Written by amomwithalessonplan.com
At our house even the kids are morning people. That means I have to get up REALLY early to start my morning routine before they get up. I used to get up an hour before they are allowed to get out of bed (yes they get up that early). Over the past few months I’ve fallen out of the habit and started waking up with them.
An hour more of sleep should be great right? The thing is that it’s not. I wake up feeling behind, I wake up with little people who need things… right away. After struggling to find balance in our morning routine I’ve realized what’s missing. It’s the much needed Mom time I used to get every single morning.
Today’s post is a message to me (and hopefully hits home for you too), because sometimes I need a good reminder of what’s working and what’s not. Waking up behind is definitely not working for me.
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Morning Routine for Moms
- Get up before the kids. This is the number one, most important thing for a successful morning routine. In order to get up early and still get enough sleep a good bedtime routine is really important.
- Do something that’s just for MOM. Even if it’s only for 10 minutes. Starting the day with something that makes me feel good affects the mood of the entire day. For me following The Miracle Morning in peace and quiet is a wonderful gift for myself
- Get one important task done. Take a shower or do that one thing that always seems to be rushed at the end of the morning. Every morning I feel like I am rushing to make my smoothie and take my shower. Of course that’s because the kids routine is more important … or is it? When I’m up before them and have those things prepped my morning goes so much more smoothly.
- Read a book that doesn’t have pictures. Even just a few minutes of reading every day adds up. Once everything else in my morning routine is finished, snuggling up with a book and getting ready to be joined by the rest of the family just feels right. (The bonus is that kids actually see me choosing to read!)
- Put on a happy face. One of the things I’m always conscious of is how I respond to my family entering the room. I want to light up for them. I want for them to feel how excited I am to see them. When I wake up with them I’m still tired and groggy. I’m not ready to put on a happy face. When I’ve already had time to wake up it’s easy to give them the smile and snuggles they deserve.
Do you wake up before your kids? If not, how different would your morning be if you did?
PS. I mentioned it within the post but I can not tell you what a difference the book The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod has made for me. It’s worth repeating. I started with a copy from the library and then bought it myself. It’s one of the few books that is always on the coffee table.
This post originally appeared February 10, 2015.