

Don’t forget your keys and purse. I’m guilty of losing my keys a lot. Putting them in the same place close to the front door helps. It saves so much time when you aren’t searching for these things!

3. Go to Bed Early!

We have an early bedtime at our house. It’s partly so our kids can get all the sleep they need, but also so my husband and I can have some time to catch up on our favorite shows before we go to sleep.

Our kids are in bed by 7:30 most every night and I try to be asleep by 9:30 or 10:00pm on a school night. This makes it easy to wake up in the morning refreshed from a good night’s sleep!

Download your FREE Back to School Morning Prep Checklist Printable!10 Tips to Make Your Morning School Routine Easier4. Make Your Alarm Fail Proof

Have you ever been late anywhere because your alarm just didn’t go off?

That has definitely happened to me on more than one occasion. Now we set 2 alarms in our room so we know at least one of them has to go off. I even set my alarm for 2 different times just in case I accidentally turn it off when I meant to hit the snooze.

Get your kids an alarm too, so they can get up. Our son sleeps like the dead, but anything that helps wake him up helps us move more quickly in the morning.

5. Have a Happy Attitude

It’s easy to roll out of bed as a grumpy momma. But, try to rise above the sleepiness and have a happy attitude.

If there is one thing I’ve learned about being a mom, it’s that your mood rubs off on your kids. If you are happy getting ready than they are more likely to get ready in a cheerful mood too.

6. Get Ready After Breakfast

Have your kids get dressed and ready after breakfast. We’ve had to start this process all over again due to spilled milk at breakfast. Getting ready after breakfast prevents accidents like this!

7. Offer a Simple Reward

Do your kids drag their feet when getting ready in the morning?

A simple reward might help. I offer a simple reward to speed things up!

If we are all ready and dressed in the morning, with time to spare, we get some cartoon time before we leave for school.

8. Make It Fun! 

My son gets in the car so fast whenever I tell him it’s a race between him and his sister. If he can buckle his seatbelt before I get her in her carseat he won. This gets us in the car and off to school fast!

9. Be Consistent 

Consistency is a big one in everything we do. If we are consistent in our morning routine it goes more quickly and easily.

The kids know what to expect when we wake up in the morning and are ready to do what we need to do without too many complaints.

10. Get Your Errands Done After Drop Off

You are already dressed and in the car, if you are like me with baby in tow. So, why not get your errands done now.

I make my grocery shopping apart of my morning routine. It saves me time and gas because we are already in the car and ready. This also helps wear the baby out so she can go down for an easy nap when we get home.

How do you get your kids out the door each morning? What makes your morning routine easier? I would love to hear from you in the comments below! 

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About the Author

Samantha Ramos

Samantha Ramos has her B.A. in Special Education. She is a stay at home mom and homeschooler to 3 children in Southern California. Her biggest passion is positive parenting and helping moms find simple solutions to every day mom problems!

Stock Photos from Depositphotos

Comments

  3. james jenkins

    Those rare days, even fantasy days, when I feel like I got nearly enough sleep, and my worries get back to work on me a little late.

    Reply

  5. Leah Shumack

    Backpacks are packed up and ready to go before the kids go to bed. Clothes and shoes are all laid out too. This mama isn’t the best at getting up in the morning so just in case I wake everyone up late it’s less to worry about in the mornings!

    Reply

    • Sammy

      Hi Leah! So true, I am NOT a morning person either. If I could I would just press the snooze all morning. Once I’m up though it’s easier especially if the clothes are all ready.

      Reply

  14. Sharon

    Getting as much done the night before helps my morning get started better and of course COFFEE! Love all of your tips especially the one about a backup alarm clock! You are an awesome Mom! :)

    Reply

  20. Jan Lee

    I’m not married and have no kids so I can get up when ever I want to lol However, if I do have a morning appointment, it helps if I set things up the night before. It also helps to have two alarms set in case the electricity goes out overnight. (The second alarm is battery operated) :)

    Reply

  26. Zoey

    I like to prepare as much as possible the night before (laying out clothes, packing lunch, etc.) so I have less to keep track of in the morning.

    Reply

  27. Susan Smith

    I get up an hour earlier before the children and get myself ready, breakfast prepared and lunch and backpacks ready to go so I just concentrate on getting the children out the door on time.

    Reply

    • Sammy

      Hi Cheryl! Isn’t it great to wake up early enough to take your time getting ready? It’s always so much harder for me when I hit the snooze button. ;)

      Reply

  42. Sheila Ritter

    I get everything ready for morning the night before. I also make sure I get up at least an hour before anyone else in the home so I have a little time to myself to focus on what needs to be done and to enjoy some coffee and solitude.

    Reply

    • Sammy

      Hi Sheila! Sometimes having a little morning solitude is amazing. My toddler wakes me up at 4am most mornings, so we get that solitude together. ;)

      Reply

  43. Tracy Robertson

    I work afternoons and I know I’m lucky that I can do that. I have several hours to ease myself in to the day before I have to go to work. I hate morning rushes!

    Reply

    • Sammy

      Hi Tracy! It is nice to have a later schedule. When I was pregnant with my last baby I worked as a librarian and my shift started at 11am most days. It was great to sleep in. :)

      Reply

  44. hannah

    What makes my morning routine easier is having breakfast meats already cooked ahead of time, and frozen berries stocked for a quick pick-me-up smoothie

    Reply

    • Sammy

      Hi Hannah! You’ve got the idea. I wish I had breakfast meats and smoothies prepped for the next morning. Most days we all settle for a bowl of cereal or some toast. ;)

      Reply

    • Sammy

      Hi Jennifer! That does make it a ton easier. I have slacked on this before only to have papers to fill out for my son the next morning. It’s so nice to have that all taken care of. :)

      Reply

  49. Sheila K.

    Having an order and a rhythm to the way I do things in the morning makes the morning go much more smoothly than does utter chaos!

    Reply

  54. Mary Beth Elderton

    “Routine” is the key word–I have the coffee pot set the night before. All the elements for breakfasts and lunches are in a sort of order for easy grabbing from fridge or pantry. Almost everything is done in order with a built-in 5 mins extra.

    Reply

    • Sammy

      Yes! Routine is key when it comes to mornings and with kids in general. We thrive when we stick to our daily routines. Thanks for stopping by Mary!

      Reply

  55. Char

    Wow, thanks so much for this! We always make breakfast first thing so that we can get out the door with something nutritious in our tummy :)

    Reply

  59. Margaret Smith

    I like to get as much ready the night before. Get the kids to get their clothes ready. Shoes and jackets by the door. Backpack packed up and all homework and papers signed.

    Reply

  62. Lois M.

    Um, not really sure…. I guess that I typically have my clothes ready the day before, if I need to take lunch to class with me, I have what I can get ready early already done… and maybe if I can take a nap before having to go out is good too. LOL

    Reply

    • Sammy

      Hi Lois! I LOVE taking naps. Right now my schedule is regulated by my toddler though and sometimes I can get away with taking a nap when she does. ;) Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply

  68. Julie Wood

    Having all the outfits, backpacks and breakfasts and lunches ready the night before. It makes the morning routine easier!

    Reply

  70. Kristen

    Planning ahead the night before makes it easier….knowing I have something in the house for breakfast, clean clothes for the next day, etc.

    Reply

  71. Jessica Cox

    I always try a prepare the night before from packing lunches to picking out outfits and having all the bags ready

    Reply

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