Having A Morning Routine Is A Must For Multiple Kids

The morning routine can be a drag for all of us, but parents of multiple kids especially understand that it only gets tougher with the more people you add to the hustle and bustle of the day. There’s the grouchy kid, the slow poke kid, the I need 5 more minutes in bed kid, and the over the top happy go lucky morning person kid who annoys everyone else. Trying to wrangle all these personalities inevitably leads to frustration, mixed with some yelling, and ultimately child tears. What a horrible way to start the day.

I had been personally fighting the guilt of this merciless merry-go-round morning dance for a couple of years before I finally decided we needed a routine. And, I knew it had to include more autonomy for the kids. Having already raised one child to adulthood, I knew that independence within a process always leads to better outcomes than just dictating and micromanaging. I mean, I knew it, but I wasn’t practicing it for some reason.

WHY ARE MORNING ROUTINES IMPORTANT FOR KIDS?

First, and most importantly, I truly believe routines provide a sense of safety for kids. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, and it’s true – kids want boundaries. Not to mention, when my little ones know what to expect, they subconsciously set little goals for themselves, and I’ve found that they work hard to reach them.

Secondly, good habits of timeliness are healthy for both kids and crazy parents who are tired of running late or ragged, or both…you choose. Our morning routine has given the kids a better sense of time. They now understand that if they lay in bed after the alarm goes off, they’ll be forced to rush through something later in the routine in order to stay on track and get out of the house on time. I don’t know about your kids, but mine don’t like to rush or be rushed.

Lastly, a morning routine greatly reduces the stress and mayhem of the morning, resulting in a better day for everyone. How we start plays a major role in how we finish, and the success of the day is no exception.

WHAT DOES A GOOD MORNING ROUTINE FOR KIDS LOOK LIKE?

I researched a ton of morning routines and found there was nothing exactly like what I needed for my visual and hands on kids. So, I created a personalized routine board for each child. I sat them down and explained that we were going to take control of the mornings from now on. No more would the mornings beat us up and leave us all feeling deflated and more tired. I had them think of all the various steps they typically went through in the mornings, and things they don’t do but would like to add. We came up with a list of 6 things:

1. Make Bed – This one is important to me because it gives a sense of tidiness to their bedrooms, and they love climbing into a well made bed at night. I mean, who doesn’t??
2. Use the Potty – My son let me know that this needed to specifically have it’s own place on the board because sometimes he forgets to pee until he goes downstairs for breakfast. He really wanted to make sure to do that before he even left his room (they have Jack and Jill bathrooms).
3. Brush Teeth – A while ago our oldest daughter, now 23, told the littles that brushing before eating was more healthy than brushing directly after eating. It doesn’t make sense to me, but their big sister told them, so they won’t budge.
4. Wash Face – Mommy added this one. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to pick the crust out of some eye corners as we were walking out the door. Like, how can you not feel that?? Wash those little faces and moisturize them!
5. Get Dressed – pro tip, either put the clothes in plastic drawer bins inside of their closets with days labeled for each outfit of the week, or leave ALL of the clothes out the night before in a designated spot. Getting dressed used to be one of the biggest points of contention for our morning routine. I would inevitably hear, “I don’t have any socks.” “I can’t find my sweater.” She’s wearing my pants.” My school aged kids consist of twins and one singleton, so the whole she is wearing my clothes whine is real….real annoying.
6. Eat Breakfast.

We made sure to put each expectation in order of expected completion to create consistency. Each time they complete a task, they go to the chart and take a magnet off the magnet strip (at the bottom) and place it beside the expectation. Once each expectation has been met, they can have free morning time, which provides the option of playing a board game quietly or reading a book.

After using this chart for a couple of years now, it’s time for us to do an update to include packing their bookbags. Initially, my husband and I took care of that for them, but as they get older it’s time to allow them the pleasure of new responsibilities.

HOW TO MAKE A MORNING ROUTINE CHART FOR KIDS

These charts were put together easily and affordably thanks to google and the dollar store. Items used include:

1. Foam board – dollar store
2. bulletin board boarder – dollar store
3. Pictures – google images. I printed and laminated each one.
4. Words – Microsoft Word. Just type the words in large font, print and laminate.
5. Magnets and adhesive magnet strips – dollar store
6. Letter cut-outs for names – dollar store

Not only was this project easy, it’s kid approved. My kids loved having a say in what their routine would look like, and they enjoyed helping make their cute charts. Enjoy and may your mornings become a well oiled machine!