Your mornings don’t have to be stressful and chaotic. Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference. As busy fall schedules begin, try choosing just one small thing that could make your mornings run a little more smoothly… I’ve got a handful to pick from!
As alluring as the idea of a “perfect morning routine” might be, I realize it’s not totally practical for the vast majority of families — especially not during busy transition periods (like back-to-school).
As a mother of 4 school-age children with a teacher husband who is home full-time in the summer, the back-to-school transition is somewhat jarring for us.
So every August, my mind wanders over new and better ways to make this transition time less stressful for our family. No huge changes. Not another complicated system to maintain. Just a few little things we can do to remove some of the daily friction from our mornings.
My ultimate goal is for everyone to enjoy a hot breakfast together and still get out the door without forgetting anything and without feeling totally rushed or frazzled.
Our success rate continues to improve each year — partially because the kids are older and more capable, but also because we continue to tweak our morning (and evening) routines.
If you desire less stressful mornings, here are 5 little things you might try.
1. Prep & pack everything the night before.
This is the most obvious tip, but it is also one of the most effective.
Backpacks, work bags, lunch bags, diaper bags, sports equipment, instruments, water bottles, library books, permission slips, shoes—whatever needs to leave the house with you or your children should ideally be ready to go before bedtime.
Even better, put everything by the door or in the car if that’s practical.
It is exceptionally rare that we do not have everything the kids need in the mudroom ready to go out the door before they go to bed. The lunches are in the fridge, but they are also ready to go. We even fill the water bottles to the top with ice, then add water. The ice keeps things cold overnight and through the school day.
In the morning, you should not have to wonder, “Where did we put that?”
2. Shower and change at night.
This might be one of the stranger “little things” we do to save time in the morning… but our children always, always shower before bed… and for as long as I can remember, they sleep in the clothes they plan to wear to school the next day.
I know, it’s weird, but it saves SOOOOOO much time and stress in the mornings.
I will say, my high school daughter does not still sleep in her clothes, but everyone else does. They pick out their clothes before their shower, put on clean clothing after their shower, and just wake up ready to go the next morning.
Don’t knock it until you try it. 😉
We keep all our shoes in the mudroom, so the kids put their shoes and any outerwear on as they are grabbing their backpacks and heading out the door.
3. Create a breakfast plan.
Our family almost always sits down for a hot breakfast together every morning at 6:30 during the school year and closer to 8:30 during the summer.
I definitely need to have a breakfast plan to pull this off.
However, even if you don’t want to make a hot breakfast, I’d argue that you still need a breakfast plan (at least if you want your mornings to run more smoothly).
It doesn’t need to be fancy, but when you have a plan, you know you’ll have the necessary items in the house.
And don’t underestimate the power of making something ahead of time. A batch of muffins, baked oatmeal, breakfast sandwiches, or frozen breakfast burritos can turn a hectic morning into a much calmer one.
One less decision in the morning means one less thing for your brain to manage!
NOTE: If you’re curious about what we eat for our hot breakfasts every morning, I include my breakfast and dinner meal plans (with recipe links) in my free weekly newsletter.
4. Keep toiletries in multiple locations.
This is one of those little things that might seem ridiculous—until you realize how much time you spend walking around looking for things or waiting for someone else to get out of the bathroom.
Our kids have a toothbrush, toothpaste, and basic hair supplies in their bathroom upstairs, the half bathroom off the kitchen, and above the laundry room sink. So they have 3 options for places to brush their teeth and do their hair every morning.
I also have extra hair supplies in a hall closet off our eating area. I used these all the time when the kids were younger, as I often did their hair while they were eating.
Yes, you might need to purchase a few extra supplies, but I promise it will save your sanity if you have multiple people trying to leave the house at exactly the same time every morning.
5. Start your day 15 minutes earlier.
Sleep is important, and we are huge advocates for prioritizing sleep, creating good bedtime routines, and getting to bed as early as possible most nights.
