10 Simple Steps to Make Mornings Easier

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of SoCozy.  All opinions are my own and not edited by the sponsor.

With four kids, eight and under, mornings in this house can get a little crazy.  Four kids waking up.  One baby needing to nurse.  Three kids needing to eat.  Four kids and a mom that needs to get dressed.  Two dogs that need to go outside.  Laundry to be washed.  Dishes to be unloaded  Just thinking about morning makes my mind exhausted.  These little bits of advice are simple “tried and tested” tips from us that may help your mornings go a little smoother.  Trying to get everyone up and out the door ready for the school bus OR prepared for a preschool playdate is no easy feat.  Today, I wanted to share ten tricks that have worked in our house to make our mornings just a little less stressful.

10 Simple Steps to Make Mornings Easier

1.  Pack lunches the night before.  For some reason, I have never done this until our fourth baby arrived in January.  It has made the mornings so much smoother because I am no longer scrambling to prepare breakfast & pack lunches at the same time.  I make lunches (and prepare snacks) the night before & place them in the refrigerator for the night.  I also fill water bottles and place in the refrigerator to stay cold so they are ready to grab and go.  When we are packing backpacks to go in the morning, I just grab the lunch boxes and water bottles out of the fridge and place them in the bag!

2.  Keep hairbrush & accessories downstairs.  I keep a basket in our downstairs bathroom that holds the hairbrush and hair supplies.  This includes some styling product for the boys.  With two boys, we face the battle of some major bedhead every morning.  It’s hard to find a product that works & something that they will actually let me put in their hair.  One of our favorite finds is the SoCozy Sensitive Styling Foam.  It is a lightweight mousse that helps hold their hair in place and easy enough that my boys can use it on their own.  With a quick comb & a little foam, I can have these boys ready in no time before that busy arrives.

3.  Keep breakfast simple.  I have learned with young children that it is best to keep meal time simple first thing in the morning.  For our house, this means cereal or oatmeal or frozen pancakes.  There’s no fancy cooking here & then, it makes the kids really appreciate a nicer breakfast on weekend mornings.

4.  Keep shoes and backpacks right by the door.  Depending on the season, we also keep gloves, hats, mittens, etc. in a drawer in the mudroom.   Everything can be quickly grabbed as we are zooming out the door, usually a few minutes later than planned!

5.  Hang a Morning Checklist somewhere the kids can see each morning.  This helps encourage independence & it will be super handy to them (and you!).

6.  Teach kids the Two Option Rule.  This is especially helpful for my strong-willed four year old.  Here are two options, and you must pick one.  For example, here are two outfits (picked by mom) and the child chooses one.  For Abby, I usually offer her a choice between a dress or leggings & a shirt so she can pick the style she feels like for the day.  The Two Option Rule comes in handy when it comes to hair as well. Here are two hairstyle ideas & the child must pick one.  For example, would you like a ponytail or a braid?  Like I said before, we keep all the hair supplies down the downstairs.  This includes hairbrush, bows & elastics, and SoCozy Sensitive Detangler for Abby.  This is a must-have item for when Abby is getting ready in the morning.  With only a few sprays, it helps get the tangles out of Abby’s bedhead in the morning making it quick and easy to style!

7.  Don’t be afraid to turn on the television in the morning.  There are mornings when I need 20 minutes to get dressed, feed the baby, or write an email.  I often make sure everyone is totally ready to go before the television goes on, but sometimes a little “Paw Patrol” is just what we we need.

8.  Make beds.  This is a tip that I learned from my mom and surprisingly, it makes my day a little more cheery.  Trust me, you will feel better!  I always make my bed & the kids “make” their bed (although I do come in and tidy each bed after the kids are done!).

9.  Throw a load of laundry in before you leave the house.  I try to do at least one load a day, during the week, so I like to throw it in early in the day.  Our washers are on the top floor with the bedrooms, so while we are all getting ready…I just take a moment & throw the laundry in!

10.  Read to your kids during breakfast.  (This doesn’t happen everyday with the chaos, but I try to find time a few times a week to do this.)  I love to read to my kids & know how important it is, but days can be crazy. So I have learned to use the times when we are all together in one spot with no one running around to read to them.  And they actually eat their breakfast while they are listening so it’s a win-win.  Food eaten & stories read!

I hope these tips bring a little less chaos & more simplicity to your mornings!

The SoCozy Detangler & Styling Foam mentioned above are part of the new Hush line from SoCozy.  I have been using the SoCozy hair products in our house & both Courtney and I have shared several times about this wonderful company over the years.  Their products are completely non-toxic and contain no harsh chemicals which means that they are safe!  SoCozy has come out with a brand new collection called Hush.  This line is created for the most sensitive skin, which means that I have found a line of bath and hair products that I can use on all four of my children, including the baby.  The new Hush line is dermatologist and allergy tested to treat sensitive scalp.  This line includes four different products: Hush Sensitive Serum, Hush Sensitive Foam, Hush Sensitive 2in1, & the Hush Sensitive Detangler.  If you have never tried SoCozy, I highly recommend them.  All of these items can be found at Target in the baby care aisle.  You can click here to learn more about the Hush collection from SoCozy.