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Tips for Tackling Morning Madness

March 23, 2010 by Janice

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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What time of day is most stressful for you? When does your To Do List seem most overwhelming?

For me, the morning madness of getting my day started and getting my kids dressed, fed, and in the van to drive to school is my worst time of day. I have to admit, I regularly lose my cool trying to get my son ready on time.

I use a few strategies to make minimize my morning madness…

Let’s Share our TIPS!

Clean bathroom or not — I am still not a morning person.

For my sanity, I need to keep a tight rein on our morning schedules or things can go out of control.

So, I thought it might be fun if, along with our tackles, we share our Minimizing Morning Madness tips.

I know you have them!!! How do YOU make your mornings run smoothly?

Here are a few of my tips:

  • Plan ahead: Make a to-do list the night before and complete as many activities as possible to minimize morning stress. For example, I have my kids shower the night before and lay out their clothes. I sign any school forms and put them in my son’s backpack before I go to bed.
  • tt-mm-backpack-220

    tt-mm-clothes-220

  • Enforce a routine: To streamline the morning rush, establish a regular routine. I have regular check points for my son so he keeps on schedule.
  • tt-mm-checklist-300

  • Make cleaning convenient: To ensure that cleaning products are at your fingertips when you need them, purchase three or four of your favorite cleaning products at once. I keep one bottle in each bathroom for easy access so I can do quick clean ups and avoid procrastination. (Remember to keep cupboards locked if you have little ones!)

What are YOUR tips?
Written by 5 Minutes for Mom co-founder Janice.

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Motherhood and Aveeno Baby Brand: A Giveaway
The Very Best of Enya releases to CD & DVD

About Janice

Janice is co-founder of 5 Minutes For Mom. She's been working online since 2003 and is thankful her days are full of social media, writing and photography.

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30 Comments

  1. clallen says

    March 28, 2010 at 10:06 pm

    my family and i thrive on routine. we all feel better and our day runs smoother when we know what to expect. monday thru friday we start every day with breakfast. while the kids eat i prepare their lunch boxes. next they get dressed, brush teeth and hair and then we put our shoes on and head out the door.
    when they come home from school they know it’s snack time and then time for homework.
    dinner will be prepared after homework is finished and they will have a little while to watch tv or play games and then it’s dinner. after dinner it’s rest, then bath and bed.
    i try to stay on top of house hold chores and i do those while the kids are in school. i make sure they have school clothes ready and back packs ready at night.
    i honestly feel that if your children are use to a routine it helps them know what to expect from a day. it keeps everyones mood even. thanks clallen a t ntin dot net

    Reply
  2. Tamara B. says

    March 26, 2010 at 10:37 pm

    WIth two teenagers a son who has track practice at 7:00AM on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, president of the Chess Club practices on Tuesday ,Thursday at 8:00AM pur mornings are really crazy. I prebake alot of breakfast foods on the weekend. I make turkey sausage biscuits and freeze them and I also pre make healty muffins too.

    Reply
  3. Lisa says

    March 26, 2010 at 10:00 pm

    I am not a morning person by choice, on by requirement. I get up 15 min. before the kids and get ready. I lay everything out the night before, usually for the kids and myself. Lunch made the night before, a school items in backpacks or no the mail table by the front door. Simple breakfast and I try to get my 4 and 7 yr-old-girls to take on responsibilities that ease the morning. Routine, routine, routine!

    Reply
  4. Shannon says

    March 26, 2010 at 1:00 am

    We have a “no new ideas” rule. The cut off time is 8:30. Once the clock rolls over to “8” “3” “0” my boys have to live with their outfits, consider bellies full, and commit to their show and tell choices. We find indecision (a better ways to tackle a problem that didn’t really exist) slows us down and adds stress.
    New ideas are greeted with a smile at other times of day.

    Reply
  5. Angelica says

    March 25, 2010 at 2:38 am

    My daughter has curly hair, so if I am successful in getting her to shower at night, I do her hair right away, (easier when its wet) so in the morning I dont have to mess with it too much.
    I also try and make my breakfast the night before, egg substitute and spinach omelette, makes a big difference!!

    Reply
  6. Christina says

    March 25, 2010 at 12:09 am

    Besides planning ahead the night before, and laying out everything that’s necessary, no matter how sleepy I am, I also think about my attitude. I tell myself that one, no matter how tiring and frazzled it is, it doesn’t last forever, an hour at the longest, and two, it’s really worth it for my family! This really helps me!

