Monday, January 24, 2011

MONDAY MADNESS

Is it Monday already?? Ah. It's back to the daily grind. How many of you started today off on the wrong foot before even getting out of the house? Is this a re-occuring problem? If so, below are some solutions that I find extremely helpful in ending this morning madness:

1: Have a productive p.m -- Do as much as you can the night before. Pack your child's lunch, her backpack, pick out her clothes. Write your to-do list. Set out your work-out clothes. Iron your shirt. The more you can do the night before, the less chaotic your morning will be running around.

2: Forgo 15 minutes of sleep -- By waking up earlier than the rest of the family, you'll have a sliver of quiet time to savor a cup of coffee and get your mind right. No doubt, you'll feel less rushed and better prepared to handle the day.

3: Let routines rule -- Have your child do the required activities such as brushing teeth and getting dressed in the same order every morning, so he knows what comes next. Help him create a morning to-do list so he can check off each job without being reminded. Same goes for you. It streamlines the getting ready process which will save time and the possibility of forgetting something.

4: Don't hesitate to delegate -- Avoid arguments over who does what by assigning your kids or your spouse regular morning chores, such as feeding the pet or clearing the table.

5: Prepare for breakfast -- In addition to prepping the night before, lay out cereal boxes, bowls, and spoons on the table. Make enough pancake batter on Sunday evenings for several days.

6: Keep the TV off -- This may cause grumbling, but watching cartoons or videos definitely distracts from the tasks at hand and slows down the process.

7: Pick a pit stop -- Eliminate the mad dashes to find things by designating a special spot near the front door to put backpacks, your purse, keys, sports equipment, and other school items.

8: Lighten up -- If you're tense in the morning, your child will pick up on it. Instead of nagging her to get dressed, have a playful race to see who gets finished first.

9: Stick to a strict bedtime -- If you or your child is hard to wake up and takes a long time to get ready in the morning, get to bed earlier.

10: Learn from your mistakes -- If you have a frustrating morning, think about why it was so stressful. By examining what went wrong today, you can figure out how to do things better tomorrow.

Cheers to a productive, happy week ahead!

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