by Leeanna Haugen

Created on: October 20, 2010

When considering good strategies for getting kids up and starting the day, consider what helps you. Children are not alien species. They are humans just like you. Think back to the morning of a busy day where you got started on the wrong foot. What were the problems? Then, think back to a morning where you had a busy day ahead of you but it went off without a hitch. You will be surprised at some of the simple things you can do to have the kids up and on their way.

ORGANIZATION

There is nothing that will frazzle a parent faster than trying to locate the numerous items needed in the morning while trying to supervise the kids and keep an eye on the time. This stress can be drastically reduced by some simple organization. This is also a great time to teach the children some organization techniques.

Everything Has a Place: Putting certain items in the same place everyday is a great way to reduce your search time. Having a certain spot for kids to put their coats, shoes, and book bags (items that frequently require locating) will aide in your's and the children's organization in the morning.

Dress For Success: Having your children pick out their outfits for the next day while they prepare for bed the night before can cut down on your morning stress. Also, having your own outfit picked out is a great idea. There is nothing like realizing twenty minutes before you need to walk out the door that you do not have any clean socks!

Breakfast and Lunch: Know what is going to be for breakfast and having things laid out will save you the grief of chasing down the kids in the morning asking what they want. Preparing any sack lunches the night before will also totally eliminate that worry all together in the morning.

ME TIME

What is an alarm clock without the snooze button? However, those extra nine minutes that you lie in bed could be the nine minutes that make or break your morning. Before waking the children up, it is a good idea to wake yourself up fully. Just taking a few minutes for yourself in the morning can be just the thing you need to have a smooth-running morning.

MORNING TRADITION

I have two daughter's that love their sleep. When my oldest started school, I was finding that I was spending a lot of time on just getting her out of bed. Well, that was before the "Mommy Train" came to town. Children wake up a whole lot easier when they have something to look forward to as do adults. The best part is that children do not require as much enticement as adults. I created

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