16 Parenting Hacks That Will Save You Tons of Time in the Morning

Life’s busy. We know. And you’ve tried to get it together and get out the door on time but it’s just not happening. Try some of these organization tips – which can all be done the night before – to prepare for the day ahead!

Pack lunches the night before.

This is an obvious answer to life’s morning problems. Don’t squander your precious morning routine with making lunches. Wrap that up the night before.

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Lay out your clothes.

It’s hard to commit to anything these days, especially an outfit. Who knows how you’ll be feeling when the time actually comes to wear those clothes, so if you tend to flake on your outfit choices, lay out two pairs of clothes.

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Clean the kitchen.

Don’t lose sleep over dirty dishes. Get them done after dinner and get on with your life.

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Place breakfast dishes on the table.

After the kids go to bed, set the breakfast table. Cutlery, plates, or bowls. Fruit can be left on the table overnight without going bad too.

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Decide on dinner plans: defrost frozen food if necessary

There’s no greater disappointment than coming home from a long day at work to discover you forgot to defrost the chicken for dinner. Ordering take-away is fine sometimes, but don’t make a habit of forgetting to prepare for dinner.

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Decide who is driving who.

This is important if your children go to different schools or if they have different activities to attend. Confirm your schedules the night before and it will make the morning go smoother.

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Get up 15 minutes earlier.

Yeah, we know. It sucks. But do it, and you’ll find yourself with time to spare in the morning.

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Go to bed 30 minutes earlier.

You’ll be happy you did. A good night’s sleep reduces stress and helps you feel ready for the next day.

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Prepare the kids’ backpacks.

Get the kids involved in this too. Gather homework and assignments or anything else that needs to go back to the school.

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Pack the car.

If there are things that will be safe in the car for the night, place them in before morning.

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Smoothies for breakfast.

Make them the night before. A smoothie will last for a few days so you can make a big batch and then enjoy them for breakfast. It’s quick and delicious and you can take it to go.

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Avoid using devices in the morning.

Nothing sucks the life out of your morning like checking emails or playing games on your tablet. Children are becoming more and more interested in using these devices as well, but you should limit their use in the morning so everyone can get out the door on time.

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Save work for work.

Wait until you get to work to check your emails. If something is important, someone will call you. Don’t start your day with emails either: they can ruin your outlook on the day.