All moms know the importance of planning out your day, and moms who work know this especially well. Balancing work and taking care of the morning rush with your kids can be hectic, and sometimes it gets overwhelming. By the time evening hits, all you want to do is collapse onto the couch and relax, knowing that tomorrow will be a repeat of this cycle once again.
But mornings don’t always need to be so chaotic. Planning out your days the evening before can make them so much easier, and if you follow these tips you’ll never have a hectic morning again.
Scroll on to find the list of essentials every working mom needs:
Why plan early?
You may be wondering what difference planning your days the evening before can make. After all, after working all day and taking care of the house, the evening is your only time to relax. But what if I told you getting things ready every evening helps you end up less tired each day?
Getting things ready the evening before means you have less to worry about when the morning comes. Decision fatigue is real, and becomes a problem when you let all your decisions pile up for the morning, leaving you with no energy for the rest of the day. Distributing tasks and getting them done early means you waste less of that energy in the morning so you can be more productive through the day. While also ending up less tired at the end of each day.
Kitchen Prep
One of the most obvious steps to take is to get kitchen tasks done early. Planning out breakfast and packing lunches the night before can easily save you at least 20 minutes every morning.
Asking your kids what they want for breakfast before they go to bed means you can get ingredients ready beforehand, and set aside just the right amount of time for cooking and eating. Prepping packed lunches saves all the hassle of getting it ready in the morning, too. All you’ll have left to do is remember to pick them up before leaving the house!
Getting Clothes Ready
Laying out clothes the night before can save so much time, which is why I absolutely recommend it. Again, decision fatigue can make or break your productivity for the day, and by choosing what to wear (and getting the kids to do the same), you’re only tiring yourself out.
Deciding what to wear and laying clothes out at night saves both time and energy, and gives you the opportunity to plan ahead — look at the weather forecast, dress nicer for occasions like picture day, and so on. It also gives you the freedom to make last-minute changes in the morning if need be.
As an extra, also try to let your kids choose what they want to wear the next day. I’ve found that it’s much easier to get kids ready when they get to wear what they want than if they have to wear what their parents want them to. And since they can be cranky in the morning, letting them pick things out at night makes the job easier for everyone. Even in today’s world with remote learning and online classes, many schools have dress codes and don’t allow pajamas, so planning out what to wear is important.
Bags, Bags, Bags
Preparing bags is the key. School bags, work bags, diaper bags, everything should be ready and waiting for you in the morning so you don’t end up forgetting anything. Make sure your keys, wallet, and phone are in your bag, since they’re the most important things you don’t want to forget in the hassle of getting out of the door.
Homework should always be in school bags to with younger kids, it’s also important to have a diaper bag ready at all times, and to include an extra change of clothes in it. You never know what might happen during the day!
Self-Care is Important
Self-care is an essential part of any routine, be it a morning routine or an evening one. Set aside some time to shower before bed if you’d rather not do it in the morning. Have a cup of tea or coffee to unwind after a long day. And if you’re someone who works out, maybe the evening can be your workout time. After all, staying healthy is essential to being able to do your best at work and as a parent.
And, of course, always be sure to get to bed on time. Even if mom life means dealing with your kids at all hours, getting 8 hours of sleep is important, and even if you can’t get a full 8 you should try to fit in as many as possible. Being well-rested means you’re in perfect shape to get things done efficiently, and just that first step can permanently improve your routine
Finally, the Weekend
The weekend! A source of relief for all. What better time is there to relax and forget the stress of day-to-day life, right? Even if that’s the case, though, you probably want to take just a bit of time to plan out what you’re going to do the next week so you can ensure you’re on top of your game and ready for everything.
Keep a calendar handy to mark any important events and occasions, from dinner plans to special dress-up days at school. Make a list of tasks that need to be done within the week. And, of course, plan out meals for the week so you can make sure to get the necessary grocery shopping done.
Following these simple (yet important) tips has helped me and many others make our mornings much more hassle-free, and they hardly take much time. By just taking half an hour out of each night to sort things out, you can make your mornings much less stressful and your days more productive.