Ask the Village: “How do I get organised on school mornings? Please send tips and routines!”
"It almost feels like I have 'imposter syndrome' about being a mum."
Mornings can be a struggle, amiright? For mums trying to get themselves ready for the day and attempting to wrangle their kids off to school, it can seem like an imposssible daily task.
One of our community members, who confesses to finding the morning juggle the “worst part” of her day, reached out to our Facebook community for advice.
The mum-of-three shared: “My eldest is starting school this year and I have a bit of anxiety about the mornings. The only way to explain it is to say it almost feels like I have ‘imposter syndrome’ about being a mum. HOW DO YOU DO IT? Mornings are the worst part of my day with three kids under five, I have no idea how to be the kind of mum that gets kids ready and organised and out the door in a timely fashion.”
The desperate mum pleaded for straightforward, practical advice.
“Please share your tips, I’m talking really dumb it down for me, what do school mornings actually look like?”
“I have no idea how to be the kind of mum that gets kids ready and organised and out the door in a timely fashion.”
Our helpful community was quick to offer some tips which help them create some calm in the morning chaos.
“Best advice I can give is to get up before your kids, shower get dressed eat breakfast and then you can focus solely on the children, I get ready first, put a load of washing after my shower make my bed,” begins one member.
“I pack school lunches the night before in the fridge and then just pop it in the school bag, I also organise school uniforms the night before so I’m not flustered in the morning I also work 5 days a week.”
The mum also had some reassuring words of support for not only the original poster but for all parents.
“I also just want to point out to any parent, none of us actually have a bloody clue what we are doing.. 1 child or 5, we can be the most organised person in the world but it can still turn into an absolute sh*t storm in 5 seconds flat,” she says.
“We are trying to organise little humans and some days it feels like a production line.. When things go wrong and trust me that’s most days, WE have to remember that our little humans are not robots and they need us to slow down. 
“
7am – wake myself up and have shower and get dressed
7:20am – wake the kids up and make them breakfast while they get dressed. Breakky ready by about…
7:30am – While the kids are eating breakfast, finish making the girls lunches. This is usually adding in things like popcorn (cooked fresh in microwave) or rice crackers etc. I do the stuff that takes longer in the evenings. Put lunches in lunch bags with ice bricks and drink bottles. I also unload the dishwasher from when I put it on before bed. Then put breakky dishes in dishwasher. If I have enough time I do a load of washing.
7:50am – girls start their mornings chores which is stuff like putting lunches in bags, making beds, brushing teeth, shoes on etc.
8am – do all 3 girls hair. Takes a while as it’s 3 girls, they complain a lot and 2 of them have long thick hair. I also like to nit proof it as I’m paranoid about nits.
8:20am – get everyone in car and buckled in, bags in car etc. Leave for school which is only a few minutes drive away.
Then sigh a sigh of relief after drop off and go home and work! 
Organisation expert, Katrina Springer from The Organised Housewife says the key to getting out the door in the morning is to wake up earlier than your kids and to try and stay calm even when your stress levels are rising.
“Set your alarm 15-30 minutes earlier than you need to, to give yourself more time for your morning routine. Feeling rushed increases stress levels. If your child does take longer to get ready in the mornings having this little bit of leeway with time will help. Get yourself ready before the children wake up if you can. This leaves you able to direct your focus to them in the morning,” advises Kat.
“As the adults, we set the tone in the mornings,” she says. “Even you are feeling stressed, try and seem calm and cheerful. Sometimes you have to fake it until you make it! Praise your child for the good behaviour – for example, ‘wow you got dressed so quickly!’. Don’t focus or give too much attention to negative behaviours, just give a quick reminder or redirection.”
Kat also says a routine chart can be helpful as it lets your child know what is happening each morning and remember what they have to do.
Shop personalised routine charts from The Organised Housewife here.
