THERE are plenty of things to love about being a parent – but the mad mornings are certainly not one of them.
Well if you’re sick of chasing your kids around the house every morning before school then organisation expert Bridget Johns is here to help.
Writing for 9Honey, the mum explained how she’d started to “hate the sound of [her] own voice” yelling at the kids at the start of each day.
So to combat this, Bridget – who founded Be Simply Free – came up with an entirely new system of making sure her little ones were ready for the day.
She wrote: “I made a list of all the things the kids need to do each morning (and each night) and stuck it on the fridge. There is a ‘to do’ and a ‘done’ column and the kids move a magnetic marker across when it’s done.
“Now, at a glance, I can see where they are up to. If things are running a bit slow, I can just say, ‘Where are you up to on your list?’ to prompt them into action.”
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In order to make your mornings more efficient, the mum said you need to evaluate where things are going slightly pear-shaped and “stop, focus and notice” what you could be doing better.
She explained: “If mornings are stressful for you, stop doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
“Focus on what is actually happening. Write it down. Talk to your partner and kids. Have a family meeting and explain how mornings feel for you. Then notice what your options are for changing things.”
What’s more, the mum urged other parents to take some much-needed me-time at the start of each day before switching into “mum mode”.
For Bridget, this means getting up a bit earlier than her children and having a quiet coffee or listening to a podcast to begin the day.
To reduce any morning meltdowns, the mum also stressed the importance of having time-buffers in case things don’t go quite to plan.
She added: “In our house, the kids need to complete a list of tasks. Once they are complete, they are able to go play and do what they like. The quicker the tasks are completed, the quicker they can play.”
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Finally, the mum urged other parents to ease their workload and get their kids involved in packing lunchboxes.
She added: “We have a lunchbox formula they follow. They must have two pieces of fruit, two veggies, a sandwich (or some substantial item like leftovers) and a snack.”
