I really, truly hate rushing. The only thing worse is rushing my children. I know that false sense of urgency builds anxiety and is a result of my improper planning more than anything.
Getting my kindergartener ready for school in the morning can be insane sometimes.
There are backpacks to pack, shoes to find, and coats to put on while trying to get breakfast on the table.
Over the years, I have found a few simple strategies that make mornings run more smoothly. I have used these ideas throughout my child’s entire school career, and they continue to help us get out the door on time without so much stress.
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Here are 5 simple things that have made a huge difference for us:
1. Lay Everything Out the Night Before
This is truly the easiest win. Before bed, I take 5–10 minutes to set up for the next day.
Lay out:
- Clothes (including socks and underwear)
- Shoes by the door
- Backpacks packed and ready
- Lunches (or at least prepped)
For myself, I also layout the following:
- outfit for the day
- coffee is prepped and on “delay start”
- to-do list is already made
It removes so many tiny decisions in the morning and those add up fast. It just starts the day off on the right foot!
2. Use Visual Timers
Kids don’t naturally understand “we’re leaving in 10 minutes.” Time is abstract—especially for younger ones.
The book “How to Talk So Little Kids Can Listen” gives the great suggestion of using one of these color timers so they can set and see how much time is left before the next transition.
3. Limit Screen Time Before School
Screens in the morning are a trap. They slow everything down, distract kids, and make transitions harder. I totally do it for the first half of the morning so I can get some chores done, but overall I think screens distort their sense of time passing.
Even a short show can turn into:
- “Just one more minute”
- Meltdowns when it’s time to turn it off
- Dragging their feet through the rest of the routine
Try keeping mornings screen-free or save it for after school. You’ll be surprised how much faster (and smoother) everything moves.
4. Teach Kids to Do Their Own Basics
It takes longer at first—but it pays off quickly. When I was a preschool teacher, we taught the kids how to lay their coats upside down on the floor, slide their arms through the arm holes, and flip the coat onto their back.
Start teaching your kids to:
- Put on their own coat
- Get their shoes on
- Carry their backpack
As they get older, they can master new tasks like refilling their water bottles, packing a snack, etc.
Even if it’s messy or slow in the beginning, it’s building independence. And over time, that means less for you to do during the busiest part of the day!
5. Give Everything a “Home”
Nothing slows a morning down like searching for missing stuff! I am so guilty of not putting things where they belong. Practicing “don’t put it down – put it away” and trying to instill that in my kids has definitely been helping.
By giving everything a home, there’s no morning rush about finding folders, shoes, library books that need to be returned.
Create a simple system where everything has a place:
- Backpacks always go in the same spot
- Lunchboxes get set out the night before
- Homework goes straight into the bag
For me, the trick is making sure these things don’t get taken back out of the bag by my toddler.
When kids know where things belong, there’s less asking, less searching, and way less chaos.
What do you do to make school mornings calmer? Anything you’d add?
Let me know below.
O.
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