February 4, 2025 • 12 mins
Parenting Vault
PamelaPalanza.com
Transform your mornings from manic to magnificent with practical strategies designed to make family life smoother. Imagine starting your day with less stress and more smiles. Discover the secret weapons of successful morning routines, from the power of evening preparations to the magic of visual checklists that inspire children to take charge of their own tasks. Learn why a calming bedtime routine is essential for well-rested kids who greet the day with enthusiasm and ease. Plus, get tips on prepping breakfast in advance to make the morning meal a breeze, ensuring everyone leaves the house happy and well-fed.
Join our community of parents committed to fostering peaceful, organized starts to the day in our private Facebook group, Common Sense Parenting with Pam. It's a vibrant space to share your favorite routines and get inspired by others. Your insights and reviews are not just welcome—they're vital to spreading the word about the benefits of practical parenting tips. Let’s work together to turn those chaotic mornings into memorable experiences. Whether you’re a seasoned parent or just starting your journey, there's something for everyone in this conversation.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Common Sense Parenting with Pam, the
podcast where we simplifyparenting with common sense tips
, real life scenarios and alittle bit of humor along the
way.
I'm Pam and I'm here to helpyou build the skills and
confidence you need to raisehappy, resilient and responsible
children.
So grab your coffee, take adeep breath and let's tackle
(00:22):
parenting one common sense tipat a time.
Hello, and welcome back toCommon Sense Parenting with Pam.
I'm your host, pam, and I'mhere to make parenting a little
easier and a lot more enjoyablewith practical common sense tips
for children age 2 to 12.
If your mornings feel like achaotic race against the clock
(00:46):
and that happens a lot thisepisode is for you.
Today, we're diving intoparenting hacks for creating a
smoother morning routine.
By the end of this episode,you'll have a toolbox of
strategies to turn your morningsfrom frantic to fabulous.
So let's get started.
(01:07):
Okay, let's talk about thenight before Now.
The key to a smooth morning ispreparation, and a lot of that
happens the night before.
Here are a few things you cando to set yourself up for
success.
Number one lay out the clothesNow.
If your children are old enough, have your children pick out
(01:28):
their outfits the night before.
This will eliminate the morningdebate over what to wear and
rushing around to decide, andalso gives them a sense of
control.
For younger children, keep itsimple by offering them two
options to choose from andremember, pick your battles here
.
You know if they want to wear aflower top and you know paisley
(01:50):
pants or pattern pants, so whatRight, let them do it.
Just, sometimes you have totake deep breaths and move on.
Okay, pack the lunches andbackpacks the night before, so
they can either pack their ownlunches if they're old enough
and put them in the fridge forthe next before.
So they can either pack theirown lunches if they're old
enough and put them in thefridge for the next day, or you
can do that.
Prep their backpacks Again.
(02:12):
They can do it if they're oldenough, or you can do that if
they're younger.
Double check any homework, anynotes, any special items your
children might need for school,and then store the backpacks by
the door, ready to grab and go,so you're not rushing around the
morning trying to remembereverything you forgot.
It'll be all together in oneplace now.
I had a friend that used toprepare the sandwiches like a
(02:37):
week in advance.
By creating the sandwiches.
She wouldn't put like themayonnaise or anything, but say
like ham and cheese or whatever,on bread.
She'd wrap it in a paper toweland then put it in a baggie and
freeze them.
So all she had to do and shehad three boys, so she was
preparing a lot of lunches soshe would just grab one and
throw it in the lunchbox.
It would thaw by the time itwas lunchtime, so it kept it
(02:59):
nice and fresh.
It was easy, it was done aheadof time.
So little tricks like that canreally help make your mornings a
lot smoother.
This is so important.
Number three is to establish agood bedtime routine.
A good morning starts with agood night's sleep, so create a
calming bedtime routine thathelps your children wind down
(03:20):
and get the rest they need,because well-rested children are
much easier to manage in themorning.
Now let's talk about creating avisual warning checklist, and
I'm all about checklists andteaching children responsibility
for managing their ownresponsibilities by using
(03:41):
checklists.
So children thrive on routineand clear expectations, and a
visual warning checklist canwork wonders, especially for
younger children.
So here's how you can createone and make it fun.
Number one make it fun by usingpictures.
So for younger childrenpictures or icons alongside
simple words to represent eachtask, like brushing the teeth,
(04:05):
getting dressed, eatingbreakfast, putting on their
shoes.
Keep it visible, really, reallyimportant.
So this can be on therefrigerator, on their bedroom
door, somewhere that thechildren can easily see it and
know to go to check off oncethey've done the task and then
celebrate those completions.
