Cultivating Calmness: 1 Simple Step to Calmer Mornings
If you missed last week’s post about Cultivating Calmness you can view it HERE.
I am not the master of calm mornings, but I have been the creator of completely chaotic ones. I guess you could say, I have learned the hard way what not to do in the morning when children need to be fed, dressed and sent out the door for school.
But all things should be done decently and in order. I Corinthians 14:40(ESV)
Let’s be honest, early mornings and children do not always go smoothly. If you add in a tired, irritable mom, you will have a disaster waiting to happen.
As soon as the alarm sounds, the clock is ticking. Precious time seems to slip away faster in that first hour of the day than any other time of my life. I attempt to set the alarm a little earlier, but I always end up making the same mistake of hitting snooze again. Disappointed in myself, I leap out of bed and begin my dash through the house waking up children, barking out orders and throwing together breakfast. By throwing together breakfast, I mean grabbing a granola bar or pop-tart out of the pantry.
I have hopes of providing a healthier option, but precious time slips away. I make coffee and guzzle down as much as possible thinking it will make me feel alert and refreshed. As I stroll past the bathroom, I realize someone forgot to flush, again, and I begin my crazy toilet cleaning frenzy. Will they ever learn to flush every time? As I lecture the children about wiping, flushing, hand washing and turning off lights, we are brushing hair, teeth and checking for clean underwear. We had planned to have a nice breakfast with Bible reading, prayer time and precious conversation, but time is up, and we are out the door.
While we do still have our share of chaotic mornings, there is one tip that has really helped transform our mornings from pop-tarts and poop filled toilets to a calmer version of crazy.
1. Plan ahead.
By “plan ahead” I mean think through your normal morning routine and everything that needs to be done before you jump into the chaos of school, work or play. Here are some things we do to cultivate calmer mornings:
*Pack lunches and put them in the refrigerator the night before. If you tend to forget lunches in the morning, put a sticky note on the door or car so you do not get to school without it.
*Pick out clothes from head to toe (socks, underwear, shoes, hair bows…everything!) the night before. It never fails, the one thing you forget to pick out, will be the one thing that is dirty or lost in the land of missing bobby pins and unmatched socks.
*Put backpacks in the trunk the night before (or by the front door). This simple tip has helped us complete all homework the night before and have everything in the backpack that will be needed for school the next day. Don’t forget gym clothes, permission slips and money for the fundraiser. Put it in the backpack and load it in the trunk. Do not leave papers unsigned or homework incomplete. If you homeschool, get everything prepared the night before.
*Make a menu for the week or month. If you know what you will make for dinner, it will make life much easier by taking this one simple stress out of your life. For some reason not knowing what I am going to feed my family sends us straight to Taco Bell or McDonald’s. When I have a menu we are less likely to run through the drive-thru.
*Buy groceries. You can make a menu, but if you don’t have the ingredients, trust me, you will end up at the drive-thru. I have a little experience in this area. Ha! When you know the kid’s meal special by day for every restaurant in your area, it might be time to make a menu and go grocery shopping.
*Pray! No, seriously. I am learning that if I put my “To-Do List” before the Lord, my time is used in a much wiser way than if I try to do it all on my own. Whether you adopt this entire list or just one point, most of all, ask God how you can best care for your family and have a calm start to the day. Prayer is essential!
Do we always have smooth mornings and singing children as we walk out the front door? Absolutely not. We have tears, melt downs and chaos just like anyone else, but we are doing the best we can by planning ahead. If you have some ideas of how to plan ahead to combat the chaos of those crazy mornings, I would love to hear from you. Join the conversation in the comments below!
Oh, and we implement family Bible time in the evenings most days. It just works best for our crew! What about you?
If this has been an encouragement or help to you, please LIKE, SHARE and COMMENT so others can be encouraged too!
Love & Blessings,
Micah
Is the car ride crazy? Fighting, arguing about what was left at home? Join me next week as we discuss “Cultivating Calmness on the Way to School.” Maybe your child rides the bus or stays home for school, these tips will apply to any car ride.
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