Morning Quickfire: 5 Shortcuts to Get You Out the Door Faster
Prepare and Pre-Pack
What do you wish for your morning routine? Create a "to do" checklist for each day-at least until you establish a consistency. Talk with your kids about what their morning routines should look like too. Young kids may have fun drawing pictures of each step of their morning schedules, while adolescents and teens can benefit from creating "responsibility charts" that will help them sail smoothly through their daily routines. Make pre-packing easier by creating inboxes (and in turn, their outboxes) for each person. Have each person unload their backpack (or your purse or work bag), and keep important papers and must-haves for next day's use.
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Get Future Focused
Go over your next day's schedule before bed. Check the weather report too. You'll sleep better-and dress better-if you know as much as possible of what's in store. And don't forget to call ahead for carpool so you don't spend half the morning making last-minute transportation arrangements for kids' activities. Arrange all necessary transportation as early as possible, at least the day before. If you're driving, fill the gas tank the night before if you're running low.
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Work Before Play
Naturally, you might want to "have a moment" before kicking off your day. Time management expert Laura Stack says, "It can be easy to sit down with a cup of coffee and get sucked into surfing the Web." She says that working women should shower and get dressed before they start any morning tasks. For moms, she says, "If you miss that chance to take care of yourself first, then later, when your kids start tearing each other's hair out, your makeup just isn't going to happen."
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Take Turns
Coordinate the bathroom schedules of the people you live with.
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Make a Fast Breakfast Matter
Have the coffee machine prepared so that all you have to do is press "on," or make a pitcher of iced coffee ahead of time. Keep a to-go cup handy so you can have your morning jolt while you drive your kids to school. Have a lineup of several routine breakfasts to serve, with at least one being portable. "If you're making a smoothie in the morning, put everything in the blender with the lid on the night before and store it in the fridge," Stack says. You can also set out nonperishables and any pots or pans you might need in advance.
KEEP READING: 12 More Quickfire Shortcuts to Get You Out the Door Faster
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