(04:25):
When your child finishes allthe tasks on the checklist, give
them a high five, a sticker oreven just praise and words of
encouragement.
Positive reinforcementmotivates your children to stick
with that routine and itbecomes habit for them.
So they know every day when Iget up, this is what I need to
do.
I need to check this off, Ineed to do this, I need to grab
(04:46):
this, I need to get my shoes on.
There are lots of ways you cando the visual thing.
It can be a checklist.
I think I shared a reel where alady had the.
You know the lights.
You push the button, it lightsup.
So they would all be lit up andthere would be a picture of
like putting on a jacket,putting on your shoes, grabbing
your backpack, and the childwould grab their backpack, hit
(05:07):
the light off.
So they knew that's done Boom,boom, boom.
So not only was it visual, butit was interactive and it really
was helpful.
The child knew, once all thelights were off, all of the
tasks were completed and theycould head out the door to
school.
Now how can you streamlinebreakfast time?
Wouldn't we all love to havenice, smooth, easy breakfast
(05:29):
time?
It can be one of the biggesthurdles of the day.
You know your children aregetting up, they're trying to
get all their things together.
They're tired, they don't wantto go to school, you don't feel
like going to work.
You know it can just be alittle hectic sometimes.
So here are some things thatyou can do, a few hacks to make
it a little bit easier.
(05:53):
You can prep ahead, obviouslyBatch, make breakfast items like
pancakes, waffles, breakfastburritos.
Over the weekend, freeze themand in the morning you can just
reheat and serve.
Keep it simple.
Offer easy, healthy optionslike yogurt, granola, fruit,
overnight oats Things that arequick and easy to prepare and
can even be eaten on the go ifneeded.
You know muffins Make somemuffins, prepare and can even be
eaten on the go if needed.
You know muffins make somemuffins, freeze muffins, grab
(06:18):
one, run.
They can eat it in the car onthe way.
Ideally, you would like to havethem sit around the table, eat
where it's calm and peaceful andthey can just relax and
transition into the day.
But let's be real here.
We know that that doesn'talways happen.
We know sometimes things gohaywire and you just have to
grab and go and that's okay.
That's okay, dude, just beprepared and then let your
children help.
(06:39):
So if it's age appropriate, letyour children help prepare their
breakfast.
You know this is a great way tosave time and encourage
independence.
So let's go back to whereyou're prepping ahead.
Say, you've batched somebreakfast burritos, maybe, or
some waffles.
So if your children are oldenough, they can grab a waffle
or breakfast burrito, pop it inthe microwave, teach them which
(06:59):
button to push ta-da, they'vemade their own breakfast.
They go in the freezer, theypick it out, throw it in the
microwave.
Boom, you're teaching themindependence.
They're choosing what they wantfor breakfast.
Everybody's happy.
Now here's a little trick.
This isn't like genius oranything, but it's something to
keep in mind and remember andit's very helpful.
(07:19):
This is one of my favorite hacksis build in extra time into
your morning.
Always anticipate needing moretime than you think you will.
So if you think you're going toneed 30 minutes to get
everybody ready and out the doorwith everything they need on
time, aim for 40 or 45 minutes.
Ready and out the door witheverything they need on time,
aim for 40 or 45 minutes.
Put that buffer on there,because that can save you from
(07:40):
feeling rushed when things don'tgo as planned.
I mean because, let's be honest, with children things rarely go
as planned.
You know, it's like you'reracing around in the morning.
You get everything packed thebackpacks, the lunches, they've
had breakfast, you're headingout the door and then your child
spills their chocolate milk allover their shirt and now you
have to turn around and raceback in the house and get them
(08:01):
changed.
Or you get them to school andgo oh my gosh, where are your
shoes?
They didn't have their shoes on.
Now you got to run back home orturn the car around You're
halfway to school and yourealize that and get the shoes.
So build in that extra buffertime.
Personally, I would always getup about an hour before my
children, just so I had sometime to myself.
I could wake myself up, have mymorning tea, you know, do my
(08:24):
morning studies, whatever it wasI was doing and then prepare
for the day.
So do what works for you, butconsider getting yourself up a
little bit earlier.
I mean, you're not a morningperson, I'm a morning person.
If you're not, 10-15 minutes,just give yourself like a head
start on the day and then makeit fun.
You know, let's talk aboutbringing fun into your mornings.
(08:45):
Starting the day on a positivenote can set the tone for
everyone, and that's why I justwanted to say, as a reminder
please, before your children goout the door in the morning,
make sure they go out knowingthey're loved.
