If you’re in need of some practical tips to help de-stress your morning routine with your kids, I’ve got you covered.
You see, I have never been much of a morning person, and motherhood did nothing but amplify those feelings. After years of sleep deprivation, my patience isn’t what it used to be, and trying to wrestle an angry toddler into a snowsuit before my morning coffee has a chance to take hold isn’t my idea of a good time.
But I soon learned that I have 2 choices when I wake up in the morning.
I can feel miserable for the first few hours of my day, or I can wake up feeling empowered and happy.
On most days, I choose to be happy, and today I’m teaming up with Remington to share 5 simple tips you can implement right now to help de-stress your morning routine with your kids so you and your family can start each day with a smile.
1. Create a morning chore chart
If your kids have a tendency to dawdle before school (ahem…), having a visual reminder of what has to be done from the time they wake up until it’s time to put their shoes on can make all the difference. You can simply write a list of action items on a chalkboard, or get fancy with a customized magnet morning checklist, but the point remains the same: kids need to know what’s expected of them, and if you have it all laid out before their eyes, they will be much more likely to pitch in and help.
Which leads me to my next point…
2. Empower your kids
One of the best ways to get your kids to pitch in and help out in the morning is to empower them. A little responsibility can go a long way in making a child feel as though they are a contributing member of the family, and when we praise our kids for a job well done, we are teaching them that they’re capable, that we trust them, and that their contributions matter, making them more likely to help in the future.
3. Find ways to spend quality time together
I know. I know. Finding ways to spend quality time with your kids is hard enough, and trying to do it BEFORE school sounds downright impossible. But in order to feel happy and secure, your kids need to feel a connection with you, and after 10+ hours away from you while they were sleeping, the idea of being packed up and shipped off to school can feel overwhelming.
Spending quality time with your children before school doesn’t need to be an Olympic event. You don’t need to pull out all of your board games, put together a 1,500-piece puzzle together, or play dress-up. You just need to carve out 5 to 10 minutes of time to remind your little ones that they matter to you.
Put your phone down. Look them in the eye. Talk to them about the things they are looking forward to at school that day. Ask them about their friends. Brainstorm ideas for a fun family outing that weekend. You get the idea…
4. Breathe
One of the best ways to de-stress your morning routine is to remain calm regardless of what life throws at you. With the exception of injuries and tragic news, most things can wait. Your house will not fall apart if you run out of time to make the beds or stack your morning dishes in the dishwasher, and your life will not end if your kids are a few minutes late to school or you miss the first part of a business meeting. I’m serious! Sometimes we need to take a deep breath, put things into perspective, and remember what’s really important.
5. Simplify your biggest challenge
As moms, we all have ONE THING we struggle with most in the mornings. For me, it’s all about my daughter’s hair. It’s curly and unruly when she wakes up, and while she would prefer to wear it au naturale, my fear of head lice motivates me to tie her hair back in a French braid each day. It’s her signature school look from September though June, and thanks to the Remington® Tame The Mane™ Electric Detangling Brush, the drama that is styling my daughter’s hair is now a distant memory.
Now, if I’m going to be perfectly honest with you, I had serious doubts abut the Tame the Mane brush the first time I used it. I’ve tried various other detangling products and gimmicks on my daughter’s hair in the past, all of which sent her screaming in the opposite direction, and I didn’t expect much when our Remington product arrived in the mail.
I decided to try the Tame the Mane on myself first to see if it would work. I recently had my hair highlighted and find my locks are a lot drier than they used to be, and since I’m terrified of hair breakage, I figured this would be the ultimate test.
I was pleasantly surprised.
After a good shampoo and towel dry, my head resembled that of Medusa, and within seconds the Tame the Mane had loosened all of my tangles with little to no pulling.
Was this thing for real?!
I decided not to get my hopes up, but when my daughter caught a glimpse of my new toy the following day, I decided to put it to the test.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
I used to spend 10+ minutes detangling, brushing, and French braiding my daughter’s hair each morning, which is a long time in the world of a feisty 6-year-old. But thanks to our Tame the Mane, it takes me exactly 3 minutes and 27 seconds to style her hair from start to finish.
{Yes, we timed it…}
No wonder it has so many powerful reviews online!
Purchase your own Tame the Mane Electric Detangling Brush here.
Lemony Snicket once said, ‘Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.’
Makes you stop and think, doesn’t it?
I received compensation and free product from Spectrum Brands but the opinions expressed here are my own.
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