Best Morning Routines for a Productive Day As a Work-From-Home Mom
My feed is full of moms posting about coffee, wine, and kids doing random things. During the day all I see is moms posting about cold coffees, or needing a coffee, or has a shirt/mug stating they live for coffee. During the evening it’s the same as wine. The random silly things kids to is just something every parent goes through and we can usually relate. Just today I told my second to go to nap in my room. When I went to check on him, I could NOT find him. I searched high and low looking for this kid, almost to the point where I was starting to panic. I checked my room again and after I moved my bed; a foot! Yes, my four years old decided to nap UNDER MY BED! So why did I start this blog with this? Simply because I’m sure you can relate.
I’ve had many, many hopelessly unfulfilling days and I’ve also had many very productive days. Some routines have set up for success. If you don’t know me, I have 3 boys. JJ is 6, Mr. King is 4, and my little baby boss is 2 now. I started off running a local mom community which led me to create a business. I started when my second was 3 weeks old and it’s been 4 years now. Sometimes when I look back, I’m not exactly sure how I got everything done. I also look back and see how many other moms can make it work and excel at it. I have a few laws I try not to break. I also have guidelines that I try to follow to a tee.
When you have kids and work from home, it’s essential that you stay organized, plan, but also plan for that plan to fall through from time to time. Here are my BEST practices for the morning to stay on track:
“Wake up 1-2 hours before your family”
Wake up 1-2 hours before your family. This is particularly hard for me because I feel like I haven’t been able to have a full night’s rest since I had my first. Kids get up at night because of nightmares, soiled pajamas, and the works! But trust me, if you make it a habit, it works out for the best. You can clean, check, and reply to emails, listen to motivational music, and just squeeze some me time.
Workout. Yes, I know, but Jemi, I DON’T HAVE THE TIME! Make time, is all I can say. There are so many reasons to workout in the morning. You get it out of the way, you’ll be energized afterward, and you’ll feel accomplished before taking on the day.
Don’t caffeinate your tiredness. This is H-A-R-D! I am one to be guilty of heading to my local coffee drive-thru and order my fave frozen coffee. Trust me, the crash is NOT worth it. Instead, I’ve been taking an all-natural caffeinated fizz with iced water with ginseng and other amazing things. It gives me a jolt of energy and I never have a crash.
Prep yours and your kids' breakfast, snacks, and lunch before they wake up. It’s easy to pull out and your not scattered to think of something to eat.
Make a morning routine chart for your kids to follow. Have images that they can understand so that they know the steps they have to take before they go down for breakfast.
If you have small children, you can layout their clothing for them the night before. Shirts, pants, socks, and underwear. Keep it in a box they can reach and is in the same place every day. All they have to do is reach into the box and get their clothes on instead of taking the time to think about what to wear.
Check your calendar/ to-do list and do URGENT and non- negotiables first.
Ask yourself what can I delegate, eliminate, and automate on my to-do list today? For example, if you need to do the groceries but don’t have time, use a grocery app. Are there chores on your list that your partner can do or your kids can do? Think about things you are ok letting go so you can focus on the things you enjoy the most.
Have a system in place. This may take a while to get used to. A system meaning how things can progress in an effective manner that is very logical and duplicatable. For example, I have my kids' stuff colour coordinated so that even if they don’t know their name yet, they will understand colours. I put homework in their colour coordinated folders, and snacks in their colour coordinated containers, etc. Another system can be to have a filing system by your calendar so that when you make phone calls or pay bills you can check if off on the calendar and then file it away at the same time.
Breathe and stay hydrated. Whatever you have planned for the day, don’t forget to drink water and pause for a moment or two. It’s important that you still make pockets of time to hang out with the kids and be silly with them.
There you have it. These are my favourite routines. I may not love them all the time but they definitely keep me on track. Staying at home with my kids is so fulfilling and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Are any of these routines new to you? What routines are you currently implementing in your home?
