August 3, 2015

7 Tips for Busy Mornings with Children

Busy Mornings with Kids

In our house weekday mornings are busy year round. From September through June my daughter goes to school fairly early. In the summer both children often have camp or some sort of organized activity every morning. Over the last couple of years I’ve compiled some strategies for making our busy mornings go smoothly. These are things that help me make sure things flow easily so we can get out the door without too much chaos. Here are my favorite tips for making it all work:

7 Tips for Busy Mornings | The Naptime Chef

1) The Night Before: Bedtime is my favorite time to get things organized for the day ahead. My daughter chooses her outfit for the following day, while I lay out my son’s on his dresser. She also makes sure her backpack is packed and anything special she needs for after school, like a tennis racquet or special book, are by the door. These simple tasks take all of five minutes and eliminate morning tears over outfit choices and ensure nothing special we need for school is left behind during the early morning scramble.

General Mills Chex Cereal| The Naptime Chef

2) Breakfast Menus: When she was in kindergarten I quickly became a big fan of having a breakfast menu. Before we did this she would come downstairs hangry and unable to make clear choices about food. There were often tears because it was hard for her to put her finger on what she wanted, and in the end she was never 100% happy with what she picked. Now she writes it down before bedtime so I know what to make, and she knows what to expect. In the morning she simply comes downstairs, helps prepare her breakfast, and digs in without a peep.

2) Keep it Real: When we make our menus I focus on whole foods. We steer clear of purchasing foods that are too sugary or heavily processed. One of our favorite meals is cereal, fruit, and a glass of milk. Chex is currently at of the top of my children’s favorite cereals list because it does not include any artificial flavors or colors. In fact, more than 60% of all General Mills cereals are free of artificial flavors and colors from artificial sources and they are working on removing them from the other 40% of their cereals.. I can totally stand behind that!

General Mills Chex Cereal | The Naptime Chef

3) Helping Hands: Many hands make light work! Once my daughter learned how to pour from a pitcher I found a pretty milk pitcher that is just her size. I fill it with a little bit of milk and in the morning she uses it to make her own cereal for breakfast when it is on the menu. She feels so independent getting food for herself, plus, now she can help her little brother which is a great help to me.

7 Tips for Busy Mornings | The Naptime Chef

4) Kitchen Organization: Putting away clean dishes from the dishwasher and wiping down the counters are night time routines of mine. I love coming down in the morning to a fresh, uncluttered kitchen and clean dishes in the cabinet. By the end of the day the counters will invariably be cluttered and the dishwasher full again, but I don’t care. I’ll just wrap it all before bed and start fresh the following morning.

5) Back Pocket Food: There are days when things don’t go as planned. Like the time when my son woke up with a burning fever and I had to get him straight to the doctor. Or, daylight savings time each spring when my whole family sleeps in and we are late to work and school. On these days I reach for a back-pocket breakfast. I put cereal in bags, give the kids a piece of fruit and a milk box, strap them in the car, and off we go. They have all the elements of a healthy breakfast in hand, just in a different form.

7 Tips for Busy Mornings | The Naptime Chef

6) Up Early: My kids are fairly early risers but I often make an effort to rise before them. This means I set my alarm to go for a run early in the morning, or sometimes just to get downstairs for a half hour before they wake up. Since I am coming down to an organized kitchen and packed backpack I don’t need to scramble for the children. Instead I have my breakfast and a cup of tea and take my time to ease into the day. It is typically my only quiet time of the whole day so I use it to my advantage to collect my thoughts and start it off right.

(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by General Mills. The opinions and photographs are wholly my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make The Naptime Chef possible.)

 

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