As you climb into bed, you set your alarm for 6 AM. You swear tomorrow morning you really are going to wake up before the kids to tackle those remaining house chores before your sleeping beauties rise … hangry for breakfast. But it never fails – your child is by your bedside at 5:58 AM wide-eyed. This is a normal rhythm here at our house. I’ve also seen a meme or two involving kids waking their parents up by creepily standing by their bedside – so, I know I’m not along! If you’re like me, or those memes, I’m sure you’re looking for a way to make getting out the door less hectic; we all could use a few tips for a peaceful morning. Below are some some of my nighttime tips that help make sure I don’t start the day already feeling behind!
1) Prep Your Morning Coffee
Hear me out – you can spend time on the fancy pour-over a few hours later when the kids are at school, or once they’ve gone to college … but for that early morning cup of joe, I suggest having your coffee measured out in the filter with water poured. Be set up ready to simply hit “brew” when you shuffle into the kitchen. Nothing needs to stand in the way of you and your morning coffee besides the ON button. Or, even better, purchase a coffee maker with a timer. There is truly nothing like waking up to the smell of brewed, ready-to-enjoy coffee that sets you up for a peaceful morning.
2) Wash Dishes & Run Dishwasher
Clear sink = clear mind. And don’t forget to actually start the dishwasher, even if it’s only 80% full. I believe the sound of the dishwasher running in a cleared, cleaned kitchen is what heaven will sound like. No one wants to tackle a sink that needs to be cleared of dinner AND breakfast dishes.
3) Make Lunches & Prep Backpacks
This is one of the main to-dos that make mornings run smoother in my household. It creates less mess on your countertops in the morning, and you don’t have to listen to your kids make impossible requests for their lunch (or is that just mine?). I get to make their lunches at my leisure – listening to good music or a podcast, in peace. I then make sure all folders or school supplies are gathered and by the back door. It’s my little time to wind down.
4) Put Away Toys
Even if you don’t put them all the way up (though that is recommend at least a few nights a week!), put them away in a basket, outside of their room or on the stairs for easy put-away in the morning. While my kids, yours too, help with pick-up, there are no doubt a few stragglers that need to be put in their place. Clean floors and coffee tables make for a more peaceful morning.
5) Pick Up All Throw Blankets and Pillows
Basically, anything that has been tossed about during the day, simply spend 2-4 min putting back up or away. My kids are notorious for making forts and I enjoy being cozy on the couch with a blanket reading. But this is a very quick way to reset your living space so it doesn’t feel like chaos when you wake up to enjoy that morning cup of coffee. Spending less than 5 minutes on this simple task really makes a difference.
*Honorable Mentions*
Sort Mail
Why not take the small stack mail from the day and quickly throw away spam and sort the must keep stuff? Have a landing place for bills, important mail, invites, etc. and you can get through those when you have more time and brain space.
Clean Counters
No deep cleaning – just a quick wipe down of countertops. Waking up to clean countertops sets the stage for a peaceful morning and a fresh start for the day.
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