‘This Mommy Morning Routine Will Improve Your Mood’
Good Morning
You probably open your eyes a few minutes before your alarm is due to go off (Your body is in a rhythm) You know soon the alarm snooze button will be cheekily grinning at you. No! No snoozing! Its time to get up! I can do this! One foot in front of the other.
Get up, open the curtains, wake the kids (trying to do it in a gentle and loving way), start the lunchboxes, wake up the kids again (this time with a scream from the kitchen), finish the lunchboxes making sure not to forget to pack them in the school bags (nothing quite like the ‘I forgot my lunch at home’ call from the school office), tie shoe laces, make the perfect pair of pigtail plaits (if you are lucky you might get a simple ponytail request), gather the school books sprawled all over the house from yesterdays homework, and then stop and realise you haven’t even brushed your teeth. Phew!
You need and deserve to start your day in a manner that will allow you to be present, patient and with a sense of inner peace
Tools and Tips
Set your alarm 45 minutes earlier than usual
Allow yourself to push the snooze button only once
Make a cup of tea/coffee
Go and sit in your favourite home space and enjoy your warm tea/coffee for 15 minutes (leave your phone in another room)
Before you get up close your eyes and take three deep breaths in. On the inhale imagine breathing in patience and peace and on the exhale imagine exhaling stress and panic.
Wake your kids with a kiss and ask them how their sleep was (let them answer you and look you in the eye. It will help them wake up)
Have a shower and/or get dressed while your kids are getting dressed, brushing teeth, washing faces etc (Get your kids to take their clothes out the night before)
Keep breakfast simple
While the kids eat their breakfast spend 5 minutes chatting to the kids about the plans for the day
Pack the school lunches the night before (a game changer!)
Give the kids two morning responsibilities, which will help you (make their beds, pack their school bags, fill the water bottles, etc)
Smile while doing all of this even if you force it (eventually this will come more naturally - I promise)