Winning back your mornings with your kids
Winning back your mornings with your kids
A recent poll found that the most stressful part of the day for parents is weekday mornings - no surprises there! 😰⌛️🏚️
I’m one of those parents who is always in a rush (cue, the book, The Sloth Who Came to Stay by Margaret Wild). It isn’t a great trait to have and causes stress to everyone!
I have made a concerted effort to become less so, because these moments with young kids doesn’t last ever and I really want to be present in the mornings.
Over the last 5 years, I have learnt the importance of rituals. To win back the morning with your kids, here are three ideas to consider.
1. Good habits
Good habits that form part of a nighttime ritual and morning ritual are the key to allowing you to stop and smell the roses 🌹🌹🌹 in the morning when you are getting ready for work (and getting the kids ready too). Do yourself a favour and have a read of James Clear’s Atomic Habits, BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits or Charles Duhigg’s, The Power of Habit.
2. Develop a Nighttime Ritual and Morning Ritual for yourself
Having rituals will help improve your set up for the day (no guarantees, as everyone knows). Once you have good rituals these will change the trajectory of your life and what you can achieve. This will be the subject of another issue (or two). In the meantime, if you want to see what others do with their morning routine check this link out:
https://mymorningroutine.com/routines/
3. Develop a Bedtime Ritual and Morning Ritual for your kid(s)
Having a good bedtime ritual and morning ritual is essential for your kids. One thing I like to include in my bedtime ritual for my son is to ask him just before he sleeps, what the best thing that happened during the day so he develops a sense of gratitude. I sometimes forget to ask him and he will remind me!
Thought Provoking Quotes on this week’s topic
John C. Maxwell
You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret to your success is found in your daily routine.
Arianna Huffington
A routine gives me a sense of control and confidence, allowing me to navigate the challenges of each day with grace.
Further resources
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
https://charlesduhigg.com/books/the-power-of-habit/
Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg
https://tinyhabits.com/
Morning routine for school
https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/school-learning/school-homework-tips/morning-routine-for-school