Yelling at your children,scolding your children, getting
(09:06):
frustrated with your childrenand then sending them into
school sets a tone for the dayfor them.
It's so much better if they gohappy and knowing they're loved
and everything's calm, becauseyou would want the same thing
for yourself.
Right, you're going into work.
You wouldn't want to be goinginto work when you've just been
yelled at by, say, your spouseor your partner, or you're just
crabby because it's been chaoticat home and now you transfer
(09:28):
that over into your work.
Nobody wants that for the day.
So send them in with love anduse music.
Create a morning playlist withupbeat songs that your children
enjoy.
Music can motivate them to movefaster.
It can lighten the mood.
You can play the music in thecar on the way to school.
Great, it's great, it's fun.
Turn tasks into games.
(09:49):
Challenge your children to seewho can get dressed the fastest
or finish their checklist first.
Now these little competitions.
They can make mundane tasksmore exciting.
Now, be careful on this,because you don't want to pit
your children against each otherconstantly and then they become
very competitive and then itcan get a little bit hairy
(10:10):
sometimes.
So be careful on that.
Don't use it all the time I mean, there's plenty of other games
you can play, but just a word ofcaution there and then offer a
reward.
So, if your children stay ontrack, reward them with
something.
It can be small, you know, butmeaningful, like extra play time
after school or specialbreakfast treat on Fridays you
know, fridays can be donut day,whatever Just, you know, offer
(10:33):
reward.
You don't have to do this allthe time, because children need
to learn that they need to dothings.
Just because they need to dothings, because it's part of
life and part of preparing forschool and being part of a
family.
So it doesn't have to be allthe time, because that also then
loses its effectiveness.
So again, I caution you to usethat carefully.
So there you go.
(10:55):
There you have it, short, sweet,some tips, some hacks you can
use.
With a little planning,creativity and patience, you can
transform your mornings fromstressful to smooth.
Now remember routines take timeto build, so be consistent and
give your children lots ofencouragement as they adjust.
If you try any of these hacks,I'd love to hear how they work
(11:16):
for your family.
Share your stories with me onmy socials.
I'm on Facebook and I'm onInstagram.
You can go into my privateFacebook group, common Sense
Parenting with Pam, and drop anote in there, and if you have a
favorite morning routine, letme know.
I'm always looking for newideas to share with my amazing
parenting community.
Here's to peaceful, calmmornings.
(11:37):
Thank you for tuning in totoday's episode of Common Sense
Parenting with Pam.
I hope you enjoyed the episodeand if you did, please leave a
review.
That helps other parents findus.
And if you have friends whoalso have children and could use
some parenting tips, feel freeto share this.
I'd really appreciate it andyou know I love to hear from you
(11:57):
, so you can always find me onmy socials and until then,
remember hug and love yourbabies.
Welcome to Common Sense Parenting with Pam, the
podcast where we simplifyparenting with common sense tips
, real life scenarios and alittle bit of humor along the
way.
I'm Pam and I'm here to helpyou build the skills and
confidence you need to raisehappy, resilient and responsible
children.
So grab your coffee, take adeep breath and let's tackle
(00:22):
parenting one common sense tipat a time.
Hello, and welcome back toCommon Sense Parenting with Pam.
I'm your host, pam, and I'mhere to make parenting a little
easier and a lot more enjoyablewith practical common sense tips
for children age 2 to 12.
If your mornings feel like achaotic race against the clock
(00:46):
and that happens a lot thisepisode is for you.
Today, we're diving intoparenting hacks for creating a
smoother morning routine.
By the end of this episode,you'll have a toolbox of
strategies to turn your morningsfrom frantic to fabulous.
So let's get started.
(01:07):
Okay, let's talk about thenight before Now.
The key to a smooth morning ispreparation, and a lot of that
happens the night before.
Here are a few things you cando to set yourself up for
success.
Number one lay out the clothesNow.
If your children are old enough, have your children pick out
(01:28):
their outfits the night before.
This will eliminate the morningdebate over what to wear and
rushing around to decide, andalso gives them a sense of
control.
For younger children, keep itsimple by offering them two
options to choose from andremember, pick your battles here
.
You know if they want to wear aflower top and you know paisley
(01:50):
pants or pattern pants, so whatRight, let them do it.
Just, sometimes you have totake deep breaths and move on.
Okay, pack the lunches andbackpacks the night before, so
they can either pack their ownlunches if they're old enough
and put them in the fridge forthe next before.
So they can either pack theirown lunches if they're old
enough and put them in thefridge for the next day, or you
can do that.
Prep their backpacks Again.
