The Busy Mom’s Guide to Crafting the Perfect Morning Routine

Hi mama. I want to tell you something important. You are already overwhelmed. Trying to create elaborate checklists that are very unrealistic is not going to make things any easier. You have to keep things simple, especially when it comes to your routines. And crafting a simple and effective morning routine is essential to avoiding overwhelm the rest of the day.

I know how you are feeling. I’ve been there. Trying to accomplish way more than you have time for is not only unproductive, but also un-motivating. Plus, you have babies to feed, toddlers to play with, and kids to run from here to there. You don’t have time to spend hours each morning cleaning!

You see, I use to create long and extensive to-do lists. My morning routine was overrun with checkboxes that would never get marked off. I was trying to over-extend myself and cram several hours worth of work into 20-30 minutes. It wasn’t working and I would become frustrated and just give up.

I’m a busy mom, just like you. I’m trying to squeeze in a little bit of housework between feeding children, changing diapers, and sipping lukewarm coffee. I needed a short routine that I could do in 15-20 minutes. I decided to choose only 4 tasks to complete each morning. They are simple, quick, and keep my house tidy without overwhelming this busy mama!

If you are struggling to create a morning routine that works for you, I encourage you to keep things simple and start with these 4 easy tasks.

4 Things I Do Every Morning

1. Make My Bed

It always amazes me the difference a made bed can make in a room. Making my bed each morning takes less than a minute and gives me an instant boost of motivation. Plus, a clean bedroom is a peaceful bedroom and I’m a firm believer in keeping the master bedroom peaceful.

2. Unload the Dishwasher

Keeping the kitchen tidy is one of the biggest strategies I’ve found to keep a clean home. In my home, as soon as the kitchen counters begin to get cluttered, it’s like a domino effect in the rest of the house. {Can you relate?!} Emptying the dishwasher in those first morning hours means that I have a place to put all of the dirty dishes throughout the day keeping my countertops cleaned off.

While this is one of my most dreaded tasks, it’s one that actually doesn’t take too long to complete. I’ve timed myself before and it actually only takes 2-3 minutes if I can work quickly and efficiently. These 2-3 minutes can save me a ton of time later on in the day.

Mom tip: If you have a toddler, complete this task while your child is eating breakfast. This way they are preoccupied, but within reach!

3. Start a Load of Laundry

Everybody’s laundry systems are different, but if you haven’t tried doing a load of laundry a day I highly recommend it. Starting a load first thing in the morning guarantees that you get at least one load done during the day.

4. Wipe Down the Bathrooms

If you are a mom with a potty trained (or better yet, a child in the midst of potty training!), you know that wiping down the bathrooms daily is a must. I don’t spend a ton of time in here. It’s really amazing how much you can get done in 60 seconds! Wiping the countertop and sink, disinfecting the toilet, and spot cleaning the mirrors can really make a dirty bathroom seem much cleaner. I empty the trash every other day or so and call it good!

How to Decide What Tasks Should Go on YOUR List

1. How much time do you want to dedicate to your morning routine?

You may have an hour or more to power through a list of household tasks in the morning. Or you may have to squeeze as much as you can into 10-15 minutes. Decide how much time you want to dedicate to your morning routine before making your list of tasks. This will give you a sense of reality and what you can truly accomplish each morning.

2. What tasks need to be done at least once a day?

Your family will need to eat and they will probably need clean clothes. There may be a few other tasks that need to be done in your household depending on your families needs. Maybe you need to make school lunches or get kids to school. These tasks need to go at the top of the list.

3. What tasks do you want to be done at least once a day?

After food and clean clothes, everything else is personal preference. Do you like to have tidy bathrooms for when company comes over? Maybe dirty floors drive you nuts so you may need to sweep or spot mop daily. Be selective when deciding on these tasks and remember the time frame you set for yourself. Be realistic about what you can accomplish.

Once you have decided on your time frame and the tasks you want to accomplish each morning, you need to make a simple list. This can be a post-it note you put on your fridge or microwave or type out your tasks and attach it to a clipboard that you hang in your pantry.

Number the tasks in order of importance and work your way through your tasks each morning until they are all finished. Maybe you have a chunk of time to get everything done all at once. Or maybe you are like me and just try to get everything accomplished in the AM hours! Do whatever works for you! 🙂

 

Are you struggling to make the most of your mornings? Click here to check out Crystal Paine’s Make Over Your Morning which will teach you how to be more productive and diligent with your first morning hours. You can grab the first day of the course for free.

Creating a morning routine shouldn’t be overwhelming. Remember to keep things simple, be realistic with yourself and the time you have, and only do that tasks that truly benefit you and your family.

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Do you have a morning routine? What are the tasks you try to get done every morning?