Summer mornings can lead to an overall lack of routine. While this sounds relaxing, it can often mean stress for a lot of families.

Summertime sounds great on paper, doesn’t it? A little less routine which should lead to less stress overall. However, for many families, it does not quite pan out this way..

In fact, the lack of routine can be the biggest problem of all. It can affect a child’s behaviour, sleep and energy levels which can lead to cranky afternoons and conflict within the home. 

The morning time can often dictate the way the rest of the day is going to pan out. If the day starts off on a negative or stressful note it can have a domino effect on the other parts of the day. 

For this reason, it is a great idea to actively work on making the mornings a happier time for all. If the day starts off well, it is more likely that the rest of the day will follow suit. 

Here are our top tips to help make summer mornings happy and stress-free:

Don’t let children stay in bed too late.

This might go against your instinct, but it makes a lot of sense. Quite often children miss the best parts of the day because they are lying in bed. Getting up at a reasonable time means that you can enjoy more activities as a family. It also means that your children are in a better routine in terms of eating breakfast and kick-starting their metabolism for the day. 

Encourage healthy breakfasts where possible.

It is a lot easier to find a sense of routine on school mornings, but it does not have to dwindle during the summer. Picking up some novelty food items is a great idea but if your child is starting the day packing in the sugar it will more than likely lead to difficult behaviour throughout the day. It can lead to lethargy, tantrums and poor sleep. Include fresh berries and smoothies for example. 

Leave the house as tidy as possible when you are going to bed.

It makes for a much calmer and stress-free morning for everyone the next day. Encourage children to tidy up their toys and put their dishes in the dishwasher so it is a team effort. 

Introduce screens as late in the day as possible.

If your child begins watching TV or playing video games at 8am it will be difficult to remove them throughout the day. Screen-time can affect behaviour and mood levels in a huge number of ways. 

If your child is attending a camp of some sort leave everything out the night before.

Choose clothes, make lunches and leave out breakfast items. These small efforts make a huge difference during the morning rush.