(02:12):
They can do it if they're oldenough, or you can do that if
they're younger.
Double check any homework, anynotes, any special items your
children might need for school,and then store the backpacks by
the door, ready to grab and go,so you're not rushing around the
morning trying to remembereverything you forgot.
It'll be all together in oneplace now.
I had a friend that used toprepare the sandwiches like a
(02:37):
week in advance.
By creating the sandwiches.
She wouldn't put like themayonnaise or anything, but say
like ham and cheese or whatever,on bread.
She'd wrap it in a paper toweland then put it in a baggie and
freeze them.
So all she had to do and shehad three boys, so she was
preparing a lot of lunches soshe would just grab one and
throw it in the lunchbox.
It would thaw by the time itwas lunchtime, so it kept it
(02:59):
nice and fresh.
It was easy, it was done aheadof time.
So little tricks like that canreally help make your mornings a
lot smoother.
This is so important.
Number three is to establish agood bedtime routine.
A good morning starts with agood night's sleep, so create a
calming bedtime routine thathelps your children wind down
(03:20):
and get the rest they need,because well-rested children are
much easier to manage in themorning.
Now let's talk about creating avisual warning checklist, and
I'm all about checklists andteaching children responsibility
for managing their ownresponsibilities by using
(03:41):
checklists.
So children thrive on routineand clear expectations, and a
visual warning checklist canwork wonders, especially for
younger children.
So here's how you can createone and make it fun.
Number one make it fun by usingpictures.
So for younger childrenpictures or icons alongside
simple words to represent eachtask, like brushing the teeth,
(04:05):
getting dressed, eatingbreakfast, putting on their
shoes.
Keep it visible, really, reallyimportant.
So this can be on therefrigerator, on their bedroom
door, somewhere that thechildren can easily see it and
know to go to check off oncethey've done the task and then
celebrate those completions.
(04:25):
When your child finishes allthe tasks on the checklist, give
them a high five, a sticker oreven just praise and words of
encouragement.
Positive reinforcementmotivates your children to stick
with that routine and itbecomes habit for them.
So they know every day when Iget up, this is what I need to
do.
I need to check this off, Ineed to do this, I need to grab
(04:46):
this, I need to get my shoes on.
There are lots of ways you cando the visual thing.
It can be a checklist.
I think I shared a reel where alady had the.
You know the lights.
You push the button, it lightsup.
So they would all be lit up andthere would be a picture of
like putting on a jacket,putting on your shoes, grabbing
your backpack, and the childwould grab their backpack, hit
(05:07):
the light off.
So they knew that's done Boom,boom, boom.
So not only was it visual, butit was interactive and it really
was helpful.
The child knew, once all thelights were off, all of the
tasks were completed and theycould head out the door to
school.
Now how can you streamlinebreakfast time?
Wouldn't we all love to havenice, smooth, easy breakfast
(05:29):
time?
It can be one of the biggesthurdles of the day.
You know your children aregetting up, they're trying to
get all their things together.
They're tired, they don't wantto go to school, you don't feel
like going to work.
You know it can just be alittle hectic sometimes.
So here are some things thatyou can do, a few hacks to make
it a little bit easier.
(05:53):
You can prep ahead, obviouslyBatch, make breakfast items like
pancakes, waffles, breakfastburritos.
Over the weekend, freeze themand in the morning you can just
reheat and serve.
Keep it simple.
Offer easy, healthy optionslike yogurt, granola, fruit,
overnight oats Things that arequick and easy to prepare and
can even be eaten on the go ifneeded.
You know muffins Make somemuffins, prepare and can even be
eaten on the go if needed.
You know muffins make somemuffins, freeze muffins, grab
(06:18):
one, run.
They can eat it in the car onthe way.
Ideally, you would like to havethem sit around the table, eat
where it's calm and peaceful andthey can just relax and
transition into the day.
But let's be real here.
We know that that doesn'talways happen.
We know sometimes things gohaywire and you just have to
grab and go and that's okay.
That's okay, dude, just beprepared and then let your
children help.
(06:39):
So if it's age appropriate, letyour children help prepare their
breakfast.
You know this is a great way tosave time and encourage
independence.
So let's go back to whereyou're prepping ahead.
Say, you've batched somebreakfast burritos, maybe, or
some waffles.
So if your children are oldenough, they can grab a waffle
or breakfast burrito, pop it inthe microwave, teach them which
(06:59):
button to push ta-da, they'vemade their own breakfast.
They go in the freezer, theypick it out, throw it in the
microwave.
Boom, you're teaching themindependence.
They're choosing what they wantfor breakfast.
