It’s been six years since my daughter started elementary school, and my how things have changed! We used to have a leisurely schedule, going about life on our own time.

I miss that. Sure, I had to get her to preschool, and she had dance classes and stuff, but for the most part, we were as free as the day is long. 

When Ayva started going to school, though, we quickly learned that we’d have to do things differently. All of a sudden, Google calendar was the most important app on our phone. I started buying a planner at the beginning of every year. 

The biggest change was creating a routine for our mornings so that we could get out the door on time. If Ayva isn’t at school by the time the bell rings, she misses morning announcements and gets a tardy. My husband gets her there early every day. I was getting her to school late.

Until I started being intentional about our mornings. 

How can I make mornings go smoother?

I started looking at ways to make our mornings go smoother. We started planning breakfast. I also made sure that the things we’d need fo the next day were organized the night before. 

We were on a roll. 

Then I had another kid.

At first it was easy to add the baby to our routine. He just went where we did. Now he’s a whole toddler with his own schedule and I’m finding it necessary to get familiar with making mornings easy again.

So, here we go. These are just a few simple ways we’re making life easier for ourselves in the morning:

Make breakfast easy.

Terrence has always eaten the same breakfast (and lunch) since I’ve known him. Instead of asking, “What do you want for breakfast?”, make breakfast easy by eating the same thing daily. 

We do switch up breakfast from week to week, but every day of one week, the kids know to expect the same thing. It just makes the mornings go smoother.

Write a list.

Every night before you go to bed, make a list of the things that you have to do the next day. Check it against your calendar, and talk with your spouse to make sure you don’t miss anything.

In the morning, while you’re eating your breakfast, go over it again, and, organize your plan of attack. Make sure you aren’t making two trips to the west side of town by planning ahead and thinking strategically.

Take time to talk. 

I know, who has time to talk in the morning, right? Seriously, though, asking your little one how they slept and going over the day’s schedule together will not just help you to catch any issues you might have missed, but it’ll ensure that your family stays close even when things are busy.

Put everything in the same spot.

Car keys, book bags, lunchbox, purse all have a spot in our house. We put them in the same place every time we walk in to eliminate having to search for them in the morning when stress can be high.

Help your children to make putting their things away as soon as they walk in the door from school a habit, and make sure you adhere to the rules, too!