How to get your kids ready for school on time. 8 parenting tips.

There seems to be a time vortex that only exists in the mornings. This vortex makes any simple task take ten times longer than usual. All painfully leaving children running after their school bus and parents in such a hurry they drive off with their coffee mug still on the roof of the car. Mornings don’t have to be like this! Take back your mornings by helping get your kids ready for school on time with these simple, yet effective, parenting tips.

1. Take baths and showers the night before.

Get a jump start on the next day by showering the night before. It’s one less thing to worry about in the morning.

2. Set out clothes the night before.

Reduce the dreaded indecision of not knowing what to wear by setting out everyone’s clothes the night before. Use this time to begin letting your young child pick out their own clothes. One less chore you have to do!

3. Gather school things together by front door.

Get as much prepared, planned and set aside the night before as possible. Most of the morning is spent running around trying to find everything you and your children need. Reduce the number of things you need to do in the morning to ensure your kids are ready for school on time.

4. Set alarm 15-30 minutes earlier.

Along with preparing as much as you can the night before, you should also wake up a little earlier. This gives you more time to eat a healthy breakfast and is a buffer in case something unexpected happens. Having more than enough time in the morning also reduces stress, a very good way to start the day.

5. Prepare kid-friendly breakfast treats.

Boiled eggs, Eggo's, toast, muffins and PB&Js are some breakfast treats that young kids can easily get for themselves. You can prepare them up to a week in advance making breakfast time super-fast. These kinds of treats are also easy to hold and eat without utensils, which makes them travel-friendly.

6. Plan to leave 15 minutes before you absolutely need to.

Set a time for everyone to meet by the front door with everything in hand 15 minutes before you must leave. Chances are it will take 15 minutes to get everyone officially ready to walk out the door and on the way.

7. Have an emergency plan.

If time is just not nice to your family in the morning, then follow your emergency plan. This plan can be something like making sure you have the necessities (breakfast, homework, lunch box, clothes) and do everything else in the car. Have your children put on their shoes in the car. Eat granola bars on the way. And bring along brushes and deodorant so they can participate in at least a little good hygiene on the way to school.

8. Reward the process.

Routines are all about structure. Now that we’ve laid out handy steps to keep the family on schedule in the morning, add them to the kids’ chore chart. As they accomplish a perfect week, reward them from the universal wishlist.