Morning Routine and Kids
Morning Routine and Kids
I love having a good morning routine – it makes such a difference for my wellbeing, but with two small children it can often feel impossible to implement. However, what I have discovered through my own journey of becoming a mum is that it is possible, all it takes is the right preparation! So, if you are anything like me, and want to claim back your mornings and start your day right then read on and hopefully I can help make it happen.
My secret to achieving a morning routine with kids is that it all starts the night before! Now you may think I am talking about your sleep, but with young children – especially babies and toddlers, this is often impossible! And even now with my school aged children, I still regularly get woken up in the middle of the night for one thing or another! What I believe is key to making your morning routine happen is committing to it the night before, deciding exactly why, when, what and how.
Why do it?
Now before we get into the how, first things first, why have a morning routine? Before committing to your morning routine, you need to decide if this is really something that is going to benefit you. There is no point doing something unless it is going to make you feel good. Although plenty of studies have shown the effectiveness of morning routines – you are the only one who can decide if it is something for you. If you do decide that a morning routine is something you would benefit from, then I highly recommend writing down why.
What is it that a morning routine does for you?
And why is it important to you that you implement it?
Personally, I can see huge differences in myself when I am able to stick to my morning routine. My overall wellbeing is improved, I have more motivation, and am calmer with my children – it just makes such a difference for me to start my day on my terms. And this is what I remind myself of every time I get up to do it – what it does for me and my wellbeing.
When, What and How
So now that you have decided that you would like to implement a morning routine, it is time to make a plan and commit. Like setting a goal, I believe it is important that you make your morning routine specific. The night before, you need to decide exactly what you are going to do, how you are going to do it and for how long. That is, if you plan to exercise, stipulate what type of exercise you are going to do and for how long. If this involves an exercise video, make sure you choose which one you are going to do. The same goes for meditation, if you plan to meditate using guided meditation, make sure you choose which one you are going to use.
This is key, because what you don’t want is to waste precious time during your morning routine deciding these things. Once you know what you want to do, you need to write it all down and again be specific. You can write it in your phone or in your journal but make sure you write it all down!
Be Prepared
Ok, so now you have decided exactly what you are going to do, how you are going to do it and for how long, the next step is being prepared. This means that if there is any equipment or materials that you need to make your morning routine happen then get these ready. Do you need a yoga mat? Exercise clothes? Journal? Headphones? Make sure that you prep all these the night before so that they are there waiting for you the following morning. For me this makes all the difference, because when my alarm goes off and I see my exercise clothes waiting for me next to the bed it triggers my plan and reminds me of what I need to do.
Plan B
Now if your morning routine involves getting up at 5am and exercising for an hour before the kids wake up, then I would highly recommend having a Plan B. That is, decide now what your morning routine is going to look like if your sleep is severely disturbed and you won’t want to wake up at 5am. Often this may simply be a shorter version of your original plan, but it can also be whatever you need it to be. For example, simply waking up 10 minutes before the kids to do some simple breathwork can make all the difference. Therefore, before you go to sleep make sure you have both a Plan A and Plan B decided for your morning routine the next day. That way if you do have a rough night you don’t need to bail on your morning routine altogether – you simply switch over to Plan B! This is a tool that I use regularly and, being completely honest, for the past few weeks I have only managed to implement my Plan B morning routine as my energy levels have not been great and I am really struggling to wake up.
Self-compassion
Like any best laid plan, it can all go wrong, even with a Plan B, and this is where self-compassion comes in. If, for whatever reason, you don’t execute your morning routine and instead snooze your alarm and go back to sleep, that is ok. As parents, we can often be extremely self-critical of ourselves and so when things don’t go the way we want them to we often turn to negative self-talk and criticism. Beating ourselves up over whatever we did wrong. But this helps no one – and so when it comes to your morning routine, remember it is ok if you don’t achieve it, you always have tomorrow. Be kind to yourself and show yourself the same compassion you would show others.
Hopefully these simple steps can help you start your day on your terms, regardless of the age or number of kids you have. And remember, even if things don’t always work out, show yourself the self-compassion that you deserve and try again the following day. It is as simple as that.
Linda x
“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Rohn.