However, when it comes to less-stressful mornings, I’ve found that 15 minutes of extra sleep isn’t nearly as beneficial to my morning (and potentially my entire day) as an extra 15 minutes to get ready before everyone else wakes up.
I know… it’s only 15 minutes, but if you use your time well, you should be able to quickly make your bed, get dressed, go to the bathroom, wash your face, do something with your hair, and turn on a few lights before you wake up the rest of the house.
If you’re a coffee drinker, you can brew some coffee while you quickly get ready too. Better yet, program your coffee maker the night before to be ready when you wake up!
It’s a very little thing that can make a big difference. Even after all these years, I’m still amazed at how different my mornings feel when I have a 15-minute head start.
Often, it really is the little things
An easier morning usually isn’t the result of one magical morning routine.
It’s the combination of dozens of tiny decisions that make life just a little bit easier.
- The bags packed.
- The shoes by the door.
- The breakfast already planned.
- The toothbrush where it’s actually used.
- The calendar checked.
- The water bottle filled.
- The coffee ready.
- The permission slip waiting beside the keys.
None of these things are particularly impressive, but together, they can make a surprisingly big difference for you and your family.
You don’t have to overhaul your mornings… just pick one little thing that’s making your mornings harder than they need to be and make that one thing easier today.
Then do it again tomorrow.
What are your best little tips for less-stressed mornings?
Jessica says
Great post, Andrea! When minutes matter these are huge timer savers! There are definitely things we can improve upon starting with everything packed and near the door the night before! Love that you pointed out how water bottles can be filled in advance. There is no need for us to wait until the morning to take care of that! I have realized that I’m so focused on the kids not forgetting anything that I am forgetting some key items myself like keys! and phone! and have to go back inside for those. To avoid this I’m starting to place my phone in my purse early in the morning so its there when I walk out the door and not sitting on the charger!
Andrea says
yes, the water bottles the night before is a big help. Sounds small, but it’s a time-saver and just one less thing to remember in the morning 🙂
Sharon R. Smallman says
Where did you get the cute bathroom cups from?
Andrea says
they are just plastic Chinette cups from the grocery store!
Marianne says
I always had a folder that all the permission slips had to go in. The kids came home and put the slips that needed to be signed in that folder. I would look them over sign them and put them in their backpacks that we prepared the night before. We also kept a folder for their schoolwork or announcements. They would come home and place that days school papers in the folder for me to look at and discuss. Announcements from the school the same way.
Andrea says
Good idea, Marianne!
Moira says
Does anyone really NEED makeup? I never could sustain any interest in it, and frankly, I feel fine about that. I’ve saved thousands of dollars and hours (I’m about to turn 62). Besides, I suspect that some man somewhere invented it, yet never felt any compulsion to use it himself! That’s time that I DID use to sleep a little longer — useful as I need 9 hours minimum to be at my best.
Lora says
My kids sleep in their clothes for the next day! We started it when Beto was in preschool and it was so difficult to get him out the door. It’s worked for us and now the kids think it’s normal. They really only sleep in true Pjs on Friday nights and in the summer! Saturday nights they sleep in church clothes! Haha!
Andrea says
haha! We’ve actually talked about doing this as it would save time, but the kids don’t want to.
That’s impressive that they sleep in church clothes!
Jennifer says
This is a great list! I’m a recent early rising enthusiast. Normally I shuffle around in my pajamas and definitely scroll facebook while I’m waking up. That’s enjoyable in it’s own way but probably not the best use of my time! This morning I tried your tip to get myself ready first and that made a big difference in how alert I felt. I didn’t think that our mornings were chaotic before, but this morning was even better… my son had time to play a bit before school while I enjoyed my coffee.
My biggest tip is to know how much sleep you need and go to bed accordingly. I function optimally with 9 hours and I’ve finally stopped fighting that. It makes such an impact on how the whole day goes.
Andrea says
yes, I definitely have days when I lounge around in my PJ’s and I’m always shocked by how much LESS productive I am on these days. Plus, then when the kids wake up, we’re all frantically trying to get ready at the same time. Our whole family runs more smoothly if I get dressed and ready RIGHT AWAY when I wake up!
