Easy Morning Routine for Parents with More Than One Child

Mornings can be crazy when you have more than one child. There are lunchboxes to pack, socks to find, and tired eyes. Plus, the school bus won’t wait.  If you have more than one child, you know how hard it is. What great news?  You may have a school morning routine that is calm, structured, and even fun! This course will show you a morning routine for kids that works and saves time for families with more than one child.  Here’s how to make mornings at school easier for everyone, from getting ready the night before to dealing with tantrums.

1. Begin the night before

One of the best methods to make your morning easier is to get ready the night before.  This step alone can save you 30 to 45 minutes each morning, even if it seems apparent.

The night prior, you should do this:

• Get out clothes for each of your kids, like socks, underpants, and hair ties.

• Put your finished coursework, water bottles, and everything else you need for the day in your school bags, including sports shoes, library books, and so on.

• Get the lunchboxes ready, or at least prepare a note of what you’ll bring and get items ready, like cutting up fruits or making dry snacks.

• Make sure to stick to tight bedtimes.A child who has had enough sleep wakes up more easily and doesn’t complain as much.

For younger kids, provide a visual checklist so they may ‘mark off’ each chore before bed.

2. Get up before your kids do

When you’re tired, this might not make sense, but getting up even 20–30 minutes before your kids provides you time to calm down.  You can use this time for:

•  A quick shower

•  Making coffee in the morning

•  Looking over your list of things to do

• Getting ready in my thoughts for the pandemonium to come!

You may lead with patience instead of panic if you get up before the kids do.

3. Make a chart for your family’s morning routine

If you have more than one child, a visual morning ritual might assist them learn to do things on their own and stop whining.

Here’s a simple one, for example:

Time: Task

 6:30 in the morning Time to get up and go to the toilet at 6:45 AM Put on your clothes at 7:00 AM. Eat breakfast at 7:20 AM. 7:30 AM: Brush your hair and teeth. Put your shoes on and pack your stuff.

 7:45 in the morning Go to school

Put this chart on the wall of the bedroom or the fridge so that everyone can see it. Let each youngster follow it at their own pace.

Use stickers, colours, or drawings if your child is too young to read.

4. Make breakfast simple but healthy.

Don’t make your mornings worse by planning a big breakfast.  Pick meals that are easy to create and give you energy and nutrients:

• Oats for breakfast

• Toast with peanut butter and banana slices

• Fruit with boiled eggs

•  Smoothies full of yoghurt, fruit, and seeds

• Cereal made from whole grains with milk

Change up your breakfast alternatives every 4 to 5 days so you don’t have to worry about it every morning.

Here’s a tip for parents who want to save time: arrange the table for breakfast the night before or leave bowls and spoons out on the counter.

5. Give them work that is right for their age.

Let your kids do activities like pour milk, tie their shoes, or pack their bags by themselves.

This is a rough guide:

• Ages 3 to 5: Help them pick out their clothes, pack snacks, and clean their teeth.

• You should dress yourself, brush your hair and teeth, and help your younger brother or sister from ages 6 to 8.

• Ages 9 and above: Get your things together, make a modest breakfast, and clean yourself up.

This not only helps kids learn to do things on their own, but it also makes things easier for you.

6. Use bins or zones to keep things in order.

Check to see that each child’s things, like backpacks, lunch boxes, shoes and other things, are in the right place.  Use hangers, boxes, or boxes to write their names on.

 Why it works:

•  No last-minute  “Where’s my shoe?”  drama

• Every child is in charge of their own things.

• Your hallway doesn’t appear like a tornado hit it.

To save time, keep all of your school supplies in one place near the door so that you don’t have to search for them in the morning.

7. Don’t let them spend too much time on screens in the morning.

Don’t turn on the TV or give out tablets in the morning.  Screens can slow youngsters down and make them rush at the last minute, even if they might appear like a way to get them to focus.

 Instead:

•  Play music that gets you moving

• Encourage them to do basic things like read a short book or water a plant.

• To get them prepared, talk to them about the day ahead.

Parents, here’s a tip: make a family rule that no one can use screens until after school or homework is done.

8. Use warnings to help with transitions

Letting your kids know five minutes before they have to switch tasks will help keep them from having meltdowns.  For instance:

 ” We’re going to put on shoes when you finish your meal.

These sounds help kids to get ready for what’s coming next. It’s very important for kids between the ages of 2 and 5. 

 9. Do stick on your plan but be open to change it. 

There is no such thing as a perfect routine, and things will happen that will slow you down, such spills, tantrums, and projects you forgot about.  The most important thing to do is to stay calm and work on what you’ve said. 

If the timetable doesn’t work ;

• Don’t spend money on things you don’t need, like hard to do hairstyles. 

• It’s not the end of the world.  Take a deep breath and move on. 

• Change what you do every day and make things better after what happened. 

Parents of younger children might want to use an incentive scheme, like giving them stickers or stars for doing their work, to keep them on track.

10. Take pleasure in small wins

Did everyone get out of the home on time today?  Did one of your kids assist another get ready?  Be happy about these little wins.  Positive reinforcement helps youngsters acquire a habit that will stick with them and makes them feel like they are working together.

Last Thoughts

Mornings can be peaceful if they have more than one child then they should plan everything before going to bed. It helps to make mornings less stressful and encourage them to be independent, punctual and patient. It also helps to feel more connected to them.

Parents should plan everything before going to bed so that the next morning would be peaceful and smooth. 

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