Parents in Action: Making mornings easier

Mornings can be a struggling battle for some, or something to look forward to for others. Over the years, the term “Morning Person” has become familiar and most people have come to recognize whether they are one or not. What most parents can agree on, is whether they choose to be a morning person or not, that choice goes out the window when they start a family.

Some families may find their morning routines to be a breeze enjoying the quality time together, while others need a good night’s rest just to gear up for their morning routine. Although everyone dreams of kids waking up bright-eyed and bushy tailed, that is just not reality. Parents start out with the responsibility of doing everything in the morning while their kids are too young to do it themselves, but parents need to remember that as they get older they can teach their kids to do some of these simple tasks to eliminate the chaos and stress of the morning.

Teaching kids even the smallest tasks like waking up on their own, dressing themselves and brushing their hair and teeth will free up plenty of time for mom and dad in the morning to start their own routine.

Here are a few steps families can take to make the morning calm and enjoyable.

Plan: Problems in the morning are often rooted in the fact that things should have been done the night before. Check school bags the night before to make sure all necessary contents are in them and then place them at the front door. Also, lay out clothes for the next day to save a few minutes the next morning. Pack lunches or teach the kids to pack their lunch the night before.

Stay on a routine: Creating a routine keeps most of the unpleasant surprises that wreck havoc on mornings out of the picture, allowing the family for the most part to start refreshed and charged. Wake up an hour earlier than necessary and take time to relax, drink coffee, do yoga or read Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.  

Get quality sleep: This sometimes seems like a thing of the past to adults, but to kids this is extremely important. Making sure that kids get quality sleep will allow them to wake up feeling refreshed and happier than being on an inconsistently unhealthy sleep pattern. All parents would rather see smiles in the morning than tears and temper tantrums!

There will always be bumps in the road to challenge one’s parenting tactics, but just making a few of these changes will rid some stress and frustration out of the morning no matter what obstacle comes. With a newfound free time, make sure to spend it enjoying the family. Sitting down and having a breakfast is a fantastic way to bond and get fueled up for the day! With something that could positively affect every member of the family, there is no reason not to try out a few of these ideas!

Sources:
www.Parentingwithangela.com
www.tbparenting.com
http://family.go.com/parenting/pkg-back-to-school/article-747228-school-morning-routines-t/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/349389-how-to-make-simple-morning-routine/
http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/healthy_eating/breakfast.html