Bumbling out of bed and then rushing through the next hour to get everyone out of the house sets you up for a rushed and crazy day! The best way to dump this chaotic rush is to implement an effective morning routine that will set you up for a great day.
As a mom of 3 kids, I have experimented and researched ways to make my morning flow well, to get things done and to have a clear mind by the time I leave the house. Here’s what I found that works well for as a morning routine for working moms:
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Why do working moms need a morning routine?
A morning routine for working moms will help set up and prepare for the day. The best way to start one is to wake up at least 30 minutes to 1 hour earlier than you usually do. Use this golden time to get things done, practice self-care and be ready to take care of the kids when they wake up.
A lot of moms use the end of the day to get things done, to decompress and relax. However, I found that it’s so hard to productive at the end of a busy workday. Your mind is tired and your body is fatigued. It would be ideal to use time at the end of the day to spend time with the family and to do tasks that require less focus.
What should be part of a morning routine?
An essential part of a morning routine is to make some time for yourself. Create this pocket of time by waking up at least 30 minutes earlier. Use this time to plan your morning and your day and to practice self-care. Enjoy a cup of coffee in quietness!
Planning for the day
For the first 10 minutes of your morning create a plan for the day. Decide what things from your to-do list that needs to be completed. Choose things that are important and eliminate non-essential activities. I know it feels good to checkmark things off a list, but don’t do it just for the sake of checking it off. Schedule these tasks or activities to be done sometime during the day.
Time to yourself
Finding time to do things for yourself is hard to come when juggling work and family life. Use the next little bit of time to do things that make you happy. This is your “self-care” time. Here are some ideas:
– Gratitude journal
– Exercise
– Read
– Meditate
– Make a list of the things you are looking forward to during the day
– Do a couple of tasks from your to-do list
– Work on a project or hobby
– Work on your goals (personal, hobbies, finances)
Rising early tip:
Go to bed earlier. The best way to feel great and to have the energy to go about your day is to get optimal sleep. It is difficult to be effective when you are tired, cranky and need to drink lots of coffee. Lack of sleep will make you inefficient, lack energy, be unable to cope, be unfocused and you will likely yell at your kids more.
Here is a post on why you need optimal sleep and strategies on how to do it: The Power of Sleep.
One effective tip that I have used to help me get to bed on time is to set an alarm on my phone at night. Sometimes even with the best intentions of going to bed by a certain time, we get distracted and we lose track of time. Therefore setting an alarm is very helpful to help you get into the habit of going to bed on time.
What NOT to do as part of your morning routine
Browsing
Don’t waste your precious time in the morning by browsing social media. This is your time. When you spend time on social media, you are giving your time to others. You are setting up yourself for the comparison game by viewing other peoples’ lives.
Checking your email and messages
By answering emails and messages you are working on other people’s requests and agendas. Hold off on the responses till later in your day.
Not having a schedule or plan for the day
Going through your day without a plan may lead to a stressful and inefficient day. If you plan and execute at least 2 important things from your list daily (as discussed above), you would complete at least 14 tasks by the end of the week!
3 STEPS to get the kids out of the door within 30 minutes.
When your kids wake up, the race is on. By now, after your 30-60 minutes of “alone” time: you have a plan, worked on things for yourself and now on your A-game. Your mind is clear, focused and ready to take on the day. Let’s go!
So how do we manage the next block of time to get everyone out of the door in a calm fashion (even within 30 minutes)? Here are my golden tips:
Example of a 30-minute timeline. (If you have the luxury of more than 30 minutes, use it wisely!):
STEP ONE: 10 minutes: Kids wake up, brush teeth and get changed.
TIP: Give the kids an alarm clock to wake themselves up. Here’s more tips on time management for kids.
Avoid fighting with the kids on what to wear in the morning by having them pick out their clothes the night before. Teach them to dress and brush their teeth independently.
While the kids are getting ready prepare breakfast and their lunch bags.
Pre-pack lunches the night before. For ideas on school lunches see: “Tips and Tools to Make School Lunches Easier.”
My ultimate school lunch hack is to plan the whole lunches for the whole week. This is what we do for lunches for our 3 kids:
On the day before the work week (Sundays) – I make lunches using the YumBox bento boxes for Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday is pizza lunch. Thursday and Friday are Thermos/hot food lunches. I love doing this as I don’t have to worry about what to make for lunch every day. It also helps me save time when I plan out my grocery list.
Best lunch tool: Silicone cups. I wished I had discovered these silicone cups earlier! It helps create more compartments in a bento box or even a regular container. They are helpful to contain messes and allows easier clean up of the bento boxes. The kids love having a variety of foods in their lunches.
STEP TWO: 15 minutes: Breakfast
Take the guesswork of what to make for breakfast by planning it out by the week. Keep it simple. Use the same menu weekly to make it even easier!
For mornings when I have a bit more time, I love having homemade pancakes. Here’s my favourite recipe you can make within 10 minutes:
Time Saving TIP: On the weekends, I pre-batch the dry ingredients. I put together 5 orders in separate plastic containers. On the mornings I want to make pancakes, I have the dry ingredients ready to go. I just have to mix the wet ingredients together in a measuring cup and then add it to the prepared dry ingredients in the container. Heat up the skillets and a pancake way we go! And by the way, they are delicious!
* If there is leftover batter, I slap on the lid on the container and save it for the next day.
Sit down with the kids (even for a few minutes) to have your own breakfast and connect with the kids. I love asking the kids “what are you looking forward to today?” I find this question helps them to look forward to their day.
STEP THREE: 5 minutes: Pack up bags and leave the house
Pack up the school bags the night before or if the kids are old enough – get them to do it. In the morning, I take out the pre-pack lunches from the fridge or finish putting them together and leave it on the counter. Giving my kids (except for my 4-year-old) the responsibility of packing up their own school bags (lunches, agenda, library books and accessories) has been a huge time saver!
Teach the older kids to watch the time. Get them to understand what time everyone needs to leave the house.
Of course, every family is different and this timeline is just an example. Create a morning routine that suits your family’s needs to get everyone out of the door in a calm fashion.
Instead of a chaotic morning before going to work, have a morning that will set up your day to be great. Creating and following a morning routine will help you achieve this. It all starts with you waking up earlier. Start the day with a plan for the day, get things done for yourself, be ready to take care of the kids. Try out the 3 steps to get everyone out of the house in the morning in a short amount of time.
Take on the day with a good start, being organized and have clear intentions. You got it, Mama!
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Thanks so much for sharing your morning routine tips! I am trying to get on a better schedule to try & be a little more productive these days. I am trying to come up with a good cleaning routine too haha. I have <a href=”https://www.acechemdryco.com/carpet-cleaning-timnath/”>carpet cleaning</a> scheduled for tomorrow so that is a start haha! Thanks again for sharing!!!
I absolutely agree with your tip on waking up early! I don’t always like to do it (as I’m tired, of course) but I’m always so amazed about how much I get done on those days that I do get up before everyone else!
It feels so good to get all that stuff done before everyone wakes up 🙂
Great article! It’s true morning routine is reslly crucial. I have a strict morning routine and thanks to that, I can really manage my work and family both.
Thank you! Yes, I totally agree – morning routines are crucial!