Why A Morning Routine For Kids Will Change Your Life
A morning routine for kids will change your life. Don’t believe me? Try it!
Kids need a morning routine. Matter of fact, they thrive on it.
Mornings filled with chaos and uncertainty can cause both you and them unnecessary stress.
Imagine a world with good moods, a healthy breakfast, kids ready for school, and everyone ready to leave the house on time. THAT is what a good morning routine for kids can do.
Figuring out the perfect routine that works for you and your children will make mornings run smoothly and minimize those pesky temper tantrums.
What is a Good Morning Routine For Kids?
A good morning routine for kids starts by making sure everyone gets enough sleep.
Bedtime routines may start with getting the kids, especially the younger kids, into bed a bit earlier.
There are several resources available online that show you the quantity of sleep your child should be getting depending on their age. You may be surprised to see that your children aren’t getting nearly enough sleep as recommended for easier mornings!
Preparing what you can the night before can also ease the burden of mornings.
- You can find recipes that you can prepare breakfast ahead of time and simply heat up in the morning.
- Prepare and pack lunches the night before too, so you can save time in the morning and focus on other tasks.
- Choosing the outfit your kid will be wearing the next day is helpful too, so you don’t have to spend time looking for clothes.
Getting into a routine yourself (for more than just your kids) will also help mornings run smoothly.
Get up before your children wake up so you have time to shower, eat breakfast, get some caffeine, and start the day! You’ll feel more awake when it’s time to wake the kids up so you’re better prepared to tackle the day.
With a little extra time in the early morning, what else could you get done?
The “when-then approach” to mornings can give kids something to look forward to so they are motivated to get through their routine. Choose what your child looks forward to in the morning and use that with the when-then approach.
For instance, if your child is looking forward to chocolate chip pancakes that morning, you could say something like “When you brush your teeth and comb your hair, then we can have breakfast”.
This will encourage them to get their hygiene taken care of so they can enjoy their breakfast!
What’s the first thing you grab in the morning? Probably your cell phone to check for texts or calls.
Children are similar. They will want to run to the tablet or TV first thing in the morning, but this is a no-no for a good morning routine.
Avoid screen time in the morning.
It’s easy for children to get trapped in a show while watching TV or game and fall behind on their morning responsibilities. That means you’ll have to get them off the tablet or TV and get them ready, potentially causing everyone to run late.
If you want to get out of the door on time, you may have to be a little more aware of the amount of time older kids are spending on their phones in the morning as well.
Staying Calm in the Morning
Kids feed off the emotions of their parents.
The more frustrated you get in the morning, the more frustrated they are going to be as well.
Yelling at your children in the morning will only make matters worse and create problems in the morning.
If the routine is new, just remember to be patient with your children as they adapt. Creating a morning routine for kids and getting everyone up and ready is a task for the entire family to contribute to.
Make School Mornings Fun
School mornings are rough for parents and kids, but there are ways you can make the morning fun, so your children aren’t apprehensive every morning.
Music boosts people’s moods, kids included. Instead of turning the music off, crank it up!
Put on some feel-good, upbeat tunes, and dance your way through your morning routine with your kids.
If you have more than one school-aged child, you can turn mornings into fun little competitions. Whoever completes their morning routine chart first can get a small prize.
Believe it or not, a fun alarm clock may make getting your child out of bed easier in the morning.
There are many options available, like a bullseye alarm clock you hit with a dart or an alarm clock that will roll around, so you have to get out of bed to grab it.
Morning Routine Charts For Kids
Morning routine charts for our kids changed our lives…seriously!
(I’m bad at taking photos for this stuff, but I’ll add our exact morning routine chart photo here later.)
Each of our bedrooms has a morning routine checklist. In the toddler’s room, it’s right next to his potty training chart.
Morning routine charts can give your child a sense of accomplishment as they check items off the list.
The list may vary depending on the age of the child, but a few things you could include are get dressed, brush your teeth, make the bed, put your shoes on, get your lunch/backpack, and similar tasks they need to complete to get ready in the morning.
Once you have the routine chart for your children, run through it with them to clear up any hiccups or rearrange tasks as needed.
Quick Recap
Mornings don’t have to be dreadful for you or your kids.
Creating a morning routine will help your children get into a rhythm in the morning.
They’ll learn what to do after brushing their teeth or what they need to do before they grab their backpack if they’re off to school.
Prepare what you can the night before, such as breakfast and lunches, and grab the clothes the kids will wear the next day as well.
Make sure you get up earlier than your children, so you have some time to shower and get some coffee or tea in the morning, allowing you alone time to wake yourself up.
Routine charts can help give kids a feeling of accomplishment, encouraging them to complete the tasks on it with little to no assistance.
Routine makes everything straightforward, uncomplicated, and effortless. Best of all, children thrive on it.
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