Morning routines are a thorny issue in many families. Breakfast, laundry, brushing teeth, getting dressed… There is so much to do, but we want our children to be at school before the bell rings. We also want to be at work on time. But children have other priorities. Good preparation is more than half the battle. With these few tips, you will succeed!

The Night Before

1) Prepare Clothes

This is a great time saver, especially if your child likes to pick out his or her own clothes. Sometimes you need two pairs of pants, two shirts… and it is always helpful to give them choices. That way, your child feels like choosing for himself while you decide which to choose. All satisfied. Add underwear and socks now. A weather forecast app can help you make the right choice.

2) Make Lunch

A good lunch box will keep everything fresh in the fridge.

3) Prepare Breakfast

Think about what you will give your child for breakfast the night before. Set the table in advance. That way, you can do as little as possible in the morning. Do you want to make it bigger or more diverse? This doesn’t take much time either. Keep some silicone bags with sliced fruit in the freezer. This will allow you to make smoothies in no time. Alternatively, you could prepare “overnight oats” or “bircher muesli” (there are lots of recipes on the internet!).

Save the insta-breakfast for the weekend: keep it simple during the week, and there’s no time for photo ops.

4) Go to Bed on Time!

Many children are early risers, but some have difficulty waking up every morning. They probably don’t sleep well and should go to bed earlier. You can help your child get more sleep by limiting the time spent watching in the evening. By replacing the remaining 30 minutes of TV or tablet time with a picture book, you can achieve fulfilling time with your child and a relaxing evening ritual. A child who sleeps soundly in the morning will be more cooperative.

In the morning

5) Get Up Before Your Child

This may seem unthinkable, especially if your child is not an early riser, but it is a real advantage to get laundry and clothes done before your child begins his or her morning routine. Is your child an early riser and does he/she push himself/herself even at inhuman hours? Then, with the help of an alarm clock, keep them in bed until a satisfactory time.

Here are some tips for getting your child to sleep longer.

6) Routine!

Do everything in the same order every morning. This way, it becomes a habit, and there is less discussion about routine work. Think about what is best for you.

Use checkPad! Or create your own personal to-do list. A tick-tock game can further motivate you to work hard.

Make clear agreements with the child. Clear agreements limit the room for argument and saves you both time.

Just in case

Keep a Few Things in Your Toiletry Bag or Another Bag in Case Everything Goes Wrong.
Place this bag on the cargo bike, in the car, on the front porch, etc. That way you can fix something along the way. A small pack of wet wipes, a compact hairbrush, an emergency breakfast (a pack of squeezed fruit, a box of snacks with crackers or nuts, a water bottle with water…).

Do you have any other tips? Don’t hesitate to share it with us in the comments below!