Morning Rush

"I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say hello-goodbye, I'm late! I'm late! I'm late! I'M LATE!"

Sound familiar? I know that I am not the only mother who feels like Alice's white rabbit on weekday mornings..If your family is anything like mine, it doesn't even matter how early you wake up or how much you've prepped the night before. You could have gotten the kids in and out the tub in record time, ironed clothes, packed lunches for the next day, and put the book bags, your purse and keys by the door , yet, 62 seconds before you are supposed to be out the door, you still find yourself struggling to brush your teeth while fighting to put shoes on two sleepy, grouchy kids. (And then, after you finally managed to check the house for active appliances, grab the lunches and book bags, turn off all the lights, set the alarm, lock the doors, comfortably buckle the kids in their booster seats and prepare to pull out the driveway, you hear the five most dreaded words that any parent in a rush could hear: "mommy, I gotta go potty.") 
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Here a few ideas to help you and your children survive the morning rush:

• Create a morning routine and stick with it. Maintaining a morning routine will not only help you to meet your morning goals, but a routine will also give your child a sense of security and consistency, improve their organizational and time-management skills, and even boost their confidence!  For more information on the importance of routines, click here.
• Let your children join the fun! Create a personalized chart and post it in your bathroom or child's bedroom. For example, you and your children can create a chart of daily morning responsibilities (making bed, brush teeth, wash face, potty time, get dressed, etc.) within a designated time frame (7 minutes work well for my kindergartner and toddler) Use stickers -the star shaped stickers are not only fun, but you can find them almost anywhere- to show your child's daily progress. If your child/ren completed their chart at the end of the week, give them some type of reward.  Remember,  reward does not have to be anything monetary. A hug, a kiss, or a tickle can do! For free, printable  charts, visit morning routine charts.
• Give clear, firm directions to help children stay on task.
• Let's face it, kids tend to have their own agenda's. When we are ready to get dressed, s/he may be ready to play with a toy that was left in the middle of the floor the previous evening. To cut back on distractions, try to remove any and all objects (such as toys) from the child's prep area the night before.
• Children feed off our energy, so it is important that you remain calm during the morning rush.

HOPE THIS HELPS!