Morning Routine for School
It can be hard to get kids up and out the door fed, dressed and 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.
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”.
What to include in a morning routine for School
When you start a morning routine it’s important to include just the basics. Think about the minimum your kiddo has to get done to be able to walk out the door.
Morning tasks will vary by age, of course, but there are a few basics:
- Getting dressed
- Making bed
- Eating breakfast
- Packing lunch/backpack
- Brushing teeth/combing hair – older kids probably shower in the morning.
Extra things to add on later: Doing the dishes, cleaning the table, sweeping under the table, 10 minute walk outside, etc.
Getting 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.
Your kid may have some good suggestions for what order works best. Just ask!
Tips for Sticking to a Morning Routine for School
Start small
Just choose a few things that need to get done. You can always add more onto a morning routine as your kids become familiar with the first few steps.
Decide on the order of things.
If your kids are messy eaters, have them eat and then get dressed. If they hate to go back upstairs to brush their teeth, then have them do that step before they come downstairs.
Whatever order makes sense and helps them get the necessary steps done is the perfect order for your kid.
Find a motivator
Perhaps eating breakfast needs to come last, if it motivates them to do the other steps. Or they get a bit of time to read or use simple art supplies if they are ready on time. (I hate to use screens as the motivator because then they see screens as the ultimate thing to work for.)
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.
Older kids can handle a bit more to do
You can add making lunches, clearing the table or emptying the dishwasher to an older child’s morning routine. Just make sure they have the basics down for at least a full month before you add anything more in.
Create an environment of cooperation.
Encourage your kids to help each other out during the morning routine. Giving them friendly reminders as the morning goes will model how they can act with each other, too.
Good mornings might start the night before.
There are a few things kids can do the night before to make mornings easier.
Kids can have their backpack ready and sitting by the door the night before. Help them pick their outfit out before going to bed.
Make the routine visible
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.
DIY charts. You can always create your own chart by taking pictures of each step and printing them out on a small sheet of paper and laminate it or use a heavy plastic sleeve.
Click on the image below for Free Downloadable Routine cards you can customize for your kids.
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.
Examples of Morning Routines for Kids
When creating a routine, start with the time you need to be out the door and work backwards from there. Make sure to give everybody ample time for missteps or expected morning grumpiness. Here are a few examples for simple morning routines for kids.
Having a calm morning can really impact the rest of the day for every member of the family. Especially on school days, if I can send them away knowing they are in a good place, I know it will have a positive impact on their entire day.
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.
