Let's face it, mornings with children can feel, for lack of a better word, like a complete “cluster f*$%.” Have a kid under the age of 4? Fughedaboutit. Trying to get a child dressed, fed, and prepared for school while you rush around trying to do the same for work, repeatedly results in a hostage standoff like scenario. And if you’re dealing with a youngster who has a particularly hard time with transitions and separation anxiety, then oy vey, by 9am, you’re wishing Starbucks served martinis.
Though my mornings are far from perfect, there are a few things that I’ve found help me minimize the chaos, and believe it or not, get out the door in around 45 minutes if need be. (Need, being the operative word):
1) Prepare the Night Before: This may sound obvious, but I’m often surprised to hear from other moms how much they do “live.” Much like my DVR, I’m all about planning ahead of schedule, so when 7:30 am hits (not to be confused with actual wake up time which is anywhere from 5:30 to 7am), I/we can turn off “Curious George,” get out of bed, and press “play” on our other morning program. That means, clothes, are picked out for both my son and myself the night before (More on clothes: see below). Lunches are prepared—containers just need to be plopped into the lunch box, and fresh water put in to an already cleaned Sippy cup. Breakfast is practically ready to go too. Other than oatmeal or a waffle, which takes no more than 3 minutes, yogurt or cottage cheese is standing by and fruit has been cut up the night before. And of course, let’s not forget about one other very important ingredient that helps me move on autopilot: COFFEE. The. Coffee. Is. Programmed. The. Night. Before.
2) Streamline Your Wardrobe: Recently, I gave my wardrobe a complete overhaul inside and out. By doing this, I was able to not only organize my closet, but also determine what outfits work for different scenarios. From easy to grab gym clothes, to the perfect park/play date outfit, to a hot night on the town dress, having outfits predetermined makes time management easier. During my 45 minutes of go-mode, once my clothes are on, I rarely stop to look in the mirror to determine if my outfit is working or if the shoes are matching, etc. I KNOW that it does because I’ve tried EVERYTHING on and predetermined my various looks. Obviously there are days when I rifle through my clothes to figure out what I feel like wearing, but in general, especially during the week or on weekends when we’ve got a 9am soccer game, I use my go-tos as my get-outs (the door).
3) Make your Child an Assistant: When you’ve got 45 minutes to get out the door, you need all the help you can get. Certainly, there are mornings where bribing my son with his favorite television show is the only way I can complete this daring mission. But in general, I try to include him in some of the things that I do so that there is some sense of “togetherness” and “quality time” even if it’s slightly self-serving. So for instance, many mornings, I have my son help me make the bed. I pull the comforter tight, while he hands me the throw pillows. I also often have him help me “do” my makeup. I have him open and close the lids or cases for me, and even have him “paint” my cheeks with the brush. Likewise, he prefers for me to be his assistant when he’s getting dressed. I hand him his clothes or help him get an arm through, but I do not, I repeat DO NOT do it for him. He’s “a big boy!” and as many of you know, big boys require A LOT OF PATIENCE!!! Which leads to Tip #4….
4) Be flexible! Especially with preschoolers who are beginning to flex their independence and reach developmental milestones like getting themselves dressed, you have to allow them the freedom to do so. Easier said than done when you’ve got a tock clicking, I know. BUT as much as you possibly can, try to allow for some wiggle room and space to let these (dare I say it) magical moments to happen amidst a rushed and chaotic morning. I try to be consistent, but if I know my son is going to flip out over not getting himself dressed, or if we’ve spent a few minutes too long stopping to read a book or built a Lego fort, I am more than happy to make up for “lost” time by letting him eat breakfast at the table, or even in bed if need be. Letting him break certain rules may not warrant a mommy of the year award but guess what: It will get me out of the door in 45 minutes or less, WITH mascara on AND if we’re lucky, in line at Starbucks with a few minutes to spare…
Free consultation 
