5 Daily Habits with Littles to Start the Morning off Right

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As soon as my kids wake up, things turn pretty crazy and chaotic, which is how it should be with littles. However, I have learned that if implement a few simple habits each day, things tend to go a lot smoother which brings me joy.

Wake up before my kids

The first thing I learned awhile ago that I try to do unless I’m sick or have a baby waking up during the middle of the night is, I wake up BEFORE my kids. It is really difficult for me to be a happy mama if I wake up TO my kids instead of having some time in the morning before they wake up.

I love going on a run, having quiet time to read my Bible and spend with God, and having a few sips of coffee before I need to start attending to the many needs of my children.

muffins, fruit, and multi-vitamin for breakfast prepared in plates with lids

Prep breakfast

The second thing that helps me a lot in the morning is I prep my kids breakfast the night before (meaning I actually put it on plates and in the fridge) so I can just grab it in the morning and put it on the table for each of my kids. 

I am currently making a large batch of these healthy muffins (I just leave out the chocolate chips) for my kids every few weeks, which makes breakfast prep fast and easy. Side note: I just got a mockmill to mill my own flour and I LOVE it!

wheat berries, mockmill, and kitchen aid mixer sitting on countertop

Having their breakfast ready to just pull out of the fridge allows me to start our morning devotional time together right away. I have everyone’s attention then and we are all in better spirits while eating.

Laundry

The third thing I do is the night before, I try to get any dirty clothes into the washer. Then I can run that load the next morning. As the kids get dressed, they know to bring their pjs to the laundry room so I can throw those in. Then I start that load before we all come downstairs in the morning, so it’s washing while we are eating breakfast.

woman holding a pile of folded laundry

I try to unload it and hang clothes up or put them in the dryer after our morning time, before we go anywhere. My goal is always to finish that load of laundry and fold the clothes before nap/quiet time in the afternoon so I don’t have to worry about it later that evening. I put each kid’s folded laundry in front of their room. Then at least the five year old can put it away herself. I hope to start this habit with my three year old sometime in the near future.

Morning chores

The fourth thing is that my five year old has morning chores that she knows she is expected to do each morning. She must complete these before she comes out of her room. These chores include making her bed, taking her dirty clothes to the laundry room, picking up any toys off the floor, and getting dressed. Following these, I brush and floss her teeth, wash her face and comb her hair.

I help my three-year-old do these things as well. Once these things are all done, we all come downstairs together. This is HUGE for us because if one child comes down early and starts eating, I lose time when we are all at the table together.

Bible study books and breakfast set out on kitchen table

Morning devotional time

Lastly, the night before, I make sure to have our Bible and other devotional books (if you’re curious about our morning devotional time, check out this post or this video. I have found that this morning time during breakfast is an awesome time to teach them about God’s word. It’s the pinnacle of our day!!

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5 Comments

  1. These are such great tips on creating a smoother morning with children! We just restarted homeschool last week and the mornings have been painful. This was a very helpful post.

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