Morning routine for Kids: Tips That Work
It can be hard to get kids up, fed, dressed and out the door with all their school stuff! Putting a morning routine in place will help save you from micro-managing the whole time.
I know what it’s like to have mornings that are anything but calm. That’s why I sing the praises of routines. Having a routine in the morning, can help you get out of the house without yelling, setting your kids up for a great day.
The best way to have your kids be independent in the mornings is to have a solid morning routine for school in place and to make the steps crystal clear to them.
Tips for Helping Kids Stick to a Morning Routine
1. Start small
Just choose a few things that need to get done. Figure out the most important three things and call it a routine. If your kiddo can eat breakfast, get dressed and grab their lunch before heading out the door, that is great!
A huge list can be very overwhelming for many kids. You can always add more onto a morning routine as your kids become familiar with the first few steps.
2. Get the order of your morning routine right
The order of your child’s routine can be critical and may be something you have to play with a bit.
I generally like to put eating breakfast last or almost last because it usually serves as a motivator for kids to get things done.
Every kid is different.
Perhaps kids need to do all the tasks that happen in their bedroom, then in the bathroom , then in the kitchen,etc. My son brushed his teeth before breakfast because he was still up on the second floor. If he waited until after breakfast, it wouldn’t have gotten done very often.
Or if your kiddo seems to keep spilling breakfast on their clothes, getting dressed should be one of the last parts of the routine.
3. Use a timer
Lots of kids have an inability to gauge time. Getting a visual timer, like the TimeTimer can help them learn what “15 minutes” feels like. If you’ve got a line to use the bathroom, give each kid 7 minutes to do all their necessary hygiene.
“Please be down in 15 minutes,” will mean something when a timer is within eye-shot. You may need one for each kid or set one in plain sight so all can benefit.
4. Make the routine visible
If kids can see or read what they need to do, they can be more independent completing their routine. (See below for free downloadable routine cards)
Take pictures of your kids doing the steps. Then glue them to a board or create a flip chart on a binder ring, so they know exactly what to do.
Paper morning routine chart. There are a lot of morning routine charts you can buy on Amazon ( We have used this one and this one, in the past, with some good success.)
Small Wipeboards can be super helpful to keep the steps of the routine close to your kiddo. The wipeboards can be carried around the house with them, so you don’t have micromanage them through the routine.
You can also laminate a half sheet of paper or use a dry erase marker to write a few steps down.
5. Find a motivator
Sometimes things go more smoothly if there is a bit of a motivator for your kid. Perhaps eating breakfast needs to come last, if it motivates them to do the other steps.
There are other things that might motivate your kids, as well. Time to read or use simple art supplies before school. A quick walk around the block, if there is extra time.
I hate to use screens as the motivator because then they see screens as the ultimate thing to work for. And being a teacher, I know screens are not good before school.)
6. Create an environment of cooperation.
Encourage your kids to help each other out during the morning routine. Who ever is done first, with time to spare can help out others to go thru their routine.
The best thing you can do is model this for them. Offer up your help if someone if running behind schedule. Also, giving them friendly reminders as the morning goes will model how they can act with each other, too.
7. Good mornings might start the night before.
There are a few things kids can do the night before to make mornings easier:
- Backpacks can be ready and sitting by the door the night before.Â
- Outfits can be chosen before going to bed.
- Lunches can be made or at least started.
- Homework, notes, gym uniforms, etc can be put in backpacks.
Doing even one of these things can greatly lighten the load for a smoother morning routine.
Benefits of a Morning routine for School
Kids can have a hard time with transitions, like getting out of the house in the morning. There are often too many steps involved for them to remember and they can get frustrated very easily.
This can cause a whole cascade of events, like staying up in their bedroom too long, having a meltdown over unmet expectations, or forgetting important things for school, like homework or their lunch.
Putting a Morning Routine in place particularly on school morning can eliminate the dawdling, the forgetting and the big meltdowns – REALLY!
Why Are Morning Routines for School Days a great idea:
- Routines create good habits and grow independence.
- Repetition is good for executive functioning – it helps things sink in!
- Routines create pockets of calm. Kids love routines because they know exactly what to do and what is expected of them.
- There will be less whining and nagging…the routine “is just what our family does in the morning”.
Click the Image above for my Free Routine Cards Download
Whatever kind of tool you use to make the steps visible, it is important that it is small enough for your kids to be able to carry it around the house with them as they move thru the steps. iI’s like having you sitting next to them at all times, cheering them on.
But, thankfully, you can be getting done what YOU need to in the morning instead – with little to no micro managing.
We used small wipe boards for a long time. Each of my boys had a dry erase marker to check off the items as they were accomplished. If they get caught up playing before their list is complete all I have to do to get them back on track is ask, “What’s next on your list?” It has made mornings so much smoother and given them a bit of autonomy, too.
If you have a friend who would benefit from this article please pass it along. And as always, thanks for taking the time to visit my blog! I’d love to hear what works for you in the mornings.
