It’s unclear where they got the strength but one thing is absolutely clear: children have made it their sworn mission to ruin mornings for their parents. They devote every iota of their strength to careening mornings off track with their incessant questions and their seemingly endless requests: Can I have a treat? Can we watch TV? Do lions in the jungle have to brush their hair? Do cows have names? Do the cows have aunties? Why do I have to wear my school uniform? Where did I put my shoes?

As any parent will tell you – mornings can get away from you very quickly! However, we’re trying to get you back in control, here are our tried and tested tips to getting on top of the mornings as a parent with young children. Together, we moms can master the mornings! 

A Productive Morning Begins The Night Before

It may seem counterintuitive, but the key to a productive morning starts the night before. Think about it, if you’re coming at the morning sleep-deprived, you’re fighting a losing battle. To make sure you’re getting a full night’s sleep you’ll need to be working with the best equipment. Step one is to invest in a great mattress. The quality of your mattress can make a major difference to the quality of your sleep. Memory foam, gel technology, coil springs and multi-layer foam – there are a lot of things to consider.

Lots of Lists

Little ones can get overwhelmed with all the tasks they have to do in the morning. Help them by making a list of the things they have to get done in the mornings: brush your teeth and hair, get dressed, eat breakfast, get dressed, gather your homework, pack your bag, grab your lunch box, put your shoes on, double-check everything, go to school!

Caffeine Is Your Friend

It’s long been said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and, as parents will tell you, coffee is the most important part of any meal but especially breakfast. As a parent, you need breakfast to be quick and easy but it also needs to be filling enough to give you the energy you need to get through the morning and your kids the energy to face a full day of school. It can be tempting to give in to the habit of eating the toast crusts off your kid’s plates, drinking some cold coffee and then just running through the morning with nothing but a hope and a prayer! Put those bad habits behind you. Instead, after you’ve had a hot cup of coffee (or ten coffees!) then you might want to consider breakfast recipes, they’re quick and easy to make – you’ll love them and your kids will too!

Cut Yourself Some Slack And Use Bribery As Needed!

Even with the most thought out plans mornings can be manic! So, give yourself a break if things get out of hands and you’re late to school drop off once in a while or if you give your kids a chocolate muffin for breakfast every now and again or if their uniforms are a little rumpled and you’re in stained yoga pants at the school gate. We have all been there!

Another thing to keep in mind is that you should feel free to use bribery whenever you need it. I know it seems counterintuitive and I know the parenting books say not to but when you’re struggling to get your kids out the door, bribery should 100% be on the table.