Say Good-Bye to Stressful School Mornings!

Often times the start of the school year heralds a myriad of feelings, stresses, and transitions as both you and your children get used to a new morning routines, homework, extra curricular activities, making new friends, separation anxieties and more

It is so much easier to handle the stresses of your day, and the new school year if you and your children start your morning and day the right way! Many successful people believe that how we spend or mornings sets the tone for the rest of the day. In fact, studies have shown that establishing a consistent morning routine can lead to increased productivity, better mental health and overall well-being. So if you are one of those parents who find yourself constantly repeating to your child "Hurry up, we are going to be late," below are 3 easy tips to make your mornings stress-free:

1. Get Ready the Night Before: Pack lunches, get backpacks ready, and set out clothes for the next day the night before. I have learned from experience that when there is less to do in the morning, there is less stress. If you can do as much preparation as you can the night before, there will be less to do in the morning and more time to do your morning tasks

2. Create a Morning Routine Chart: I highly recommend creating a morning routine chart. You can make your own chart, purchase one, or use a dry erase white board. The goal is to create a chart that enables your child to check off each morning task as it is completed. This gives your child autonomy as well as lessens the amount of reminding (or nagging) that you as a parent have to do in order to get your child out the door.

3. Let Your Child Be in Charge: Give your child a timer and let them be in charge of keeping track of how much time they have to do each morning task. For instance, if you create a morning routine on your white board, you can write how much time your children have to complete each task next to the task. For example, brush teeth = 5 minutes; eating breakfast = 20 minutes. This supports children again in being autonomous as well as keeps the on track and allows them to know how much time they have to do each task.

Try the above tried and true tips and transform your school mornings from chaos into calm!