Give your Kids Independence with a Strong Morning Routine

Thanks to Orajel for sponsoring today’s post. 

Mornings around here are a bit crazy.

By the time we get everyone up, dressed, fed, off to school, and are ready to start the day . . . I’m already exhausted.

With 6 kids, I’ve learned that the only way to get everything done is to teach independence early and make sure my kids have the tools they need to be successful.

For us, that means having an awesome morning routine.

Getting the morning off to a strong start makes the rest of our day go so much smoother. Our mornings set the tone for the rest of the day so it’s important to me that we start off on a good foot.

For my older kids, we can easily make a list for them to follow (check out our printable chore list here). For younger kids, a strong morning routine requires a bit more creativity.

Leave Visual Cues

Since my preschooler and toddlers can’t read yet, I have to leave visual cues for them to follow. You can do this by creating a visual based to-do list. Taking pictures of each task would work great for this.

We keep things very simple by laying out physical reminders for each task. Since they need to use each item to complete a task anyway, it makes it really easy for younger kids to work through their morning routine.

At the top of our list for a morning routine is dental hygiene. We lay out our Orajel tootbrush designed just for toddlers and preschoolers. My girls love the fun characters they have on the toothbrushes and I love that they are perfectly designed to get little teeth clean.

Make sure your child brushes her teeth AFTER eating breakfast so she doesn’t start the day with anything on her teeth. If you need some tips for teaching your preschooler or older child to brush her own teeth, Orajel has some great ideas. 

Be Consistent

The most important factor in a morning routine, especially with young kids, is being consistent. Kids get frustrated when they don’t understand what they are supposed to be doing. When a routine stays consistent, kids know what to expect and are proud when they are able to check things off their list on their own.

Be Supportive

You always get further by being supportive rather than nagging — especially with kids. I know, in the mornings, it can be hard to be supportive when you are running late. It’s frustrating when the morning gets out of hand but the best way to get the morning back under control is to take a step back, slow down, and get back to your routine. Young kids appreciate when you are calmer and they are learning from your behavior all the time.

Don’t Do It For Them

The ultimate goal is to encourage kids to be independent. They will need to do these things on their own and it is much easier on them if they can learn while they are young and have gradually increasing responsibility. I know it is tempting to step in and push the morning routine along, especially when you are short on time, but resist the urge. The sooner your toddler or preschooler learns to get through her morning routine on her own, the smoother your mornings will go.

Set an Example

If you want your kids to get in the habit of following a morning routine, you need to make sure you are sticking to your morning routine too. Kids learn by watching us and when we set the example of following a consistent, organized morning routine, they want to do the same.

I’ll often use my morning routine as a way to encourage my kids to follow through with their tasks. When I have a child who asks me to do something for them (provided it is something she is able to do on her own) I’ll respond with, “I’m sorry. I can’t do that. I have to do _____ to get my morning routine done.”

My kids usually understand and it motivates them to get to work too.

What do you do to encourage your kids to be independent in the morning and stick to a routine?

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