Monday, October 10, 2016

How I Crush My Mornings (and Get the Kids Out the Door With a Smile)


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My family has been through the ringer the last couple of months with our baby Emmett's epilepsy diagnosis and a bunch of other life road blocks, but we are incredibly grateful for the life lessons we've been taught as a result of all the challenges. Some of these lessons have been big ones - like how to truly appreciate the "normal" moments of everyday, how to make the absolute most of our time together, and how to stop stressing about the little things that ultimately don't matter. Others have been smaller and more specific off-shoots of these larger lessons - you know, like how to appreciate the comedic aspects of the sheer amount of urine that ends up on the floor (and on the couch, and in the bed, and on my favorite dress) when potty training a toddler, or, as I'm going to tell you all about in this post, how to find ways to better manage my mornings in an effort to have a productive, more enjoyable day.

Learning how to crush my mornings came about as a matter of necessity. A couple of weeks after we got out of the hospital after a week long stay after Emmett was diagnosed, it was time for Essley to start preschool for the first time. Mornings had already become an intense time in our house, especially when Robbie was on the road for work. Between getting Emmett all of his morning medications, dealing with Essley's uncanny ability to have an accident within seconds of putting on underwear, getting the kids fed and dressed, making and drinking a cup of coffee so I could prevent myself from dozing off on the regs, attempting to squeeze in morning work emails (after already staying up late to meet work deadlines), and somehow pulling myself together to a level that was at least slightly higher than straight up hot mess status, I was feeling pretty freaking frazzled by 9 AM. Once it was time for Essley's school year to start, the level of madness increased exponentially. I'd never had to get a kid ready for school before, and I didn't want to mess up (because if I did, obviously the world would end and stuff). My head felt like it was going to explode. I decided that I needed to take some of those life lessons I'd been learning and apply them to my morning routine, immediately.


It didn't take a lot of thought for me to realize what I needed to do - organize and simplify. The changes I made were small, and maybe even common sense, and obviously won't work for everyone (my kids are 2.5 and 9 months so our needs are different than with older kids), but they ultimately made a big difference for me. Now I set out the kids' clothes (and mine too), and get Essley's backpack and school supplies together, before I go to bed. We also clean up the house before bed so there isn't a bunch of clutter in the morning (and we sing a song from Essley's preschool called "Clean Up Pick Up" while we do so in order for it to feel fun and encourage her to pick up her toys without a fight). I bathe the kids at night, and I shower before bed too, rather than in the morning (although if we're being upfront here, showers with 2 kids under 3 aren't a regular thing regardless). I set my alarm on my phone for 10 minutes earlier than I think I need to get up and keep it out of arm's reach so I can't hit snooze. I also try (easier said than done, but the key word here is "try") to be up and ready myself before the babes wake up, so I can just focus solely on getting them prepared once they're awake. I have a nice organized chart on the fridge for Emmett's morning medications so I don't even have to think about them while I'm half asleep. We came up with a reward system that makes those morning potty training accidents increasingly less frequent. I figure out in advance what we're having for breakfast, and prep those breakfasts on the weekends for the coming week (cutting up fruit, measuring out oatmeal for overnight oats, etc.). In an effort to prevent tantrums when we're trying to get ready, we make games out of it ("lets see if we can get our shoes on before I'm done singing the ABCs!") so Essley has fun with it rather than feeling forced. And I set my coffee maker on a timer and when I'm running late, use Dixie To Go cups for my morning coffee, so I can enjoy it in all its delicious glory while I'm crushing my morning tasks, and take it with me when we're running out the door (usually with just minutes to spare).

As my regular readers know, I love my coffee and tea, so simplifying that part of my morning has been huge. It's actually been sort of empowering, because in a way, it signifies me doing something for myself while I'm mom-ing. (I might have just made that word up, but I'm sticking with it.) Having the coffee pot set to brew while we're getting dressed has been great because it saves time, and I don't have to think (which let's admit it, is kind of hard before you've had your morning beverage, right?). And discovering Dixie To Go has been helpful as well, because it eliminates the need for washing or cleanup. I can enjoy my coffee or tea and then put the cup in the recycling bin (or even better, reuse it, as I try to do with all disposable products, as a mini "trash can" for my car). With a leak-resistant lid and insulated layer, it also allows me to run out the door to get Essley to school and still have my coffee with me. Woot! That makes for one less thing to worry about in the morning, so I can instead focus on crushing the things that really matter - like laughing with my daughter while I (attempt to) do her hair for school, or taking a moment to give my son kisses before we head out for the day.


These tiny changes in my morning routine have brought pretty grand results, guys. Honestly, I feel like kind of a morning bad ass. Obviously the perfect morning doesn't exist, and there are still the typical petty morning struggles that may or may not result in tears (and I'm talking about grown up tears here, not necessarily tears of babes), but for the most part, I leave the house with a smile on my face the majority of the time. (Sometimes it's a smile over the comic reality of life as a mother, but it's a smile nonetheless.) And being able to accomplish the moments that mean the most with my kids while rushing around to start our day is the best part of it all.

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18 comments:

  1. These are great ideas for organizing your mornings no matter what your situation. Your kids are so adorable and I'm so happy Emmett is doing better!

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  2. You're so efficient, Melissa and I agree with Shelly - your kids are adorable! I tend to get up really early so that I have a few moments to myself and can gather my thoughts...before all the kitties demand breakfast :)

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  3. I love your outfit, I just have to say that first lol. Getting things ready the night before is really good advice and I need to try those cups!

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  4. I love your outfit, I just have to say that first lol. Getting things ready the night before is really good advice and I need to try those cups!

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  5. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I don't know how you do it. My morning routine involves walking across my living room and it does not always go smoothly, so from where I'm sitting, you're pretty much crushing life in general ;)
    xox,
    Cee

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  6. The kids are so cute! You have to find humor in things like pee in random places to get through the days. :) It sounds like you have some great organizational skills that are working. Those Dixie To Go cups look fantastic. I may have to get them for my hubby who can leave a travel mug in his car for days. Yucky!

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  7. I for one think you have things under control for sure mama! I don't even have kids, much less one who requires special care right now, and I do not have my mornings this together. I think I need to use your tips =)

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  8. When I worked outside the home, it always helped to get things organized the night before. And coffee on a timer is the best :)

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  9. Essley has such a cool backpack! I really should do some stuff the night before, so I don't have to rush in the mornings!

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  10. I love this so much! You are a rockstar and I love that you are finding ways to spend less time on things that don't really matter (like dishes) and more time to care for and love on your family!!

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  11. Just so you know- I freakin love you , and you're such a good mom

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  12. Love the ideas. I have 2 in elementary school, 1 in preschool and work part-time. The key to making mornings easier, as you said, is preparation! I also empower them by creating a chart of morning tasks to eliminate the need for reminding and nagging. That helped so much with my middle child in Kindergarten. God bless!

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  13. What a great post. Mine are about the same ages as your's. I will definitely try your ideas.

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  14. Love your boots! Where are they from? I have a 3 year old and a 3 month old and doing stuff the night before is key! Nice job Mom.

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    1. Thanks so much for the kind words Liz. :) The boots (my all time favorites) are Minnetonka and you can get them right here. :)

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  15. What is it with husbands and that habit! My rule is: you leave it, you wash it. I'm not touching it after that.

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  16. Great tips I also like to get everything ready ahead and start the day with a clean house. Much less stressful that way. Can I ask where you bought your super cute shirt dress?

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    1. Thanks Rachel! I got it at Target! I love it so much I now own it in 3 colors. ;)

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