5 Ways To Stress Free Mornings
Are you one of those families where mornings are crazy…..stressful…..frustrating?
No matter how much you prepare the night before every morning is still full of chaos and most days you end up running late?
I know exactly how you feel….it used to be me.
I had my boys clothes laid out…..lunch was waiting in the fridge….backpacks were packed by the door….alarm clocks were on few minutes earlier then needed….
….still chaos….running late…boys fighting….forgetting their morning chores…blaming each other….
….till I decided enough was enough and some changes had to be made….
After reading few articles I came up with a plan and ways to STRESS FREE MORNINGS.
Source: cupcakesandcashmere.com via Elise on Pinterest
#1 Allow Children To Wake Up To Mood-Lifting Scent
Just like the smell of fresh brewed coffee gets most of us out of bed the aroma of citrus scent get our children moving with a little burst of energy.
You can infuse the air in your children bedrooms before their alarm goes off few ways:
- use citrus scent room spray
- dab little bit of citrus essential oil on the bulb of their bedside lamp and turn it on
- use citrus scent reed diffuser (turn the reeds around) for a quick shot of citrus burst
#2 Play Upbeat Music To Keep Them Moving
- for older kids you can download morning routine upbeat playlist into their iPods
- for younger kids you can order upbeat custom CD with that starts with Good Morning song that includes their name
- tune your house radio, stereo or satellite TV to upbeat music station
#3 Set The Breakfast Table With Cheerful Colors
The yellow, blue and white color combination is considered brain-boosting color combo that enhances energy and concentration, promotes mental clarity and improves focus.
Source: houseofturquoise.com via Bibiana on Pinterest
#4 Detailed Morning Schedule
It is very helpful especially for younger children and teenagers to have Detailed Morning Schedule visible somewhere in their bedroom. They can move from task to task without worrying about missing something or forgetting something. We shouldn’t assume that our children will do everything that they are suppose to every single morning….we all forget so why not to help them out to keep them on track and out of trouble.
#5 No TV , Computer or Personal Electronics Before School
All of these electronics are stimulants that steal children concentration away from morning tasks and in many cases cause hyperactivity which leads to misbehavior, forgetting important things and morning arguments.
These 4 little changes turned our mornings from chaos and stress into calm….relaxed mornings that we all enjoy.
Do you have other ways or tips that help your family keep their mornings stress free?
Source: weheartit.com via Bibiana on Pinterest
One more thing….I appreciate your time to read this post and I hope you will come back, but I also love COMMENTS like everyone else so go ahead and let me know how am I doing. I would love to hear from you.
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I have always said that I like organised chaos…. Sounds like a good plan for a big family or any family with children. The breakfast looks awesome!
Upbeat music! This is what my mom use to do… and it worked well!!
Growing up my parents always had the radio on in the morning so I remember waking up to upbeat music as well.It’s funny how we forget things and then we find them again.
Great tips! I’ll try the citrus smell to help the boys wake up. The blue, yellow and white color scheme is my favorite.
I love that color scheme as well….it is so cheerful and full of energy
I love the wake up to a nice scent idea. My morning with my three is packed full of chaos. The one thing I do is get things ready the night before… otherwise the kids go wild looking for things. Also… music is key. Nothing better to get you in a nice mood!
I agree, music gets me moving in the morning
Those are truly wonderful tips =) Love the idea of something with a smell to wake up.
I love to wake up to the smell of coffee and the boys really enjoy the citrus smell. The older one says it perks him up….
Great tips! I’m going to try the citrus trick, I think. Peppermint is stimulating too, so that might be worth a try. Lavender at night, lemon in the morning!
Perhaps music too. My 6 year old is suddenly a huge grump in the morning and stays in bed complaining about how tired she is (I say stop playing at night and go to sleep!)! I give them daily morning checklists, but I think a big one on the door is a good idea. I may have to go do that right now!
I do use Lavender rocks at night before my boys go to sleep and they work fantastic.
Great ideas – I’m going to try the music to get them moving and motivated!
At this point I am not sure I would function properly without a bit of chaos LOL I love dabbing of citrus essential oil on the bulb idea.
I always say “there is nothing wrong with chaos as long as it’s organized” lol
I love the scent and schedule suggestions.
At my older boys’ request (9 and 7) we turn their light on a bit about 5 minutes before they really have to get up. It’s their version of hitting snooze, I guess!
My teenager likes that as well.
This is great advice! I think I may even try the music for myself!
Alexis, I love music in the morning. Unfortunately I get up couple hours before my boys do so I need to keep it quiet, but I am really thinking about starting to use my iPod.
Weekday mornings are busy mornings and yes, i agree that Upbeat Music makes the day. We usually have the Let’s Go physical moves to jump start even during showers. For breakfast, we may sure that it would only take a few minutes for us not to be crammed on the departure time.
I’ve never thought of citrus in the morning – what a great idea. I have that scent in a body scrub and you’re absolutely right – it’s so invigorating. One other thing – setting out clothes the night before helps. Backpacks packed. Less to hassle with in the morning.
Yes, I make sure the backpacks are packed and clothes are out otherwise it takes them forever to get organized,lol
Great ideas all – especially the citrus in the morning. It’s one of my favorite scents. Also love the no electronics in the mornings!
The electronics in the morning used to be a killer….
Such great ideas!