Super tools we use to help us get ready on time.
Each child has different struggles in the morning. Like Batman, we use a utility belt of bought and made tools to help us get on the bus.
Three kids have lots of questions for one mom and dad so I try to whip up visuals to answer questions for us all and save time lost on hunting hairbrushes or redirecting wanderers.
We change our tools with the season. As we need to add snowpants and other winter layers we will add smartphone alarms with a favorite song when we have 10 minutes to get our winter outer layers on and so on.
As certain tools lose effectiveness we swap in new or retired ideas ready for a new rotation. Keeping reminders fresh and positive is very effective and keeps the mood light.
-Our littlest needs a visual checklist and her “Good Morning Caddy” to know what to do to get herself ready for school. The laminated checklist is an incentive using her love for dry erase!
-Our middle child needs the gym shoes visual and his very fashionable “load dirty dishes” reminder bracelet.
-Our eldest needs a visual timer to combat her time blindness and her “good morning caddy” to keep working through her checklist.
Here are a few more of the tools we use to get ready.
Borrow and adapt my ideas to your needs if you like.
- Velcro dots. Juice drink enhancer velcroed to the side of the fridge… Everyone can make their own drink as long as the mixer makes it back onto the fridge!
- OPEN or CLOSED magnetic signs for the Freezer… Can I have a freezie?
- Hamland Favorites. A Menu of favorite snacks and meals for us and babysitters watching our babies when it’s dinner time.
- Gym Shoes visual. Pair this visual with your school calendar.
- Dinner Option Menu. This helps me both make a menu for the week with meal types I know the kids will eat and also communicate what is for dinner for the week. Planning meals is a mental load off my shoulders and helps me order groceries!
- Morning Routine. We have one for an upstairs routine (wake up, bathroom break, get dressed, deoderant, brush teeth, head downstairs!).
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