No matter how early a working parent wakes up, the morning routine can seem hectic, chaotic, and full of stress. Starting the day in such a harried state can affect the entire day, and may decrease efficiency. The ten steps below will help to save time, reduce stress, and ensure that all family members arrive to their destination safely, on time and prepared.
Make Choices That Support Your Goals
Get a haircut that requires little or no time to style in the morning. Wash and go cuts can be stylish and practical at the same time.
Buy clothes that are easy to maintain and complement many previously purchased items. Choosing clothing that can be worn with a number of other items in your wardrobe can help to minimize the time spent choosing an outfit, and will help with last minute wardrobe changes. As a general rule, solid colors are more flexible than prints.
Keep only the clothes that are part of the current season's options in your closet. Having to rifle through out-of-season garments wastes time needlessly.
Aside from the well-known benefits of eating a healthy breakfast, allowing for a moment to catch your breath before running out will help restore a sense of calm. Healthy breakfasts can be prepared quickly. In her article, " Save Time on Your Busiest Mornings," Jennifer Wolf recommends eating cold cereal with milk and fruit, or having yogurt.
Encourage school aged children to pack their schoolbags with books and supplies before going to bed. Prepare diaper bags and day care supplies so that they can be easily accessed on the way out the door. Items that will be brought to work should also be organized and stored in a central location so that the transition out of the house is an easy one.Prepare lunches before retiring for the night. Children's sandwiches can be made at night and stored in the refrigerator. To avoid soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, coat both pieces of bread with peanut butter to form a layer of insulation from moisture accumulation.Setting the coffee maker to brew automatically will eliminate a step from your morning routine and give you an added boost early in the morning. Having fresh coffee without doing any work in the morning will brighten your mood.
Prepare in Advance
If more than one person must use a bathroom, plan so that each person has ample time and space to prepare efficiently. Creating a schedule for bathroom use, formally or informally, will cut down on wasted time. If a task, such as applying make-up or drying hair, can be completed in another room, move out of the way.
Ensure that each person leaves the bathroom in order. One person's mess can cause the next person to waste time unnecessarily.
Maybe showering at night isn't for you. Consider using a combined shampoo/conditioner so that an entire step in your routine can be erased. Or, use a leave-in conditioner so that rinse time is eliminated.
Combine Tasks
Shower first, then prepare your coffee and breakfast before drying your hair. Although it isn't a minute-for-minute trade, the amount of time needed to dry hair will be reduced. Streamline make-up application on work days. Save the extra primping for special occasions.
Consider your family's needs when planning the morning routine. What works in one household may not work in every household, so experiment with some ideas and pick and choose the ones that work best for you and your family. According to E.E. Kane, "yelling and screaming at your children never works, and everyone ends up feeling stressed, especially you." Remember, children respond much more quickly to calm parents than they do to parents who they feel are out of control.
Alice Bowman - I am a Freelance writer, English educator and supervisor in a junior/senior high school with students from grades seven through twelve. ...
