If you looked in the dictionary for whatever the opposite of a morning person is, you’d see my name. And while I make sure my kids get to school on time every morning, I’m not exactly fully functioning or the most pleasant human being before 8am. Which makes school mornings…tough. Getting back into a routine is hard! Especially if you’re not a morning person.
I like my school mornings slow. Truthfully, I like every morning slow. Accompanied by warm coffee, an extended time in pajamas, and quiet—none of which is possible when you have to hustle two kids out the door by 7:10 each weekday morning. Alas, I’ve found some things that make our school day mornings a little more pleasant.
Maybe they’ll be helpful to you, too?
A Car Playlist
There’s nothing worse than bickering kids in the backseat arguing about what to listen to on the radio. And truly, there’s nothing worse than obnoxious “kid music” at the crack of dawn. At least to me. Enter: a carefully curated “School Morning Playlist.” For years, I’ve underestimated the power of a good playlist. No more. Our car playlist only plays for the fifteen or so minutes we’re driving to school, but it’s made a massive difference in the morning squabbles.
Our playlist is already decided (No early morning decision fatigue for me!) and consists of upbeat, positive music. It’s ready to pump us up for the day ahead. It also has some pre-selected songs for each kid. This way, everyone knows their preferences will eventually play and mom doesn’t have to think or delegate or referee (too much!) before the caffeine has kicked in.
Grab-and-Go Breakfast
I don’t think about breakfast in the morning. Not for me (I usually opt for a protein bar after the gym) and not for my kids. But before you call Child Services on me for forgetting to feed my kids, know that we have a routine for our school mornings that works for us!
We (I!) don’t make a hot, fresh breakfast in the little running around time before we leave the house. I am perfectly okay with that and so are my kids. Depending on the week, my kids have a few options to choose from for school morning breakfasts.
- Frozen waffles or pancakes (my oldest can pop in the toaster…my kids weirdly eat frozen? *shrugs*…)
- Granola bars
- Drinkable yogurt/Gogurt
- Muffins: I usually try to prep a batch of muffins or sheet pan pancakes on the weekends.
Braiding my daughter’s hair the night before school days
This is a very specific hack, I know. But it can be applied to a few things if you don’t have a daughter. We braid my daughter’s hair every night. One day, this may not work for us or she may decide to do something different – but in this season, it works! On school mornings, she takes the braid out, easily brushes it, and we’re good to go! Sometimes I’ll do a quick re-braid or she’ll put it in a ponytail, but we keep things simple for hair. This keeps her hair from getting frizzy or tangled overnight.
No long-haired daughter in your house? No problem. Is there a problem that occurs in the early morning that can be solved by taking up less than 5 minutes of your time the night before? Maybe fill the water bottles, pack the lunches, or lay out the clothes the night before. This saves you time and energy the following morning! Win-win.
Looking to up-level your basic braiding skills? Check out this tutorial!
Not putting effort into my appearance
That’s it. That’s the hack. And I know this isn’t new or too novel. But I do car drop-offs and usually hit the gym afterward. Even if I run to the grocery store quickly or to grab gas, I don’t usually see people. This means I don’t shower or apply makeup when I first wake up. Thankfully, I work from home and have the flexibility to shower after school and drop off. Then I’m more awake and ready to begin the day.
So in a sense, I start my day twice. Once when I wake up and again three hours later when I shower, do my hair, and put on makeup. I focus more on getting my kids to look presentable instead of taking time to do makeup and hair. And while I know this hack isn’t applicable for everyone, is there anything you can let slide? Maybe you apply your makeup in carline instead of getting up earlier. Maybe you put some heatless curlers in the night before and just pull them out instead of washing or blow-drying your hair first thing in the morning? See if there’s anywhere you can…cut corners a bit. And don’t forget to give yourself grace!
Mindless rhythms and automaticity on early school mornings
This one is pretty self-explainable, too. But one important note: don’t create too many rhythms for your school mornings at once. Let them happen naturally. Or try out one and figure out if it works before adding another. Allowing your routines and rhythms to flow naturally will make mornings easier. I promise! Even if you don’t fully wake up for a few hours like me, your body and brain will still accomplish the tasks without too much effort.
