I love morning routines! They are so helpful for me, but I haven’t thought much about them when it came to my kids…until this year. Now that I have a child in school, I see the importance of implementing one for my kids. A kids’ morning routine is so helpful in easing the morning rush!
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I really enjoy watching my kids grow and become more independent. I believe that children are capable of more than we as parents probably realize. That is why we try to teach our kids personal responsibility at a young age. Our kids are young, so we’re still figuring out the best way to go about that. It’s been a real joy to see them rise to our expectations.
When my daughter started kindergarten this fall, I got up with her to oversee her getting ready in the morning. I sat in her room while she got ready. I helped her make her bed (even though I know she can do it herself) and prompted her if she got off task or got distracted.
While I enjoyed the time I spent with her in the morning, I realized a few months into the year that she did not need me to do all that overseeing. She was perfectly capable of getting ready herself. And on a practical level, I realized I could get a little extra sleep in the morning if I was able to get myself ready while she was getting ready at the same time. 🙂
The kids’ morning routine was born. Since my daughter is distracted fairly easily (she loves to talk in the mornings!), I decided that a checklist would be even better. After I made the printable checklist, I printed and laminated it with my brand new laminator* and laminating pouches*. I included pictures along with the text, since she is still learning to read.
My daughter has loved using her checklist in the mornings! She loves checking off each item as she completes it, which I think is totally adorable. I’m sure the fun will wear off eventually. I hope that our kids’ morning routine will become habit so that a checklist won’t even be necessary, but I’m glad she is excited about it for now!
If you want to implement a kids’ morning routine, I am sharing the checklist we are using in our home. I’ve also included a blank version that you can tweak to suit your own family.
This simple little checklist has been so helpful in the mornings. It makes life a little easier on me, but also encourages the kids to take ownership for getting themselves ready in the mornings. It’s a win for everyone!
Have you implemented a kids morning routine?
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