JENerally Informed: Guest Post: Morning Time Savers for Busy Moms

Guest Post: Morning Time Savers for Busy Moms

I have awesome friends and I love learning about their tried and true mothering tips. My friend Carolyn over at A Lavender Life wrote this very helpful post last week and it especially resonated with me. I have 3 children to get out the door each morning. I end up doing hair while holding a baby, making lunch and breakfast and it seems like the carnage after they are out the door leaves me pooped and frustrated! You would think I should have it down by now.

Carolyn has some great tips whether you have 1 or more kids to get out the door or maybe it's just the hubs you have to shew out. Anyway, I hope this little time management refresher course helps you like it did me. Feel free to share what you have found helps get you and yours out the door without losing your sanity!

Turning things over to Carolyn now.

I fondly remember the days of my twenties when I would sleep until the last possible second before I absolutely had to get myself up, showered, dressed, and out the door. That’s right; I only had myself to worry about. Now, as a stay at home mom to a very active and opinionated three year old and an eight month old, my mornings are quite different and at times extremely chaotic.

On days when my older daughter goes to school, I’ve developed a strategic plan of attack for keeping my sanity, maintaining order in the house, and helping everyone get where they need to be on time without any major injuries or emotional breakdowns. But there is still some room for improvement. I’ve polled some of my friends who are mothers and asked them for their suggestions and thoughts on what works for best them with their families as well.

BE PREPARED

Plan outfits for the next day the night before. Laying out everything right down to which socks your kids will wear can be a fabulous time saver. Want to add some bonus minutes to your morning ritual? Lay your own clothes out too.

Think about what else you can prepare the night before, such as placing coats and boots by the door during the winter. Personally, I’ve always had a hard time locating the exact whereabouts of my car keys in the morning. Searching for mommy’s keys can be an incredible time waster for everyone, so lately I’ve been making sure to set them somewhere extremely obvious at night to save the time I might otherwise spend looking under couch cushions in the morning.

Do your kids bring their lunches to school? Pack them the night before. There is no good reason for you to be chopping fruits and vegetables and preparing sandwiches at the last minute.

DIVIDE & CONQUER

Are you the mom who does it all or the mom who takes it all on for no good reason? What morning tasks and rituals could you delegate to your son, daughter, or husband? As moms, we frequently do for others what they should be or could be doing for themselves. If you have younger children, consider making a morning responsibility chart for them to complete.

BE AN EARLY BIRD

Let’s face it, moms get more done when their kids are sleeping snug in their beds. Get the coffee brewing and start waking up and getting out of bed before your children. It’s much easier to start your day as an early bird, getting tasks accomplished at a more relaxed pace, than to be scrambling around in a frantic rush with the little ones swarming at your ankles.

What changes could you make to your busy morning routine?

Comments (19)

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sara · 586 weeks ago

I am trying so hard to become an early bird. But I have never, ever been one, so it's still really had for me! But on the few mornings I'm able to get up early (and, honestly, we're talking 8am here which I know isn't even super early by most people's standards...) it's SO nice to have a little peace and quiet over a cup of coffee with some time to do some chores after.

4 replies · active 586 weeks ago

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sara · 586 weeks ago

PS. Also I nominated you for the Liebster Award on my blog :) http://rhapsodyandchaos.com/liebster-award/

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queenmomjen 75p · 586 weeks ago

Get out of town!! Awesome. You are the best :)

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Carolyn · 586 weeks ago

Congratulations Jen! I don't know what the Liebster Award is but I'm about to look into it! It sounds awesome!

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Carolyn · 586 weeks ago

I agree with you Sara, I'm actually starting to look forward to get up super early which is pretty unusual for me! Thanks for the comment!

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Valerie 26p · 586 weeks ago

Great tips! I don't have anyone to get out the door because we homeschool and my husband is usually gone to work when we all get up, but I still have a LOT to do every morning, in order to start the start the day right. :) I prefer to get up early (at least 30 minutes before the kids) because I can sip my coffee and check my email, etc without little people talking about food. LOL

I *try* to have lessons ready and checklists already made up so that schooling goes smoothly, but that's still a work in progress.

2 replies · active 586 weeks ago

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queenmomjen 75p · 586 weeks ago

You are the bomb Valerie. Homeschooling and doing it all with such finesse.My littlest person does not believe in sleeping, If you ant to see the walking dead, just look at me and the hubs. Ever since her birth all organization seems to have gone to the birds. Working hard on restoring order and that's why I love all of these tips!

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Carolyn Jennings · 586 weeks ago

Thanks Valerie! Technically, I don't have to get out of the door some days either but I still find these helpful!

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comedyplus 47p · 586 weeks ago

I agree that you have to plan ahead and I did some of these things back in the day too. A little work the night before sure helps out in the morning. Excellent.

Have a fabulous day. ☺

4 replies · active 586 weeks ago

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queenmomjen 75p · 586 weeks ago

How many children do you have? I think you must have been an amazing powerhouse Mom and still are. My Mother tells me just because we leave home that doesn't end the parenting cycle. I still pick her brain daily.

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comedyplus 47p · 586 weeks ago

I only have one son. He's 43. He has two daughters, one grown and the other a junior in high school and my granddaughter (oldest) has a baby now. So I'm a great grandma.

No I was just a regular mom. My mother taught me lots of wonderful things and that's why things were a big more organized for me.

mycomedyplus@att.net
Sandee @ Comedy Plus
Princess Because-I-Said-So

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queenmomjen 75p · 586 weeks ago

A great- grandma, how exciting!

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Carolyn · 586 weeks ago

Sometimes I have to do ALOT of work the night before but it definitely helps! Thanks for your comment!

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Dayngr · 586 weeks ago

I have 3rd graders. Here's what we do & it might help others - I purchased each child a 5 slot cubby system at target/walmart that hangs in their closet (they're like those shoe organizers but bigger, for clothes). Sunday evenings I organize their outfits for the whole week with socks and undies, too. They can wear their outfits in any order they like but they have to wear what's in the organizer - not go digging through the closet or changing things up.

We also worked together to plan a routine. The kids wake up, go potty, brush their teeth and then get dressed - then they come downstairs. Once downstairs, they can put on their school shoes and jackets if necessary (which stay downstairs in the hall closet and go right back there after school) and then eat breakfast. Having a routine really helps and discussing it beforehand gets everyone onboard and lets them know what is expected.

Of course, going to bed on-time helps as does waking up on-time, too. Each kiddo has their own alarm clock - this way, mom isn't the bad guy.

2 replies · active 586 weeks ago

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queenmomjen 75p · 586 weeks ago

Oh my goodness, love the shoe cubby hole idea! Target here I come!