by Lillian Joyce

Created on: August 20, 2009   Last Updated: August 22, 2009

The alarm clock is blaring, the kids are arguing, I have a curling iron in one hand, and lunch box in another and I am running late yet again! It will be a miracle to get out of the house on time just one day! I'm yelling and trying to rush everyone around. By the time we get to the car, everyone is flushed face and breathless. For the hundredth time I've told myself we can't keep doing this every morning. Who wants to start the day like this? It was then that I decided I had two options. Either get up even earlier (and really who wants to do that?) or get organized.

That same day I started plotting and planning. Where did I go wrong? I thought to myself. When my little one was really young I could just dress her while she was sleeping, scoop her into the car seat and off we went. It was so easy. But as my children got older and more independent it was harder and harder to get out of the house. I had to evaluate problem areas. I started looking at what everyone was doing in the morning and where I could cut time.

The first change I implemented was simple. My children had to lay out clothes the night before. Now how do I actually enforce this without driving myself crazy? I didn't think sending my child to school in pajamas would be very appropriate. Effective maybe, but I wasn't looking forward to getting phone calls from the school. Instead I set down a simple rule that I was ready to enforce. That night I told my children, If you want to pick out your own clothes for school you have to do it the night before. If you don't have clothes out by morning, I will pick your clothes for you. That night after everyone was in bed, I got clothes around for my children. And the best part, the outfit was far from their favorite. I grinned as I laid the clothes on the dresser. It didn't take long to get my children on the same page and soon they had their clothes out every night to include socks, shoes, belts, and underwear!

The second change I made was with my own routine. I began to pack lunches, snacks, and drinks the night before. Taking the five minutes before bed to get everything ready, saved ten minutes of headache scrambling around in the morning. And by getting things ready in advance, I was able to avoid last minute snack crises as well as provide healthier snacks. It's a lot easier to grab a sugary snack in a rush then say to look for an apple or banana. I also filled up water bottles and drink cups the night before. This not only saved time but

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>