13 Hacks to Make a Mama's Morning Run Smoothly

Load it up the night before for liquid gold on time, every morning.

Not only is it fun to pick morning tunes, but pick a song for each activity and challenge them to be finished before the song ends. Planned out right, this gives kids 3-4 minutes for each part of their morning routine, and will keep them on track in a fun way.

Whether it’s oatmeal or an omelet made in a muffin tin, there are a lot of recipes for on-the-go, bite-size breakfasts that will keep your kiddos going through the morning until lunchtime. The best part about muffin-tin breakfasts is that they’re easily freezable, so you can make them in batches — this works for pancakes, too!

In the morning, throw everything from the refrigerator into their lunch boxes, zip it up, and throw it into their book bag. Done.

If you’re going to make lunches every morning, at least hold your kiddos responsible for part of it. Make a bin in the pantry with school-approved snacks and let them choose what to throw in with their sandwich.

Pro tip: only let them pick a snack after their teeth are brushed and they’re dressed.

Though it seems like it makes the most sense to corral the kids from the kitchen to the car, how many times have your kiddos gotten themselves dressed only to spill half of their breakfast on their shirt? Too many times, we're sure. This one schedule change will ensure that the first time they get dressed is the last time.

Use a small white board for each child and write their morning responsibilities on them — get dressed, pack bag, etc. — so that they can cross each thing off as they go. It becomes a little competition between siblings and also helps them establish routine.

Shoes, coats, book bags, all in one place. Boom.

Honestly, saves hours of time.

If your table isn’t used for anything else overnight, have kids help set the table for breakfast while you’re doing the dinner clean up. This way, everything is ready to go when you wake up.

First person downstairs with their hair and teeth brushed and clothes on gets a prize — make it whatever you need in order to drive your kids out of bed and downstairs ready to go — and you get to drink your morning coffee while they rush to get it all done. Win.