In your home and homeschool

Starting Your Day off on the Right Foot

How does a typical morning start for you? Over the years, I discovered the secret to starting my day off on the right foot. I get up at least an hour before my children get up. Some mornings, I get up two hours before my children. This allows me to do my morning routine and have a little quiet time before the children are up and need my attention.

Of course, when I had babies and toddlers in the house, I did not get up that much earlier that they did. In those years, I tried to get up 15 minutes before they did. This gave me time to go to the bathroom and have a cup of coffee.

Most of us have had the experience of barely being able to go to the bathroom alone once we have children, and it’s nice to not have little ones banging on the bathroom door or sticking their hands under the door. Now, I do have to go to bed at a decent hour if I want to get up before the children get up. If I am staying up until midnight, it is harder to get up before the children get up.

What do I do with my early morning time before the children get up? My morning routine is important to me. I like to have time to eat my breakfast and drink my coffee and have my quiet time. Then, I will do some exercising.

Exercise DVD’s and online videos are awesome for early morning workouts. Having a treadmill or elliptical machine in the basement or garage also makes a great way to work out before the children are out of bed. After I exercise, I get my shower and start a load of laundry. Then, it’s time to wake the children up and start their breakfast. Then we are all ready to start school after their morning routine and breakfast time.

While I have used this schedule for our homeschool, it is also applicable for those who work outside of the home and have children to get ready for school.

By starting the night before with laying out clothes and putting things needed near the front door, you can have a smoother exit from the house. You will also want to get up before your children, but you might only get up 30 minutes to an hour before them to get your morning routine accomplished before you get them out of bed.

This routine has made my mornings start off so much more peacefully, and it is worth going to bed earlier at night to have my smooth morning routine.

Today’s Zone Mission is to wipe the stove and microwave.

Your Home Blessing for today is to empty the trash, sweep, and mop.

My menu plan for Friday is pizza and a salad.

Have a wonderful weekend!