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Choose an area that makes sense- by the back door for keys, for example. This may seem easy, but bad habits can be difficult to stop.

I put some hooks right by my front door. It took awhile to get used to hanging up the keys every time I came home. Gradually, it became a habit to hang them up when I first opened the door. And now, my keys are always waiting for me when I leave. If only my husband and teenagers would listen to me. They still hunt for their keys on a regular basis. This little tip has saved me from many hectic mornings and eliminated stress from my morning routine.

Another tip for reducing morning chaos is for those forgettable permission slips, homework, and work papers. Mandate a specified spot for those items that is easily visible in the mornings. A perfect spot is by the door or somewhere on a kitchen counter or the kitchen table.

The key is to pick a place that's visible to everyone. This helps everyone to help each other. If someone is distracted doesn't see the big pile of papers waiting for them, someone else will surely see them and remind them. By picking a very specific area, people become accustomed to checking the area and noticing if something hasn't been 'claimed' from the spot.

This is also helps if someone still manages to leave the house without something that they need. On the necessary trip back home there is no more searching after arriving back at the house. Just go to the specified location, and grab whatever is needed.

Teach everyone in the household to mentally go through their routine for the next day. Run through each appointment, class, meeting, for the following day. Remember is anything extra is needed for the next day. If there is, place the item in the specified spot the night before. The best time for this is after supper. Everyone is still together and hasn't become distracted with other activities.

Then there is the sock that goes missing at least once a week. To prevent this and similar wardrobe scenarios, have everyone lay out their outfit for the next morning all the way down to their underwear the night before. Again, right after eating supper is a good time to do this. This makes it easier to remind everyone to do this every night. This gives enough time to search for missing shoes, wash clothes if necessary, and whatever else may need to be done before the next morning.

There are times when you absolutely cannot forget to take an item with you the next morning. It could be a document for your first appointment. Or you have to take medical papers for a medical appointment. Whatever the occasion may be, you can be ensured that you will always take it with you. How? Simply take your "I can't forget this" item and pair it with an essential item that you always take with you. For example, if you have medicine that you always take, put the item with the medicine. Pair the item with your car keys. In the morning, take the important item straight out to the car as soon as you notice it or put it somewhere that it won't be missed when you leave.

Some mornings you don't have time for a complete breakfast. Sometimes you don't even have time to eat cereal. Always keep food that can be eaten on the way, stuff like granola bars, bagels, or fruit.

Your morning routine will be more relaxed and less stressful if you follow these tips. Hectic mornings can cause a lot of stress and create bad memories. Avoid them with a little concentrated effort and the end of some bad habits.

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http://www.squidoo.com/pr ogressive_alarmclocks/

Learn more about this author, Angela Harris.
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