Check out the latest post from my friend and coach Holly Rigsby:

Mornings can be one of the most chaotic times of a Busy Mom’s day ~ especially Back To School Mornings!

There is a way to make your mornings go smoother – for you and your family.

Routine

Yes, the power of establishing a morning routine works like magic!

Routines …..

- are comfortable and familiar
- set expectations and boundaries
- are reassuring, you know what to expect therefore you are more at ease!

Consider the opposite ~ A chaotic morning! A morning that has no predictability or flow. This type of morning only promotes feelings of stress, worry, anger, frustration and more.

Why would anyone want to start their morning off like this?

Did you know…..
The way you and your children spend the first 90 minutes of your day will determine the mood, momentum and success of the rest of the day?

Time to establish a Morning Routine!

And I am not talking about getting into some complex, overwhelming daunting task. Just a simple morning schedule that will give you and your children a positive boost and jump start for a fabulous day. You AND your children deserve this!

How to Create a Morning Routine

- Keep a Time Log
You 1st must know how much time you have and how long your morning tasks take. If you do not have this information it will be impossible to create a successful routine. Jot down all the details from the moment you wake up, your kids wake up, breakfast prep, eating, getting dressed, time wasters, etc.

- Plan Ahead
Yes the “P” word. Funny how this keeps popping up ; )
This entails getting things ready the night before, from laying out clothes, important papers, food prep and even Telling Your Children what to expect. Remind them before they go to bed and remind them right when they wake up. Over estimate tasks that are known for having hiccups this way you build in extra time.

- Be Realistic
Allow for some flexibility and What If’s
No matter how beautiful your morning routine, life happens. There will always be something – however because you and your children have started the day off right you are all more capable of handling any type of AM speed bump without a melt down.

Plus when you work some extra cushion into your morning routine, this becomes a possible incentive for your children. For example, if breakfast has been a bit too drawn out – allow for this but then offer the reward of getting to Play before leaving for school IF and Only If breakfast is finished.

Routine Planning Tip: You can make creating a routine more manageable and fun by getting your children involved. Anytime they take ownership in helping to create something, they will take it to heart when it must be implemented.

Now what do you do?

~ Share this routine with your family
~ Explain the benefits
~ Post it where everyone can see it
~ Refer to it often
~ Stick To IT! Consistency is a MUST
If you want this to work and work like magic you must follow through day in and day out.

Tyler’s Morning Routine

Here is an example of Tyler’s AM routine to give you an idea of how simple a routine can be.

Wake up: 7:40
~Morning Motivators*
Breakfast: 7:50
Get ready for school: 8:20
(brush teeth, get dressed, fix hair, shoes and backpack)
Drive to school 8:45

Simple and to the point. On Friday’s for a treat Tyler gets to watch cartoons while he eats breakfast. Just another way to encourage sticking to the routine.

*Top 5 Morning Motivators

Ensure your mornings are off to a positive start!

1. Smile
2. Move
3. Play upbeat music
4. Talk
5. Eat an energizing breakfast TOGETHER

You must admit that these sound a little too obvious – but let’s be honest – how often are you engaging in these?

The energy from a smile goes unspoken. When YOU wake up – try it…smile! When you wake your children up – try it…smile at them, get them to smile with you! Follow up with a good morning hug.

Move simply means Move – instead of just crawling out of bed, jumping in the shower and filling your body with coffee- take 5 and do some basic stretches or a 15 minute Fit Yummy Mummy workout. Even better ….get your children involved! It can be as simple as reaching for the ceiling and bending over to reach for the floor. Be sure everyone drinks a Big glass of water too! Being hydrated ensures a boost of energy!

Music has the ability to calm, soothe and entertain the soul. Play something soothing like Enya or go all out with something fun and upbeat like Dan Zanes – Tyler’s favorite!

How would you describe the conversations you have in the morning? Why not fill your child up – and yourself for that matter- with positive and encouraging words.

You all know this one – Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Add to this important ritual by actually sitting down and eating breakfast with your children at the table. Not only do you set a powerfully positive message – this also allows for the exchange of more talk and smiles.