7 secrets to speed up your morning routine

Children wandering around looking for socks, books or clothes. You in the kitchen fretting about what to make them for breakfast. Lost keys and mobile phone. Is this what your regular school morning is like? Fret not! We give you 7 secrets to speed up your morning routine on school days! And if all fails, you can always follow the fab Japanese mum featured in the video in this story. Check it out!

Get your child an alarm clock.

Children love getting gifts. So why not gift your little sleepy-head an alarm clock to help rouse them out of their sweet dreams in the morning?

Choose from a cool digital design or an old-fashioned one that will shriek them out of slumber (and spare you from doing the shouting!) - either way they are bound to love it. And create a rule too - if you don't use it, you lose it!

Pack their bags the night before

Getting schoolbags ready can be extremely time-consuming, so don't leave this till the last minute and risk losing precious time (and your temper) in the morning.

Be organised and pack your child's schoolbag the previous night. Even better, make it one of your kid's must-do nighttime chores to teach them how to be organised - dinner, shower, brush teeth, pack schoolbag. This way, all you need to do is double-check that they have packed everything.

Remember to place the bag near your front door so you can literally grab it on your way out!

Do your little girl's hair the previous night

Is your little girl's hair long and forever in a mess? Here's a really clever tip to avoid battling with knots and tangles in the morning.

Brush and braid your girl's hair before she goes to bed as a regular bed-time routine. That way, it'll be more manageable in the morning and you'd only need to spend a few minutes tidying it up.

Grab-and-go breakfasts

Every weekend, plan out easy and quick-to-assemble breakfasts for each day of the week so you're not agonising over what to feed your kids in the morning.

Stock up on items such as eggs, cereal and yoghurt. Or bake some easy breakfast muffins over the weekend and freeze them in individual zip-lock bags. Thaw the amount you need in the fridge overnight, heat slightly in the microwave and it's ready.

Vegetable bee hoon with an egg thrown in is another simple and quick breakfast idea. if there is just no time for a quick sit-down breakfast before leaving home, things like yoghurt and muffins can easily be eaten on the way to school.

The 'essentials' area

Having an area ideally close to your front door where you can place all your 'morning essentials' is a really good idea.

In this spot you can place your car keys, charged mobile phones, shoes, packed bags etc. Another clever tip to prevent that last minute rushing-around looking for things!

Get their clothes organised

"MUUUUMMM, where's my other sock?" is an all too familiar question on those manic school mornings. Children never seem to be able to find things for themselves either. So a cry for help like this means you have to drop everything else and join in a frantic search for that elusive sock.

Spare yourself this pain and get your child's clothes organised the previous night. From socks and clean undies to hair clips - have them all ready for your child to slip on. Don't forget to iron their uniforms the previous night too as this can be time-consuming if left for the morning.

Offer an end-of-week reward

If your kids stick to their morning routines, reward them with a fun weekend or end-of-week treat. A day at the beach on Saturday, movie night and ice-cream on Friday or a fun playdate with friends on Sunday (or all of the above!) could all be great rewards if your kids manage to get out of the house on time during weekday mornings.

Try to make it about a fun activity together with friends or family rather than buying something for them.

Check out this cute video of how speedily this mum-and-son team get ready for school!

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