Children are a blessing and bring with them countless gifts, such as love and joy. Being a parent, however, comes with its own set of challenges that can sometimes be scary and stressful. Mornings, especially, can be very demanding with juggling between sending kids to school and going to the office. Wondering how to make managing your super-stressful mornings an easy job?
Setting a morning routine for kids can make your mornings stress-free, helping you to multitask efficiently. A good daily morning routine for your kids can let you give yourself some time off from those overly taxing mornings!
A Go-To Guide To Help You Set A Morning Routine For Kids:
1. Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is of utmost importance during infancy and childhood. Suppose, a two-year-old has to get up at 7 am, this requires he/she should be in bed by 7 pm. The number of hours of sleep required for your child can be calculated by subtracting the total amount of hours from the time they have to get up.
2. Prepare The Night Before
After sorting the sleep schedule, the next step involves preparing for the morning. It’s amusing how most parents do not already indulge in this. This can be done through the following:
- Making breakfast the night before.
- Packing tiffins/lunches
- Setting a shelf with all school supplies so that you don’t have to look for them in the morning.
- Picking out clothes the night before.
It is very important that kids learn to do certain things on their own. For instance, they should be taught to pack their bags and pick out clothes the night before to avoid a hassle in the morning. This can prove beneficial for the child in the long run.
3. Make A Routine Chart
Kids find it easy to learn when they are taught in ways that are like a game. Making a chart for the daily routine for kids the kids follow the chart that would include daily morning habits to follow will help you shed off some load as your kids excitedly indulge with routine.
A Daily Routine for Kids Chart Could Include:
- Brush your teeth
- Wash your face
- Comb your hair
- Get dressed
- Eat your breakfast
- Tie your shoelaces
- Grab your school bag
- Don’t forget to take your tiffin
Certain routines taught to kids at an early age can be helpful while they’re growing up. Often kids remember these habits and go on to follow them throughout their lives. One should encourage children to do certain tasks and take ownership of these tasks. Kids who can tie their shoelaces or dress on their own have a sense of achievement, and this can lead them to live a fulfilling life.
4. Get Up Early Before Your Kids
It would be helpful to you if you can establish a routine for yourself and get up 10 to 15 minutes before your kid. First and foremost, it will give you some time all by yourself, which would make it easier for you to complete all the tasks and continue with the day without any stress. If you’ve taken a bath, are well hydrated and awake, before the kids stir up, you’re more likely to be calm and hence, succeed at establishing a routine for your kids.
5. Be Calm And Connected
Kids can sense tension when the adults are in a rush which may lead them to not cooperate with you. If you follow the above steps you are most likely to do everything in time. A good way to not let the kids mirror your expression and ways is when you communicate with them and tell them why you’re in a rush and would require their assistance to complete certain tasks. Be it, kids or adults, communication is the key!
Things To Avoid In The Morning To Set Up The Best Morning Routine For Kids:
1. Avoid Yelling
Kids tend to get frustrated and not cooperate with their parents when they yell at them for being late or not getting ready on time. Yelling does not work as kids mirror it. An effective technique is to talk to them and ensure that whatever their needs are fulfilled for the morning.
2. Punishment
It feels almost intuitive to punish kids to alter their behaviour; however, punishing kids makes matters worse. Children work on reverse psychology; if you attend to their tantrums by punishing them, you are silencing their mode of expression. Instead, talk to them. Praise them when they do well, or notice their efforts and good habits. Kids feed off their parents’ positivity.
To make your morning routines more efficient and smooth, it is important to make changes in your diet to be able to cope with the stressors at home and work.
4 Important Diet Changes That Can Make You More Efficient
- Having a protein-rich diet to keep you energized.
- Drinking at least two litres of water.
- Consuming fruits and vegetables rich in citric acid and water content (cucumbers, oranges, pears, etc.)
- Switch from chips to nuts for healthy snacking.
To conclude, a healthy morning routine for your kids can make your mornings stress-free. Therefore, it is important to have the best morning routine for your kids and understand the importance of healthy habits for kids and why they’re important to establish it right from childhood.
Along with establishing a morning routine for your kids, it is important to have a healthy morning routine for mothers. This includes having a healthy diet, exercising and practising to communicate with your kids at every step. Kids tend to learn from their caregivers and in most cases, their mothers or fathers.
It is essential to teach healthy morning habits and healthy morning routines in kids from the beginning.