Routines have changed my life. Stress is so much lower in the mornings for me now because I have a routine in place. It’s only when my plan is disrupted that stress creeps in and with young children that happens fairly often all of the time (I know you hear me on this!). You may think being routinized would be suffocating or too structured but, really, knowing what comes next gives you freedom and peace.

The most important routines for me (and my kids, too, though they’d never admit it) are those geared toward starting and ending our days well. These really bring peace and order into our lives.

Watching a successful morning is like watching a well-oiled machine run. But then, who has time to watch anything in the morning???  I’m able to get ready in about an hour in the morning. That includes a quick breakfast and everything else that’s necessary to get out the door with my keys in my hand and my purse on my shoulder. I have come a really long way! 

When I was a little girl mornings were so hard. There were often lost shoes, lots of dawdling and some tears, probably from both me and my mom. My mom worked long and hard to teach me to get ready in the morning. She persevered and my routines are firmly in place now. Thanks, Mom!

One of the hardest parts of parenting is training your children to be self-sufficient. It is easier to just do things ourselves, right? But how does that help your child in the long run? We won’t always be there to remind them to brush their teeth or to put that book in their bag before piano lessons. You need to teach your child over and over again and you know it will stick eventually, but when? When it does, and you see the fruit of your labor, the success and the excitement in your child’s eyes that they did it themselves, it is well worth all of the hard work you’ve put in.