Veronica says
Love these tips! A big one for me is making double or triple the amount of a particular breakfast food (scrambled eggs, waffles, pancakes, etc) a couple times a week to save me some time in the morning. We heat them up and eat those throughout the week and I cannot tell you how much more relaxed I am on those days lol. It dawned on me that if I’m already making eggs-and dirtying the pan- why not make a few more for tomorrow. Also, we have recently started eating overnight oats and it has been nice just to hand them their breakfast straight from the fridge! We just add fresh fruit or granola.
Kim says
yes that extra 10 mins makes a huge difference
Andrea says
always! there are SOOOOOOOOO many last-minute things that come up (bathroom breaks, diaper blowout, traffic jam, forgot something and had to run back into the house, etc. etc.) I would be late all the time if I didn’t factor in the 10 extra minutes!
Natalia says
I just set up my daily alarm to a little earlier and I made my list for tomorrow am. Like always, your blog gives me the encouragement and motivation that I need (or, ahem… a kick in the derriere ;))
Avia says
I pretty do all these during the week and I’m sure some were implemented from reading your blog! The weekends are where I struggle right now because I have it hardwired into my mind that I should be able to sleep in on the weekends (that would mean getting up at 6:30 instead of 4:30). But my little kids don’t sleep in so then I’m getting up right when they get up which makes me GRUMPY! In order to have a good day and I have to have 30 minutes with no one talking to me when I get up. So I’m getting better at that on the weekend.
Avia says
I meant to say – the biggest motivator for me to get up early (430/5) is to have the automatic coffee pot set. Knowing that all I have to do when I first get up is drag myself downstairs and get a cup of coffee with no effort is a huge motivator for me!! So I’ve started doing this for the weekends also and it’s helping.
Andrea says
Thanks for sharing this simple tip Avia!
Yes, I’ve found that having the laundry in the washing machine ready to go is another motivator for me — all I have to do is turn it on and I’ve crossed one thing off my list!
Ashley says
All great tips/reminders! It was on your blog that I first heard the suggestion to put everything possible *in* the car the night before and it makes such a difference! I miss the days of getting showered/dressed before the kids get up, but being pregnant I just need more sleep than I did before. Like you said–all seasons! Thanks for always being practical in everything you write!
Andrea says
yup! As long as it can withstand outdoor temperatures, I put things IN THE VAN the night before. Library books, backpacks, diaper bags, etc. etc. It’s all so much easier to get out the door without trying to carry 800 extra things in the process!
Katie says
For me, it’s the combo of having a plan and having routines. I don’t wake up and wonder what I should do first – I know exactly what I’m going to do – make coffee, empty dishwasher, wake up kids, fix breakfast, get ready while kids eat and dress themselves, do kids hair, and head out. Also – understanding that the routine will need to change as seasons of life change – when my kids were younger, I had to be 100% there for them in the AM. Now that they are older and can do more themselves, I can use some of the time for myself.
Andrea says
you are exactly right Katie! Thanks for bringing attention to the 2-part success of the plan + routine!
Margaret says
A frequent line-item on my daily to-do list is “restock”. I have a quite a few things decanted in some way to make them easier to use or easier to see when I’m almost out, and I refill in the evenings when I’m washing dishes & sweeping floors. It saves significant time not to be digging dog food out of the bags in the ammo box on the front porch (with barking dogs) or groping through the backstock drawer looking for toothpaste–and not finding it.
BUT, I have to keep up with it. It really is one of those “stitch in time saves nine” things–I can make my life run more smoothly when I invest some time upfront and then maintain it.
Andrea says
yes, I feel like this is just part of my dinner clean up — I pack lunches, get breakfast ready for the next day, and refill or restock everything. Whether it’s cutting up raw fruits and veggies for the next day or filling up pantry containers with more grain, flour, granola, snacks, etc.
It takes time upfront, for sure — but it saves SOOOOOO much time (and my sanity) later on!