Where Are My Keys? Things to Help You Get Out the Door in the Morning

Not everyone is a morning person. However, the responsibilities of life, such as having a class early in the morning or a job with which you have a love/hate relationship, can turn you into a morning person and drag you out of bed 20 minutes before leaving the house. Sounds intense, huh? This becomes more complicated when you have other people (read: little beings) in the tow to wake up, dress, feed, and get into the car.

The painstaking process of getting these cute little creatures out of bed and ready can sometimes become tiring and exhausting. One kid cannot stop sleeping, while others can never find the correct pair of shoes. If one finds the right shoes, then the other does not want to have breakfast. With so much happening at once in the morning, there is no recluse for the mother.

If you are a working mom and can relate to any or all of the scenarios mentioned above, know that you are not alone. Perfection only exists on social media and not in real life. Kids cry, yell, kick, and throw a tantrum if they do not want to budge, and that is okay. Mornings are always a little hard for most adults, so imagine how hard it is for the kids.

Anyways, coming to the main question: so, what should be done? What is the magic formula to solve all these early morning issues? We are sure we are not the first ones to tell you that, but there is no magical solution to this. There is no wand that you can just swing around and make everything fall in its place.

Nevertheless, we have some very insightful pointers to help you get through all of this with much ease and poise. Let us dive straight into them.

Understand Your Feelings

The first and foremost thing is to analyze yourself. Mostly, moms are in such a hurry because they have (naturally!) many things going on in their minds. They have to think about not getting late to dropping kids to the school or the bus stop so that they can easily hit the road and get to their office on time. Most of the time, there is a big team meeting in the early hours, and they cannot miss it again.

Whatever the case might be, you need to understand that it is you who need urgency. It is helpful to realize that the kids might not join you in your enthusiasm or urgency in the morning because they are not old enough to realize the consequences of their actions. This should teach you to calm down and try bringing them to match your pace. It is easier said than done, but it helps kids stop whining and throwing tantrums and listening to you.

Now is Not the Time to Point Out

As a mother stuck in a similar situation, you might realize that you are repeating the same thing for the past couple of minutes. If this happens, then take a deep breath and follow some other approach. If they have not listened to you give the same orders over and over again, chances are they have turned you out. Get them to listen to you by making them understand that you get how hard it is to have difficulty finding the right shoes.

Pointing out their mistakes during such a time is not such a good idea. For instance, instead of telling one of your kids that they are big enough to tie laces on their own and they should be able to do so would probably not help. Gently talking to them while telling them a short, interesting story might do that trick. You can help them tie the laces and postpone scolding them for some other time.

Tips for Working Moms for Streamlining Daily Morning Routine

1. Pre-Plan As Much As You Can

You might be sick and tired of hearing it time and again, but it is the most crucial thing you can do to make your mornings more peaceful. Plan anything and everything that can be planned. One of the top things included in essentials that every working mom needs is a programmable coffee maker. Legend has it; if you get a quick cup of java in the morning, you are probably going to be less stressed out and anxious the whole day.

Prepare and pack lunches for the kids in the fridge. Get their backpacks ready at night and at the door ready to be picked up before leaving. Prepare breakfast a night before, if possible, and convenient for you. Load your coffee maker, make your smoothie and refrigerate, pour cereal in the bowl, cover it, etc. Think of anything that takes up a lot of time in the morning and do it beforehand.

2. Stop Carrying Extra Burden

Get your wardrobe ready for the week during the weekend. You have little control over how your children react to the routine in the morning, but you can control how efficient you are in your tasks. If choosing a handbag stresses you out, then have it prepared beforehand. Keep your makeup ready on your dresser or in the bathroom and have your shoes ready by the door.

Most importantly, it is okay if the older kids tie their hair themselves, looking like they have been in a wrestling match. Take a deep breath and feel good about what you are doing.

3. Take a Breathe

If you reflect deeply, you would realize how much time you can take out if you skip prodding your child to hurry along. If you repeat something ten times, just reduce to repeating it five times only; then, you will have some time for yourself. Use this time to communicate effectively with your child and empathize.

4. Establish Connection

Stressful conditions are never suitable for making effective connections. Instead of repeatedly threatening your child for not listening to you, try and come to their level and talk to them. Offer unconditional love, a hug, an appreciation instead of a lecture on discipline.

An irritated child will not respond effectively to scolding or threatening. You do not know how magical these minutes or seconds might be in streamlining your daily morning routine. Kids love when they feel understood. So, take this opportunity to meet your kids at their level.

5. Empathize Not Antagonize

No matter how much you want to reason with your child to move around faster in the morning effectively, it seldom works. Sleepy and irritated children are less likely to listen to how irresponsible they are for not keeping their books away at night. Offer empathy instead – take a moment to make them realize that you understand if they forgot to keep the books away. You can say that you understand they must be too tired and sleepy to put them away.

A little empathy goes a long way in making them understand that you are on their side and speak for their betterment. Empathy leads to a better connection and communication instead of yelling and scolding.

Getting up in the Morning Shouldn’t be Difficult

Yes, we understand that getting even a single person, other than yourself, out the door in the morning, is not at all easy. You have no control over the behavior and reactions of the kids. So first things first, do not stress out yourself a lot. Staying calm is the key to yours and the kids’ sanity. Get your things done at night as much as possible so that you have time to tend to the kids’ needs and tantrums.

All in all, give yourself a break – do not keep insanely unrealistic expectations from anyone. Take a deep breath and know that you are giving your best!