Everybody's happy.
Now here's a little trick.
This isn't like genius oranything, but it's something to
keep in mind and remember andit's very helpful.
(07:19):
This is one of my favorite hacksis build in extra time into
your morning.
Always anticipate needing moretime than you think you will.
So if you think you're going toneed 30 minutes to get
everybody ready and out the doorwith everything they need on
time, aim for 40 or 45 minutes.
Ready and out the door witheverything they need on time,
aim for 40 or 45 minutes.
Put that buffer on there,because that can save you from
(07:40):
feeling rushed when things don'tgo as planned.
I mean because, let's be honest, with children things rarely go
as planned.
You know, it's like you'reracing around in the morning.
You get everything packed thebackpacks, the lunches, they've
had breakfast, you're headingout the door and then your child
spills their chocolate milk allover their shirt and now you
have to turn around and raceback in the house and get them
(08:01):
changed.
Or you get them to school andgo oh my gosh, where are your
shoes?
They didn't have their shoes on.
Now you got to run back home orturn the car around You're
halfway to school and yourealize that and get the shoes.
So build in that extra buffertime.
Personally, I would always getup about an hour before my
children, just so I had sometime to myself.
I could wake myself up, have mymorning tea, you know, do my
(08:24):
morning studies, whatever it wasI was doing and then prepare
for the day.
So do what works for you, butconsider getting yourself up a
little bit earlier.
I mean, you're not a morningperson, I'm a morning person.
If you're not, 10-15 minutes,just give yourself like a head
start on the day and then makeit fun.
You know, let's talk aboutbringing fun into your mornings.
(08:45):
Starting the day on a positivenote can set the tone for
everyone, and that's why I justwanted to say, as a reminder
please, before your children goout the door in the morning,
make sure they go out knowingthey're loved.
Yelling at your children,scolding your children, getting
(09:06):
frustrated with your childrenand then sending them into
school sets a tone for the dayfor them.
It's so much better if they gohappy and knowing they're loved
and everything's calm, becauseyou would want the same thing
for yourself.
Right, you're going into work.
You wouldn't want to be goinginto work when you've just been
yelled at by, say, your spouseor your partner, or you're just
crabby because it's been chaoticat home and now you transfer
(09:28):
that over into your work.
Nobody wants that for the day.
So send them in with love anduse music.
Create a morning playlist withupbeat songs that your children
enjoy.
Music can motivate them to movefaster.
It can lighten the mood.
You can play the music in thecar on the way to school.
Great, it's great, it's fun.
Turn tasks into games.
(09:49):
Challenge your children to seewho can get dressed the fastest
or finish their checklist first.
Now these little competitions.
They can make mundane tasksmore exciting.
Now, be careful on this,because you don't want to pit
your children against each otherconstantly and then they become
very competitive and then itcan get a little bit hairy
(10:10):
sometimes.
So be careful on that.
Don't use it all the time I mean, there's plenty of other games
you can play, but just a word ofcaution there and then offer a
reward.
So, if your children stay ontrack, reward them with
something.
It can be small, you know, butmeaningful, like extra play time
after school or specialbreakfast treat on Fridays you
know, fridays can be donut day,whatever Just, you know, offer
(10:33):
reward.
You don't have to do this allthe time, because children need
to learn that they need to dothings.
Just because they need to dothings, because it's part of
life and part of preparing forschool and being part of a
family.
So it doesn't have to be allthe time, because that also then
loses its effectiveness.
So again, I caution you to usethat carefully.
So there you go.
(10:55):
There you have it, short, sweet,some tips, some hacks you can
use.
With a little planning,creativity and patience, you can
transform your mornings fromstressful to smooth.
Now remember routines take timeto build, so be consistent and
give your children lots ofencouragement as they adjust.
If you try any of these hacks,I'd love to hear how they work
(11:16):
for your family.
Share your stories with me onmy socials.
I'm on Facebook and I'm onInstagram.
You can go into my privateFacebook group, common Sense
Parenting with Pam, and drop anote in there, and if you have a
favorite morning routine, letme know.
I'm always looking for newideas to share with my amazing
parenting community.
Here's to peaceful, calmmornings.
(11:37):
Thank you for tuning in totoday's episode of Common Sense
Parenting with Pam.
I hope you enjoyed the episodeand if you did, please leave a
review.
That helps other parents findus.
And if you have friends whoalso have children and could use
some parenting tips, feel freeto share this.
I'd really appreciate it andyou know I love to hear from you
(11:57):
, so you can always find me onmy socials and until then,
remember hug and love yourbabies.
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