8 Tips to Make Mornings Easier

For years, mornings were chaos in our household. Between getting myself ready for work and my girls ready for school, there was always something being forgotten, and I always felt rushed. There was frustration and tears regularly. I finally said, “Enough is enough.” I needed to take back my mornings, so this is what I did.

1. Pre-Pack Lunches

Instead of trying to get the kids dressed and make lunches in the morning, I started pre-packing lunches the night before. As my girls got older, I passed this chore along to them. This one little trick saved us so much time in the mornings!

Bonus – we also winded up packing better, healthier lunches because we weren’t rushing and just throwing anything into the lunchbox.

2. Get Clothes Ready Ahead of Time

Similar to pre-packing lunches, I now get all of our clothes laid out ahead of time. I’m talking everything – down to my daughter’s underwear and accessories. I’ve seen some moms use a set of plastic drawers or a hanging closet divider to put together an entire week’s worth of clothes for this purpose.

3. Keep a Notepad by Your Bed

Every night before I go to sleep, I take no more than 5 minutes to jot down my to-do list for the next day. I do this for two reasons.

#1 – It helps prevent me from losing sleep thinking about what I have to do the next day.

#2 – When I wake up in the morning, I can quickly glance at the list to see if there is anything that must be done before I leave the house in the morning.

4. Make an Easy Breakfast

One thing I can count on is @justcrackanegg Omelet Rounds in the mornings! My daughters love the All American and the Classic omelet rounds.

All I have to do is remove the film, pop the tray in the microwave for 50 seconds - then let it sit for 2 minutes and my daughters can enjoy them straight out of the package or on the go for a quick breakfast snack!

Doesn't get easier than this and I can focus on getting ready for work!

5. Use a Better Alarm

If you hate waking up to an annoying beeping alarm clock, change it up! Everyone dreads that harsh beeping alarm. Instead, find a song that you love (that you won’t sleep through) and use this as your alarm. I guarantee you’ll wake up happier.

6. Say No to Devices

I’ll just admit it. I used to have a bad habit of checking my phone before I went to sleep and as soon as I woke up. This didn’t do me any favors. It did the opposite. I wasted so much time that could have been better spent. So now, I don’t open my phone in the mornings (besides turning off the alarm and checking the time).

7. Have a Designated Drop-Off Spot

After spending way too many mornings rushing around trying to find missing shoes and lost school papers, I created a designated drop-off spot for shoes, bookbags, purses, and keys right by our front door. It took just a few days for my kids to get in the habit of using this spot and it has made a huge difference!

8. Get Yourself Ready First

My final tip is a simple one – get yourself ready first. Just like you are told on a flight, you need to put your own oxygen mask on first. This may mean you have to get up earlier than your kids to get ready, but it will be worth it.