Stress Free School Mornings

When the bus is coming, it's coming, and it's not going to wait for long. Many families have to put kids on 2 seperate bus runs each moring, the early bus and the elementary bus, when children are of various ages. Most parents need to get themselves up, ready, and out the door in the mornings as well, to go to work. It's no wonder mornings can become chaotic and stressful. It's not only getting up and heading out the door...everyone must get up on time and out the door on time.

Here are five tips that will help you to de-stress morings in your home. Try them, they'll be sure to save you time. You'll notice how peaceful and calm mornings can be...

1. If getting up is hard for you, or for your children, try setting the alarm 15 to 20 minutes earlier. This will allow extra time for you or your child to wake up before getting out of bed and getting ready. Going to bed earlier of course will help anyone to get up better too. If not hearing the alarm is a problem try investing in a new, louder alarm, or try moving it closer to where you or your child sleeps.

2. When we get up generally the first thing we do is eat. If your dishes weren't washed after dinner the night before you'll have to fuss with either running the dish washer or washing up a load by hand. No one wants to do that first thing in the morning, do they? Making sure that the dishes are done after dinner each night means that they will be clean for you in the morning when it's breakfast time. Same concept applies to the table, or counter. If you clean everything off after dinner each night nothing will need to be cleaned off in the morning which means breakfast can quickly and easily be served.

3. If you have more than 1 child, or if you and your spouse like to shower in the mornings, try having half of your family take their showers in the evenings. When there are less people needing to bathe in the morning there is less fighting over the bathroom, and a lot of time gets saved.

4. Try picking out all work and school clothes the night before as well. It only takes a few minutes to choose a set of clothes in the evening, after dinner, before bed, but in the moring when the bus is coming choosing that same set of clothes can be crazy! Many times socks or pants will be missing, or something will need to be washed. When you choose outfits the night before you are able to do a quick load of laundry if anything needs to be washed but in the moring doing a load of laundry is usually a challenge.

5. Avoid having to do last minute homework with your children in the mornings. When your kids get home from school each afternoon offer a snack then ask them to do their homework. This gets it done before morning.