Five clever hacks to simplify any family's morning routine

Getting the family out the door on time every morning is no small feat. Seemingly simple tasks like getting dressed, packing backpacks and making breakfast can quickly turn into chaos. Before you know it, you’re running late and the children haven’t even eaten as you dash to the car. Stop dreading the stressful start to the day and start taking control of your mornings. A few simple tips and tricks will turn the morning craze into smooth sailing. Plus, when you have a stress-free start, the rest of the day just seems to go better.

Select a week’s worth of clothes
Instead of choosing outfits the night prior, supersize your time-saving efforts by doing this task just once on weekends. Involve children in selecting their clothes for the week so they feel empowered in their choices. Then hang entire outfits in the closet or stack in one drawer dedicated to weekday wear. When mornings come, children know exactly where to find the day’s things. Bonus: you don’t have to worry about midweek laundry.

Create a routine and set alarms
Create a morning routine and stick to it. For example, children wake at 5.30am, eat breakfast at 6:00am, get dressed and leave at 6:30am. And if the children need to share a bathroom, set a daily bathroom schedule with alarms to keep them on track and avoid arguments in the morning.

Get ready before waking up the children
Trying to ready yourself for the day while helping the children is a recipe for disaster. This is why waking before the rest of the family really makes mornings happier. Try getting up 30 minutes before the children so you have time to get ready and enjoy a cup of coffee. You’ll be fully awake, much happier, and can focus on helping the children stay on-task.

Create morning rules
Just like you don’t let children eat dessert before dinner to ensure they eat well, set rules for the morning to keep things moving. For example, no TV until all morning tasks are completed. For teens, smartphones and other mobile devices must remain on the kitchen table until they are ready to go.

Weekend = meal prep
Make a week’s worth of pre-preparation of your meals and put them in the freezer. This way lunch items are ready to go and the sandwiches will be thawed and ready to be eaten by lunchtime. For breakfast, make it easy for children by setting out shelf-stable items they can make themselves. Want to up the ante for breakfast without spending any extra morning time in the kitchen? Try making a delicious overnight oats dish that can be made in the evening and customised for each family member.