    Reply
  7. Becca - Our Crazy Boys says

    March 24, 2010 at 10:21 pm

    I agree with you… plan, plan, plan…

    My little guy is dressed by 6:30, finished eating by 6:44, finished brushing by 6:55, and out the door at 7:03!

    Reply
  8. Nicole E says

    March 24, 2010 at 5:06 pm

    My big tip is to be sure to get up before the kiddos are! I put board books in my toddlers crib so that in case she wakes up when or before I do I can still have time to make the bed, do my makeup, etc. before getting her up and at em. It’s amazing how much time I save not having to chase her around while I’m trying to do my stuff!!

    Reply
  9. Tanya Peila says

    March 24, 2010 at 3:43 pm

    We do several things to make our mornings easier. One , clothes are ALWAYS set out the night before including shoes and backpack. My 5-year old gets up with an alarm 15 minutes before me and if he is dressed and ready to go he gets to watch TV or play a game while I get ready. Now I don’t have to feed mine on weekdays because of daycare but when I did I would put a mug with milk in the fridge and a cup of cereal and once he was dressed he could get it out of the fridge and pour the cereal in the milk and eat himself without my help.

    Reply
  10. Jeannine M says

    March 24, 2010 at 3:09 pm

    I get everything prepped the night before.

    Reply
  11. Angela says

    March 24, 2010 at 2:36 pm

    I keep a kettle and mug at work, so instead of making coffee/tea at home, I make it at work instead. Also, portable breakfast is a must – cereal or granola in a baggie and a piece of fruit (or dried fruit) so that we can all sleep a bit longer in the morning.

    Reply
  12. Annie says

    March 24, 2010 at 2:33 pm

    Having the backpacks loaded into the car, or by the front door now that my kids ride the bus to school, has been a big help. We don’t have the last-minute scramble to load them up or get things signed. My new goal is to have my four kids check the school breakfast and lunch menu, then I know when they want to pack a lunch or eat breakfast at home AHEAD of time instead of rushing to make sandwiches when “Salisbury Steak” doesn’t tickle their taste buds.

    Reply
  13. Michelle says

    March 24, 2010 at 10:48 am

    Oddly, the best thing I can do to make my mornings run smoothly is to ensure that everyone – including me – has gotten a good night’s sleep the night before. When we’re well rested, it’s easier to do what we’re supposed to do, etc.

    Reply
  14. okaat says

    March 24, 2010 at 9:42 am

    My kids are in college so my mornings are bliss. I catch up on the computer and drink my morning coffee in peace. Enjoy your kids while they are small and know someday you will have serenity in the mornings. Planning ahead is good advice. Get all the permission slips and paperwork done and put in backpacks the evening before. Make lunches ahead of time and get enough sleep so you can be fresh in the morning. Mostly enjoy the time you have with your kids and find the simple joy of it all.

    Reply
  15. Michelle McGee says

    March 24, 2010 at 9:35 am

    I clean the kitchen up the night before, prep lunches, and lay out all the breakfast things – cereal, bowl, spoon, cup. I also set my alarm to go off 30 minutes before I need to get up because I am notorious for hitting snooze way too many times. I have my kids lay out clothes the night before and I do the same.

    Reply
  16. Courtney says

    March 24, 2010 at 8:53 am

    Honestly, the thing that makes my mornings easiest is when I go to bed at a reasonable hour the night before. When I get enough sleep I am a much nicer Mommy the next morning! Failing that, lots of coffee or hot tea helps me have enough energy to keep up with my two little one’s and stick to my work-at-home schedule.
    Thanks for a great giveaway and all the tips 🙂

    Reply
  17. Mimi says

    March 24, 2010 at 8:52 am

    Well, I won’t be entering this Linky because I am in the same boat as you. I think God should’ve made the day begin at noon-ish and end around midnight-1am. I’m just no good at mornings. Now, find me at 10pm and I’ll be about 2 hours into my second wind! Sometimes we just don’t fit the mold. One of these days I might be ok with that! 🙂

    Reply
  18. Linze! says

    March 24, 2010 at 7:34 am

    It has to be in the evening. The kids are coming home from school and the hubby is coming home from work. It’s a daily ritual of scrambling around getting the house cleaned and getting something fixed for dinner and a game or storytime for afterwords. I live in a house of picky eaters! Even the pets in my house are picky. It has to be just right or I’m gonna hear it. So what works best for me is saying 3 Hail Marys, A Serenity Prayer, Crossing my Fingers and Toes, and hope everyone is happy, and all is well.

