Mornings are a real struggle.  They can be stressful and frustrating.  Anytime I have to get out the door to work, to church or get the kids off  to school I find myself exhausted before the day has even begun.  I run around barking orders at everyone  --“Get your shoes on!”, “Go get your shoes!”, “Haven’t you done(fill in the blank) yet!”,  “We are leaving RIGHT NOW!”.  

The Rule of 5 saved me.  I created a simple rule of 5 for everyone.  I have found that by instilling these 5 simple rules everything that needed to get done in the morning gets done.   

BEFORE you can eat breakfast you must do these 5 things:

1)  Get Dressed.  Put your clothes on and put away your PJs.  This includes getting washed up and fixing your hair.  This also includes Putting on your Shoes!  For some reason the kids think they are dressed even if they don’t have their shoes on.  I can’t tell you how many times we ran late because my child thought he knew where his shoes were.  I can’t count on wishful thinking in the morning, especially when I am involved in a carpool and others are waiting for me.

 2)  Make your bed.  This is a real character building opportunity.  See my article in August that outlines the many good reasons to insist on making the bed.

3)  Do your morning chore.   Usually there is a chore that needs to be done each morning.  I usually have a laundry load or dishes to do.  The kids often have lunches to make or a small chore to do. 

4)  Pack your backpack/briefcase.  This should usually be done the night before but I check to be sure that things are ready.  This helps ensure the children have their homework and I am ready for the day.  We aren’t rushed at the last minute trying to find everything.

5)  Say “Hi” to God.  I would be remiss if I didn’t mention prayer.  I know. I know.  There is never enough time to pray.  It’s funny that God doesn’t make prayer an essential part of our day-- like EATING.  He could have you know.  But instead he wants each of us to CHOOSE to have a relationship with Him.  He is not going to force us to talk to Him.  But, in reality, we shouldn’t start our day without offering it to God and asking Him to bless whatever we are doing that day.  One easy way is to say this traditional Morning Offering or just make up a prayer yourself!  God will be happy if you just acknowledge Him and give Him your day.


6) SPECIAL RULE ONLY FOR MOMS.  In addition to creating this Rule of 5 for the kids, I added a rule for myself.  If I have children that require my help to get dressed in the morning and get breakfast, I must do my rule of 5 before I wake up that child.

Mornings set the tone for the day.  Let’s start our days on top of the world – catch the bull by the horns – go for the gold –just do it!   

Sandra Forbes is a professional organizer and coach, speaker and writer on home management .  She is a mother of seven children ages ranging from 1 to 18.  She shares organizing tips and insights on her website Forbesorganizing.com

 

Dear Sandra, I so enjoy reading your articles. This one is remarkably encouraging and practical! In particular, thank you for inviting us to reflect on the use of our freedom in turning to God each morning...

With school starting soon, now is a great time to implement your ideas. The ones at home are the least likely in our family to accomplish these tasks before breakfast, and I see how the morning will run better if we change our order. Thanks!

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