1) Clothes Organizer
Each child has a Monday - Friday clothes organizer in their closet. On Sunday afternoons, I take the time to pick out 5 outfits for each, keeping in mind P.E. days (no skirts) and the weather. That way after breakfast, we just get the clothes for that day and don't have to think about what to wear.
2) Lunch/Related Arts Magnetic Board
A few days before the new month starts, the school sends out a lunch calendar. We sit down and go over it together day by day. The kids each tell me if they want to buy or pack for a particular day. I use a pink crayon and star the days Julie wants to buy and put a half-x in pink on the days she packs. I use a blue crayon for David. Then on Sunday afternoons, I have the kids update our magnetic board with their lunch choices for the week. On school mornings I just have to look on the board to see who I need to pack a lunch for. Our handy board also tells which related arts they are going to. That way we can be sure to have tennis shoes on for P.E. day and library books in book bags for library day.
(note: Lots of people like to pack lunches at night. That is fine and would be a good time-saver as well, but I find that I am too tired at night to do that. For me, it's just as easy to pack them in the morning.)
3) Routine Chart
My house in the mornings is very routine oriented. The kids know they wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed and do bathroom stuff. I take care of the breakfasts (pop-tarts all around) and I expect them to take care of the rest. In order to do that, they have to know what to expect. I posted a "Morning Routine" chart in the kid's bathroom so they know what order to do things in. I used pictures as well as words since David can't really read yet. They follow the chart and get it all done.
4) Alarm Clock
This year we decided Julie was old enough to use her own alarm clock. So now, she wakes up all by herself! (Still have to wake up David though :).
Those are just a some things we have discovered that make our life easier. How about you? Got any getting ready tips?
I'm linking this up to Works for Me Wednesday on We are that Family.
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O I love your tips!!! They are great!! And we thrive on a routine in our house too! I enjoyed seeing the pic of your daugher being baptized and also her hair-do! You have a fun blog here!!
ReplyDeleteI'm having a fall challenge for bloggers - it's about making your home a haven - peaceful, comfy and cozy - would love for you to stop by - there's about 80 bloggers joining so far!!!
http://womenlivingwell-courtney.blogspot.com/2010/09/making-your-home-haven-fall-challenge.html
Keep walking with the King!,
Courtney
We always used to eat pop tarts for breakfast too.
ReplyDeleteYour routines sound a little like ours. We pick outfits the night before (The kids' related arts schedules are on their closet doors.). My kids have to keep their library books in their backpacks at all times unless they are actively reading them, because there's just no other way we'd keep 6 library books straight. We also sit down as soon as the cafe menu is released and each kid gives me a "yea" or "nay" for each day. We've tried alarm clocks... problem is they play with them and set them for some ridiculous hour, like 3 a.m., and only I wake up, grumbling, "It's Saturday!" and walking in a stupor into someone's room to turn it off! Going to have to revisit though next year when Clay goes to middle school. How do people function without routines?!
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