Busy Mom's World

Whether you work outside the home, or you are a stay at home mom, Monday mornings can be stressful to say the least. You run around trying to get yourself ready for the day, gulping your coffee, getting your kids dressed and lunches made. What chaos!

Life with children is never easy, and we knew that going into our chosen lifestyles. Working outside the home makes things even more hectic. There are some easy things you can do to make your Monday mornings go a little smoother.

Being prepared is at the top of the list. If you are organized, things will fall into place—most days anyway. I have to be prepared because that is how I roll; it comes natural to me. For others, this may not be so easy. Doing things over the weekend and the night before will help you tremendously. Here is what can be done before hand:

Baths and Clothes: Don’t even attempt to put off a bath or shower until Monday morning. Your day will be off on the wrong foot guaranteed. I have a bath schedule for the kids and we stick to it for the most part. This really works for us, since the kids know when it is their time for cleaning themselves up. Have clothes picked out and ready so your kids can dress themselves as soon as they are up and about.

Lunches: It just makes better sense to make these the night before. If for some reason you can’t do this, then you need to get yourself up earlier than you normally do to make time for this task.

Time for Yourself: I get up at least an hour before the kids have to be up; sometimes even earlier depending on what I have to do that day. I know it doesn’t seem fair because you may need the extra sleep, but once you get into the habit of rising early, you will find that your day goes much smoother. That to me is worth losing a little bit of sleep.

Breakfast: Keep breakfast simple and easy. Toast, yogurt and fruit, healthy cereals and juice or even bags of granola, nuts, fruit or protein bars are excellent on-the-go choices. Another option could be a nutritional drink that can be grabbed right out of the fridge and thrown into the backpacks or drank on the way to school.

Schedule Your Time: Yep, this works, at least for me. I get up early and do what I need to do—check emails, drink my coffee and get myself organized for my own day. I then wake up my son who has to be on the bus at 7:45. After he leaves, I jump in the shower then wake up my daughter whom I drive to school. She eats breakfast, gets dressed and brushes her teeth while I finish getting ready. I go out and warm up the car (in the winter) while she gets her books, backpack and coat. We are then out the door and to school 5 minutes before the first bell rings.

My schedule works for every weekday. I keep it the same that way I don’t have any surprises. I clean house on Saturdays and on Sundays I do laundry. I shop when it is convenient for me during the week. I work from home, so I can make my own time schedule. It will be easier for a working outside the home mom to schedule shopping, laundry and cleaning days to fit her own schedule. The point is, make one and stick to it.

Monday mornings, or any morning for that matter does not have to be wrought in chaos. If you make your schedule and stick to it, you find that getting up and moving out the door on time will be easy and less stressful.