Mom Hacks for Stress Free Mornings

I used to think mornings were hectic before I had kids. Who was I kidding? The older kids get, the more hectic the mornings become as you try to get everyone out the door. I’ve found that these little preparation hacks make for stress free mornings in our house.

Do As Much As You Can The Night Before

You never know what might go wrong in the morning before you have to take the kids to school and get to work. A kid could get sick, a dish can get broken, someone can spill all over the floor or you pets can make a mess. You also might be dealing with a child who is not moving at the speed you want them to. That is why you should get as of your morning  tasks out of the way the night before. Get all lunches and bags packed, pick clothes out and finish all paperwork.

Start with A Clean Kitchen

Cleaning and clearing the kitchen at night is often the last task I want to do. Especially when I am exhausted. However, I am always glad I did it. It is so much easier to start your day with an empty sink, clean counters and a clear kitchen table. It makes the morning rush go that much more smoothly.

Prep Food the Night Before

Besides prepping your bags and lunches the night before, it is also good to prep any food you will need in the morning the night before. You may not want to mix certain foods the night before, but you could have the recipe out, the dry ingredients mixed and everything else prepped as much as possible. Also, lay out the cooking dishes and utensils you will need so you are not scrambling around for them.

Keep Recipes Handy

Cookbooks are nice and I am actually one of those people that prefers paper over digital. However, on a busy morning, recipe convenience is key. I have digitized many of our recipes into my phone and our iPad. To make things even easier I have also labeled certain ingredients with recipes we use often. For example, we make pancakes once a week. Since the recipe is simple and I only need help remembering the ingredients I labeled the pancake mix container with the recipe. It makes it so much easier on those days we are in a rush.

Set the Table Ahead of Time

If you know what you are having for breakfast the night before, another good trick is to just set the table the night before. At the very least you know everyone will need a napkin, drink and utensils so save a few minutes by setting those out ahead of time.

Keep a Family Schedule Handy

The final tip for having smooth mornings is to have a calendar with all your family’s appointments listed on it in your kitchen. You can easily reference it and be sure you have everything you need ready to go. You will know everyone’s schedule and never miss a spirit day or picture day again. Our family has ours posted on our refrigerator and we reference it daily. It is also a great way for us to see upcoming events.

Do you have any tricks you use for making mornings go smoothly at your house? Share in the comments!