This is our family’s final week of summer. We are savoring as much of this last week as we can, because life changes dramatically for us on Tuesday, September 6, 2011. Our oldest daughter starts Kindergarten and my youngest starts her first year of preschool, so in other words, our mornings are about to get hectic.
I run a loose-y goose-y ship in the summers when it comes to bed times and wake up calls. I let the sun dictate the kids’ bedtime and their tired heads have been hitting their pillows around 9:30 pm, not the school year bedtime of 8pm. Our morning routine will be the most challenging transition for our family. After long days spent playing in the backyard sprinkler, or at the pool or park and late nights, they have been sleeping in until 9:30 am or even later.
Unfortunately for my little monkeys their alarm will be set for 7:00 am starting next Tuesday. I am a total morning person. I get up by 6 am all summer long to run, so their new wake-up time won’t affect me much. I know this will be a struggle for them, especially in the beginning. A jet airplane could be taking off right outside my oldest daughter’s bedroom and she would still be snoring away.
I am anticipating a long transition period. I need to be prepared for some potentially hectic mornings ahead.
Recently, I participated in the BlogHer and P&G Life Well Lived Blogger Panel where they explored the topic of Prepping, Prioritizing, and Delegating for a Stress-Free Morning.
The panel was asked: What is the biggest time waster/issue you have when getting you and your family ready in the morning? What tips do you have to save time in the morning to get everyone out and ready on time?
I offered some advice that has worked for our family in the past and something that I will do again starting next week, I “make breakfast a breeze by keeping grab and go breakfast food on hand, like cheese sticks, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt tubes and bananas for those really hectic mornings where there is no time to sit and eat”.
Now I’d love to hear your advice in my comments section. What is the biggest time waster/issue you have when getting you and your family ready in the morning? What tips do you have to save time in the morning to get everyone out and ready on time?
Also, be sure to read BlogHer’s Life Well Lived Campaign, where they are exploring the topics: Looking Your Best, Getting Organized, and Getting Happy. While you are there, be sure to enter to win the $250 Visa gift card in the Life Well Lived Moments Sweepstakes.
Good Luck!
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Getting my daughter dressed in the morning is our biggest challenge. She is 7 but totally not a morning person and is bear, especially if she was later getting in bed than usual. I get her to pick out her clothes the night before but sometimes she wants to change her mind and then it turns ugly.
The biggest time saver is having backpacks and shoes together near the door so they can be found is a huge help.
My children are adults now, however when they were small getting ready in the mornings were tough. My wife had them pick out what they would wear the night before. She would give a choice of 2 outfits. It saved a lot of time and effort in the morning.
I love your site! I have 4 kids, so everything is hectic, even though I try my hardest for organization!
http://countingby4.blogspot.com/
Angela – Great tip about keeping bags and shoes right by the door. Makes running out the door so much easier.
Counting by 4 – Thanks. I only have 2 kids and mornings get hectic, so I be 4 kids can get crazy.
Krantcents – We are going to have the kids pick out their clothes the night before, hoping that we don’t have the same problem that @Angela has though with my girls changing their minds.
Thanks for commenting.
I’m still in the swing of trying to get used to getting 2 out the door. I have a 2 year old and a two month old. I like the get the outfits ready the night before and have everything I can possibly get ready done the night before. As long as I leave enough time [about an hour] for our oldest to adjust to being awake all seems to run smoothly.