If your child will be entering a new level school this fall, you may be in for a rude awakening. You could feel short on time now, but just wait until you have a tween or teen to help get ready in the morning when the new school starts on a whole new schedule. Luckily, there are several ways that you can speed up your morning and get your sleepy student out of the door on time.
Night-Time Showers
Instead of letting your child shower luxuriously in the morning (or worse, wash their hair), get them to bathe and groom at night. This is especially important if you have a child who can spend hours in the bathroom with music on. By giving your child this time at night, you can easily shave 30 to 60 minutes off of your morning routine.
Lay Out Clothes
Spend a few minutes before you go to bed approving a lay-out of everyone’s clothes for the morning, including your own. Laying clothes out ahead of time will prevent those instances, in your case, of pulling clothes out of the closet with 15 minutes to get dressed, only to find that they are stained, ripped or wrinkled, and in your teen’s case, of them showing up at the last minute at breakfast inexpensively fashioned, but unacceptable, stained, ripped or wrinkled garments.
Make Breakfast Ahead of Time
You’d be surprised at all the great breakfast casseroles you can make in the evening to serve the next morning. Homemade waffles are also a great choice because they freeze and reheat easily, and the smell of heated pastry in the morning can be inspiring. If cooking isn’t your forte, set out a bowl, spoon, and box of cereal that your kid can use for a healthy morning meal. All they’ll have to do is pull the milk out of the refrigerator.
Plan Lunches for the Week
Planning lunches for the whole week can be a great time-saver. Think outside of the box with cool, eco-friendly Bento boxes, increasingly popular and easy to fill with fabulously packed lunches. There are hundreds of recipes online tailor-made for these special lunchboxes, just check flavors with your teen gourmand first.
Take Care of Yourself Too
The easiest way to make sure that you’re ready to go in the morning, aside from sleeping well, is by taking care of yourself. By eating nutritional meals, taking supplements or adding in a protein shake, and drinking plenty of water, you can make sure that you are a healthier, peppier you.
Last Resort – Bribery!
While it’s rarely advisable to bribe your children, if you bore a genuine slow-poke, bribery may be what you need. Sit down with your child at the beginning of the school year and let them plan a reward chart. Let them know that rewards can accrue, one day at a time, by getting to the breakfast table on time.
Shaving time off of your morning routine isn’t difficult if you put some thought into it and do as much as you can the night before. Using a little bribery when necessary, even offering a yummy, protein-enhanced breakfast shake, can sometimes get your groggy student out of the door in no time flat.
Ann-Bailey is a mother of two and a guest writer for the health industry manufacturer Prograde Nutrition- which offers a highly researched, top quality line of vitamins, nutritional drinks, and meal replacement shakes for pro and amateur athletes and health-conscious parents.