Mornings with kids don’t have to be crazy
Even self-proclaimed morning people can struggle when adding little ones to the mix. Being in charge of someone other than yourself in the morning adds a new dimension to starting your day. Whether you’re juggling morning breastfeeding with pre-dawn workouts or getting kids out of the door for school, mornings can be stressful. Try these three mom must-haves to make your morning routines with kids go smoothly.
Wake up without your phone
We’ve written before about keeping your bedroom a tech-free zone. If you want to wake up for some alone time before your little one wakes, try an old-fashioned alarm clock. We love the gentle nudging of the Big Ben Moon Beam Alarm Clock (WestClox, $46). You can set the clock to use increasing light to awake you at a set time. If you need something a little stronger, you can add sound to the alarm. Set it just out of arm’s reach, so you need to at least sit up to turn off the alarm.
Add the Keurig 2.0 Brewer to your morning routine
The Keurig® 2.0 will change your morning coffee — or tea — routine (Keurig, starting at $150). The ability of the Keurig to brew an individual cup of coffee just improved. The 2.0 can different brew settings for different coffee types, ensuring your chosen beverage is made at optimum strength. In addition, the 2.0 can brew the K-Carafe™ Pack, which brews up to 30 ounces of coffee into the included carafe — and some mornings call for every one of those ounces!
Help kids learn when to get out of bed
The Onaroo Teach Me Time! alarm clock might be one of the most versatile tools in a mom’s morning routine (Amazon, $42). Long before little ones are able to tell time, the alarm clock operates by changing colors at specified times — set by mom or dad — to let kids know when it’s time to stay in bed or an ok time to come out to play. Setting the “ok” time at a reasonable time — after your child wakes, but not too long after! — can buy you a little extra time each morning. Later, the clock can be used to help teach time, and it functions as a typical alarm clock. School-aged kids can help in the morning by taking responsibility for the beginning of their morning routine.
Have a breakfast plan for morning routines with kids
Take a few minutes at the end of each day to think about breakfast for the next morning. Moms of babies generally only have a few options, but once solid foods are introduced, breakfast can be stressful. Hungry tummies are fairly demanding, and having one of our favorite quick and easy breakfast recipes on tap will help the kitchen feel inviting instead of intimidating.