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 counter-intuitive 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. Perhaps you’re thinking ‘a place to lay your head is a place to lay your head’, but 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. If you want to take the next step and research the best mattresses on the market to suit your current needs, check out this resource. 

If your kids haven’t woken you up during the night with a nightmare, an ‘accident’ or to ask you if it’s morning yet even though it’s pitch black outside, then congratulations on a miracle! We love our children and them waking us up during the night is just part of life but, when you’re having one of those rare night’s sleep without any interruptions from your children, being woken up by snoring (either your own or your partner’s) is enough to make you murderous. There are many ways to stymie snoring, losing weight, changing medication, altering diet but in some cases, your snoring may be indicative of a serious sleep disorder so you might want to ask your doctor about a sleep aid like a CPAP Machine, you can find out more at CPAP Direct.

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! If you need help making a list, here’s a handy printable checklist that you may be able to use as a basis for their morning routine. 

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 these 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. If you’re allowing your kids to use smart gadgets make sure to teach your kids how to safely access the internet, you can visit here to educate your kids today. Kids can be tyrants and routines can fall apart so if you need to let your kids watch a few cartoons so you can have a shower or scarf down some coffee then you should unshackle yourself from the mom-guilt that we all feel and just let them do it! Every single parent in the world has been in this exact same situation many times before you.