Morning Rush Hour Tips—A Peek Inside Our Morning Routine

 

Let me start this post off with a disclaimer: I’m NOT a morning person. I never was one, and never will be one, period. People ask me quite often, “How did you manage to get the kids and everyone out the door to school and work, nicely dressed, well fed, and on time every single morning?”.

Honestly, it hasn't always been an easy task for me. If I were only to follow my biological clock, we’ll never get out of the door before noon. So, here’s the deal. Today, I’m going to let you peek inside our morning routine, and I’ll share my Morning Rush Hour Tips with you.

One thing you might not know about me was that I used to be a human resources manager at a major communication company before I turned into a full-time mom. What does this have to do with my family's current morning routine? Well, everything!  I can totally use my management skills at home!

So, here are a few important management skills that every successful manager should know,  and I’ll explain how each one helps me in handling the morning rush.

1) Understanding team dynamics.

All kids are different, and my two kids certainly have very different personalities. For instance, my little boy doesn't really care what he wears. I can pick any outfit for him and he’ll be a happy camper. On the other hand, my little girl loves to pick her own clothes. She might be in the mood to wear her favorite jeans, or, she might feel a little girly and want her flowery dress. If I don’t let her pick her own, she would be quite upset and request a change of clothes.

I learnt my lesson. I do not open the whole closet and let her choose randomly. Instead, I usually pick out two different outfits, and let her choose. That way, she doesn't spend all morning deciding what she wants, she gets to pick her own clothes, yet, the outfits are always appropriate for the weather and occasion. What a win-win situation!

2) Delegating effectively.

I let my kids get themselves ready, with occasional assistance from me. I let them brush their teeth, change their own clothes, they eat on their own, (although I do sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee while they eat breakfast). Sometimes, they even help out with setting the table for breakfast. With daily practice, they’ll be doing these tasks on their own without much assistance.

3) Communication

Make sure communication is a two way street. This means that I talk, they listen.

Just kidding! It’s important to let the kids express their feelings and what they want/need as well. Trust me, it makes the process much easier when you know what their little minds are thinking.

4) Planning and Time Management

Planning is very important to conquer hectic mornings. I try to have everything prepared the night before, if possible. This includes picking out outfits, packing kids’ and hubby’s lunch boxes, and preparing breakfast if it’s something I can make ahead. If not, I’ll at least prep the ingredients that I need. 

Here are two recipes that my family loves, and you can make them ahead of time. You can click here to get the Breakfast Cookies recipe, and click here for the Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips.

I hope my little tips help with your family's hectic morning rush. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have a favorite tip to share.

This post is part of BlogHer's Rush Hour Tips editorial series, made possible by Got Milk?