My Simple Morning Routines

Nothing can ruin my day faster than a bad morning. Rushing, skipping breakfast, snapping at my kids, all set my day off on the wrong foot. I love a simple morning routine to get my family and I out of the house and in a good mood.

The Importance of a Morning Routine

I pride myself on being a planner, on being the kind of person that knows I need to wake up early in order to get out of the house without screaming at someone, and on being the sort of person who plans her meals out a week in advance at the very least.

Last year that all fell apart. Last year was the first year that both of my children were in school full-time. I should have been swimming in free time, looking around at my clean house and my prepped meals wondering what I could possibly do with all of the hours left at my disposal.

Instead, most days were a mad rush out of the house. Most nights I was looking in the refrigerator at around 4:30, frowning at what I found and putting together a mediocre dinner that felt rushed from start to dishes.

I guess I had told myself that since I finally had all of this extra time, all of my usual tricks to manage time wisely weren’t really necessary anymore. It should have taken me just a couple of weeks to see that the wheels were coming off but instead, I functioned, or barely functioned, like this for an entire school year.

Now I know better. Now that I’m a seasoned parent of full-time school kids, I know that six hours, five days a week, seems like an eternity, but really it goes by in a flash. I know that routines really are the key to my happiness, which is why I’m putting simple routines into place for getting through the day.

Start Your Day Right

Now, the perfect weekday morning starts about an hour before my kids’ alarms go off.

Wake Up Before Your Kids

Waking up before my kids is the single greatest thing I can do to get things headed in the right direction. There are no distractions and I can drink my coffee and shower in peace. I take a few minutes and look at my calendar for the day and the week so I know what’s ahead and it helps me feel like I’m ready to take on the day.

My kids are seven and ten, so they’re fairly independent in the morning, which has deluded me into believing that I can just get ready while they get ready. This is absolutely false. Inevitably someone needs something and it’s just better if I’m ready, or at least mostly ready, before they get up.

Simplify Your Beauty Routine

I love trying and using a variety of makeup and skincare products, but it can be overwhelming to dig through all of that in the morning.

I set aside the basics that I need for my morning skincare and makeup routine so that it’s all easy to grab and work my way through.

Plan Ahead!

I do as much as I possibly can the night before. That includes making lunches, setting out clothes for everyone – including myself, making sure the kids have packed backpacks and located everything they need for school the next day, and even setting out breakfast dishes.

Also, I take the amount of time I think my kids actually need for getting ready and add thirty minutes to determine what time we should be waking them up.

More Great Ideas for Moms!

• How to Make Your House the Fun House for Teens
• After School Snack Ideas for Hungry Kids
• Lunch Box Notes Printable for Middle School Kids
• 20 Questions to Ask Your Middle Schooler

We’re Your New Best Friends

Hi, we’re Megan and Wendy! Join us every Wednesday for “Approved with Megan and Wendy” – the podcast where we ask each other every week what we’re currently using and loving. Don’t waste any more time or money on products that don’t live up to their promises.

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