School mornings can be hectic, to say the least. However, they also have the potential to be a bit easier than we may think.

School mornings have the potential to be chaotic. But they also have the potential to be a calm and peaceful experience too - if you take a few minutes the day or night before and plan ahead. 

We often end up a complete ball of stress, losing our patience with the kids when in fact, we should have been more prepared and given ourselves and them more time to get things ready.

It’s never too late to be the cool, calm and collected mum. Everyone wants an easier morning. 

Here’s how:

Sleep.

Yes, this is the elephant in the room but it is vital to everyone that enough sleep is had. It seems like an obvious one but you need 7-9 hours a night and your little ones need a good bit more than that. Things run much more smoothly when everyone in the house has had enough sleep.

Prep the night before.

We cannot stress enough how important it is to prepare properly for the day ahead. It will change the tone of your morning entirely if you are organised from the night before. Minimize your to-do list for the morning and take that stressor out of the picture entirely. 

You really can prep just about everything:

• Breakfast: Prep everything you can. Bowls, plates, cutlery etc. If you are a fan of overnight oats, these are a nutritious, delicious and easy prep from the night before.
• Lunches: Preparing lunches the night before is vital. Prep every aspect of the lunch the night before. Even the water in the water bottle. This way it takes two minutes to pop it into the bag in the morning. 
• Clothes: If your child has a uniform, great! If not, pick all of their clothes out the night before. Including underwear, hair ties or clips and shoes. If your little one like to be involved in the decision-making process, do this the night before too. Pick two or three options and let your little ones chose from that selection. 

Assign a place.

Choose a place where everything is generally kept. Schoolbags, coats, shoes. This way, everyone knows where their things are and there is no crazy rush around in the morning to find their bits. 

Make a chart.

A morning routine chart is a great idea for the little ones than can read. For the younger ones, you could do a picture chart.

Include things like:

• Brushing teeth
• Wash face
• Brush hair
• Change underwear
• Getting dressed
• Eat breakfast
• Shoes on
• Lunch in schoolbag
• Out the door

Get up first.

This is another one of our top tips. Get up before you plan on waking the kids. Get up about 15-30mins before. Ideally, you should be showered dressed, had breakfast and most importantly a coffee! This way you can be fully present in helping the kids get out the door. Which can be difficult enough without feeling as if you are chasing your tail yourself.

Calculate it.

Last but not least, calculate exactly how long everything will take. Each child is different and each family has different things to do in the morning. So, firstly establish the time you need to leave at and literally work back from there to see how long each step of the routine will take.