    Reply
  19. Terez says

    March 23, 2010 at 6:49 pm

    With a 2-year-old, I know that she thrives on routine. So, we prepare for every day by doing the same general things – wash her face, brush her teeth, dress her, do her hair, eat breakfast. But sometimes, she isn’t in the best of moods in the mornings and neither am I. So, to minimize morning madness and calm tensions, I read her a small portion of the Bible after breakfast every day. It seems to get us in the right frame of mind for the busy day ahead of us.

    Reply
  20. Heather Erbe says

    March 23, 2010 at 5:26 pm

    I get up with plenty of time and I make a mental note at night what needs to be done in the morning and set things up that need to be done the night before.

    Reply
  21. MageeMommy says

    March 23, 2010 at 3:40 pm

    Almost every morning, I make my bed and at some point take 5 minutes to brush my hair and put on makeup or whatever will make me feel fresh and girly. This is some of the best advice ever given to me and it makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something early so gives me encouragement to keep going throughout the day.

    Reply
  22. Eos Mom says

    March 23, 2010 at 2:09 pm

    Like you, we have times when the next step has to happen. Up at 6:45, prevacid, get dressed, breakfast at 7:10, bottle at 7:30, coat and backpack on at 7:47 for a 7:50 departure. Things run more smoothly with these benchmarks (and helps with groggy mommy brain).

    Reply
  23. mistie says

    March 23, 2010 at 12:35 pm

    well since i only have one that goes to preschool , i lay her clothes out the night before and back pack and coat next to the door, I dress her and her daddy drops her off on his way to work. then i go back to bed as my other two sleep till around 9 . we dont have much of a routine. if she dont have school like this week , we sleep till 10 and then get up and just have fun..

    Reply
  24. Rachel says

    March 23, 2010 at 10:53 am

    Ugh — mornings.

    The best thing for us is to make sure sure that our kitchen and living room are completely clean the night before. If I don’t have to worry about doing any cleaning in the morning — if breakfast dishes are already clean and ready — etc., I can focus on getting kids ready/fed without worrying about straightening up before we leave.

    Reply
  25. Liz says

    March 23, 2010 at 10:48 am

    I’m back again to share a tip for using baskets to organize. I like the kind with lids the best. Especially picnic baskets, you can really “pile” the stuff in them!
    Thanks for offering the giveaway! I would love another basket!
    ~Liz

    Reply
  26. Lauren Hale says

    March 23, 2010 at 10:42 am

    I have three kids but only one goes to school in the morning right now.

    She showers the day before when she gets home from school. We change clothes and get snack.

    We check her backpack and get anything taken care of for the next morning.

    Before I go to bed, I get her clothes laid out for the next day and set her backpack out as well.

    When we wake up, she gets dressed while I get breakfast together. Her sister usually wakes up too and will just hang out. Once they’re eating breakfast, I make coffee, do dishes and any laundry that needs to be done.

    Then I wake up their brother and feed him breakfast.

    Dad drives our daughter to school so he’s getting ready in the background and coffee has to be done before he leaves.

    I’ve learned that the key is to get as much done the night before. When I have two going to school next year, I’m sure it’ll be a lot more fun in the morning!

    Reply
  27. Heather says

    March 23, 2010 at 10:00 am

    Thanks as always for hosting a Mclinky. I always enjoy Tackle it Tuesday! 🙂

    Reply
  28. Liz says

    March 23, 2010 at 9:42 am

    I will have to say that having teenagers, morning are a little easier than they used to be. Except when they are yelling for clean socks, because they didn’t put their clothes away and can’t find any.
    Thanks so much for hosting!
    ~Liz

    Reply
  29. Bonnie says

    March 23, 2010 at 9:37 am

    I love to have a clean slate for the morning, helps me stay sane with four kids.

    So I always do my dishes and have clean counters in the kitchen. I also like to have lunch items at the ready.

    Reply

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