2445: [Part 1] Morning Routines For Moms of Toddlers by Cara Harvey of A Purpose Driven Mom on Parenting Advice

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[00:00:30] This is Optimal Relationships Daily – Morning Routines for Moms of Toddlers, Part 1, by Cara Harvey of APurposeDrivenMom.com.

[00:00:41] Looking for a morning routine for moms of toddlers? Have no fear. As a mom of toddlers, I know that my morning routine will set up my day for success or failure. If you're like me, then you need to come up with a streamlined morning routine that you and your kids can follow.

[00:00:57] Having a morning routine will let your mornings be filled with less stress and chaos and more family time. Routines for moms will make your life so much easier.

[00:01:08] Maybe you've been there. You expect to get up before the kids or some quiet time, but hit snooze too many times, and instead, you're awakened with a kid's finger in your nose.

[00:01:17] You all stumble downstairs, but you haven't planned breakfast, so you're just attempting to put something on the table while they run around at your feet.

[00:01:26] You didn't load the coffee pot, so you're barely making sense as you try to find the grinds and your kids. They just keep talking to you.

[00:01:33] They are talking your ear off about Paw Patrol or that you gave them the blue cup instead of the green cup,

[00:01:38] and you realize that you forgot to make your husband's lunch and need to scramble to finish that.

[00:01:42] Sound familiar? Hmm, me too. But, since creating a morning routine in our home, mornings like this are less, though they still pop up from time to time.

[00:01:54] Morning Routine Checklist for Adults

[00:01:57] If you've never created a morning routine for your family, now is the time.

[00:02:01] And I know what you're thinking. I promise it's not just about getting up at the crack of dawn.

[00:02:06] I'm a tired mom too, and I know how precious sleep is.

[00:02:10] But, what I've realized is that if I don't get up before my toddlers, I won't have any peace and quiet the entire day.

[00:02:17] I need that time in the morning to get focused, tie up loose ends, and set my intention for the day.

[00:02:23] I suggest creating two checklists for the morning routine in your home.

[00:02:27] One for you as an adult, and one for your toddlers.

[00:02:30] Having a morning routine checklist for you as the adult helps you make sure that the time you get up early is spent doing what you need,

[00:02:38] not wasted scrolling social media or trying to figure out how to best spend your time.

[00:02:43] My toddlers get up between 6 and 7, so I have to get up around 5 to 5.30 to really have adequate quiet time and get my day going.

[00:02:52] You might be lucky and not have early birds, so adjust to meet your wake-up time.

[00:02:56] I recommend getting up at least one hour before they do, so that you can have that time and some productivity.

[00:03:02] So, what should you do before the toddlers wake up?

[00:03:06] My suggestion is formed with ideas from the book The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.

[00:03:11] This book helps you figure out the best ways to spend your morning to channel your energy into positivity and focus.

[00:03:19] Silence

[00:03:20] Spend time each morning in silence.

[00:03:22] As a mom of a toddler, this is probably the one silence you get all day.

[00:03:27] I spend 15 to 25 minutes reading in my Bible and in prayer.

[00:03:31] This helps me connect with God and get my mind right for the day.

[00:03:35] Personal task

[00:03:37] I suggest trying to get one personal task done before the kids get up.

[00:03:41] Since I work from home, my personal task is often centered around a work task.

[00:03:46] But, this could be something that you've been putting off, like writing thank you cards or researching a family vacation or a goal you're working on, like journaling for scrapbooking.

[00:03:55] I find it so important for moms of toddlers to spend 10 to 30 minutes on something for them while enjoying their coffee, hot, so that they can remember that they are much more than just mom.

[00:04:07] Exercise

[00:04:09] As someone who lost 70 pounds before I had kids, I knew that once I became a mom, I didn't want to lose all of the healthy habits that I already had.

[00:04:18] This means that 7 years after creating a 5 to 6 day a week exercise habit, it's finally become part of my lifestyle.

[00:04:26] I choose to work out around 745 to 830 every day while my kids are awake.

[00:04:31] I didn't want to waste any of my precious alone time in the mornings working out when it was something I could do when my kids were awake.

[00:04:38] Getting dressed slash shower

[00:04:40] This part of your routine might depend on the rest of your day.

[00:04:43] I make it a point to get dressed every day, even if it's the same pair of jeans and three shirts that I rotate.

[00:04:49] It makes me feel less sloppy and helps me be more productive because I'm dressed.

[00:04:53] I actually don't get dressed right away because I work out later in the morning, but I always recommend taking time before lunch to get dressed and put together.

[00:05:02] What do your toddlers do when you get showered?

[00:05:05] Well, you have two options here.

[00:05:07] You can shower and dress before they get up or when they are awake.

[00:05:10] I work out after breakfast and shower after that.

[00:05:13] During this time, since my kids are awake, I let my daughter, three and a half years old, watch a show on my phone in my bedroom.

[00:05:21] If she's not at school, she goes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

[00:05:24] And my 18-month-old hangs in the bathroom with me.

[00:05:27] Some days I toss him in the shower with me, but most days he builds a toilet paper towel, pulls things off the shelf, or climbs on the toilet.

[00:05:34] My shower doesn't take very long, and I keep poking my head from behind the curtain to check on him.

[00:05:38] While I get dressed and ready, he runs around the room or plays with a basket of toys that I have just put out for him during this time.

[00:05:45] Pulling them out after the shower makes them special and gets him excited to play with them.

[00:05:54] You just listened to part one of the post titled,

[00:05:57] Morning Routines for Moms with Toddlers, by Kara Harvey of APurposeDrivenMom.com

[00:06:04] Kara, off to a wonderful start here.

[00:06:06] I can practically feel the stress melting off of other busy parents that are scrambling to sort mornings out.

[00:06:12] Particularly parents of five like Kara, my goodness.

[00:06:15] As I normally do with two-parters, I will save the majority of my commentary for tomorrow when we finish up this post.

[00:06:21] If you've come this far, you wouldn't want to stop halfway through the article, would you?

[00:06:24] Of course you wouldn't.

[00:06:25] Have a great Thursday, folks.

[00:06:26] I will see you tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits.