5 Easy Morning Routine Ideas For The Special Needs Mom
Ugh! Mornings can be so stressful for families! If there isn’t a morning routine for kids chaos can happen and it can have such an impact especially for our children with special needs.
After a chaotic morning it’s really hard for my kids to settle down and concentrate at school. If I’m completely honest it’s hard for Hubby and I too.
After a few REALLY stressful mornings I decided to do an overhaul of our routine.
First, I took a good look at which parts were stressing us out. Then I brainstormed ideas to address the stressful parts. After implementing a few of these ideas our mornings are much more organized. Dare I say, calm even? We’ve finally found a school morning routine that works for us!
There’s no more running around frantically looking for math homework or throwing an apple and whatever else I can grab from the pantry in a lunch box and calling it lunch.
Our mornings have turned into this well oiled routine and it is LOVELY.
It sets the tone for the rest of our day so the Mathe crew can have the best day possible!
If you would like a less chaotic morning then read on and perhaps try a few things!
Now remember Mama Bear, your family and your child with special needs are unique. Some of these things may work and some may not. You are the expert on your child and your family so take away what will work for you and don’t worry about the rest!
Morning Routine Idea #1 For The Special Needs Mom: Have a designated space for all backpacks, coats, and shoes
Have a designated space for backpacks, coats, shoes, lunch boxes, and anything else you will need in the morning. This saves you a TON of time.
This is our station for backpacks, coats, and shoes. The three wire bins hold socks for each kid or hats and mittens. The two metal tubs on the top shelf hold swimsuits.
Once you have carved out a space in your home make sure everyone knows this is where these items go. It may take a week or so of gentle reminders, but soon it will become a habit and your kids will automatically drop their backpacks in the appropriate spot.
We have hooks on the wall at the end of our hallway with a bench underneath. All backpacks and coats go there, shoes go under the bench. Lunch boxes go on our hoosier cabinet. No more frantically searching for a backpack in a messy bedroom when you are already late!
Morning Routine Idea #2 For The Special Needs Mom: Pack lunches and backpacks the night before
My kids insist on packing lunches most days. So we don’t lose our minds trying to keep it straight whether or not a kid is packing or buying, we’ve decided every Friday the Mathe crew will buy lunch. Otherwise, they will pack unless there is a special request to buy on another day.
I don’t enjoy packing lunches. I would much rather pack a lunch in the evening when I am not under a lot of pressure to get the kids to school and myself to work.
Plus, I know after I pack lunches I can do something I enjoy such as crawl into bed with a good book. So, I suck it up and pack them and leave them together on the hoosier cabinet.
Our hoosier cabinet is the designated spot for lunch boxes. Lunches are packed the night before and set here. Anything that needs to be refrigerated is placed in a special spot in the refrigerator.
If something needs to be refrigerated I put those items in a designated spot in the fridge. That way I can just grab’em in the morning, throw’em in the lunch boxes, zip’em up, and toss’em in the backpacks!
When the kids were younger I would buy monogrammed lunch boxes so there was no confusion as to which lunch box belonged to whom and they wouldn’t get lost at school. Now that the kids are older I don’t have to do that.
I go through backpacks at night, look over school papers and other forms of communication, and make sure they have whatever they may need for the next day such as their snack if it’s their turn to take it in, etc.
Morning Routine Idea #3 For The Special Needs Mom: Lay out clothes for the week
One of the most stressful parts of the morning was picking out an outfit for each kid. I have trouble deciding what I’m going to wear for the day much less THREE other people?!
I solved this stressful morning task by buying three hanging closet organizers with 5 shelves and putting them in our large hallway closet. Every weekend I would look at the weather for the upcoming week and then place an outfit for each day for each Mathe kid in their closet organizer. I made sure to include socks and underwear so it was all there.
We have a large hallway closet so it works for us however, you could have an organizer in each kid’s room or I have seen where plastic bins with 5 drawers are used.
As kids become older or if you have a child that is a budding fashionista you can place two potential outfits for each day so they can choose which one they would like to wear. Better yet, have them help you pick out their outfits on the weekend for the week!
Eventually, as they become teenagers this may no longer be needed. My teen daughter now picks out her own clothes, but I still do this for Max and my youngest. When all three were young this made our lives SO much easier!
Morning Routine Idea #4 For The Special Needs Mom: Have a command center for school papers and other kid related activities
Even though our school really does try to communicate via emails, texts, and other paperless ways we still get a ridiculous amount of papers coming home! Rather than having piles of loose papers on the counter I have created a command center to help organize all this stuff.
This is our school papers command center. All needed school forms can be found here!
We have a calendar hanging on our fridge. All practices, plays, games, parties, and whatever else are recorded on the calendar so we know what we have going on.
Our hallway that ends in our station for back packs, coats, and shoes serves as our command center for school papers. We have a cork board where a copy of the school calendar is placed, the school directory, as well as the lunch menu for the month. Spelling lists and any other pertinent papers for the week are placed there as well.
I have a wooden bin on the wall with labeled folders for other school related stuff that I may need such as the excuse form if the kids have to take a day off, PTO directory, and any flashcards or other educational things my kids are working on. We also display tests or projects the kids have worked hard on here. Having this set up really helps keep us organized.
Morning Routine Idea #5 For The Special Needs Mom: No television, screen time, or playing in the morning until dressed, teeth/hair brushed, and breakfast consumed
Nothing motivates our children more than the various screens available.
Capitalizing on this, we have instituted a rule where none of these things can occur until a Mathe child is dressed, their hair is brushed, their teeth are brushed, and they have eaten their breakfast. When we decided we needed a morning routine overhaul we sat them all down and told them about the new rule. We were very specific about what needed to be done before a screen could be turned on. This way they knew exactly what the expectation was, how they could meet it, and what the reward was.
Their father and I are impressed by how quickly they can get these things done when motivated!
There you have it Mama Bears! These are the tips and tricks the Mathe crew have used to make sure our morning is as streamlined and stress free as possible.
Now some of you may be thinking “This is all fine and dandy Holly but what if I’m struggling to even get out of bed?” Well Mama Bear, check out 5 Things To Get You Out Of Bed In The Morning over at Selfless Esteem.
I hope you found something here to help you rock this special life!
Speaking of stress…if you have an upcoming IEP meeting you’re feeling stressed about check out these blog posts…
3 Steps To Creating Great IEP Goals
If you want a step by step guide to help you prepare be sure to head on over to the Twenty One Dandelions shop and grab
A New Mom’s Guide To Rocking Your Child’s IEP Meeting
Dandelion Tribe Takeaway: The five tips to help you create an easier morning routine are…
#1 Have a designated space for all backpacks, coats, and shoes
#2 Pack lunches and backpacks the night before
#3 Lay outfits out for the week
#4 Have a command center for school papers and other kid related stuff
#5 Have a rule that there’s no screen time or play in the morning until the child is dressed, their teeth are brushed, their hair is brushed, and they have eaten breakfast.
Mama Bear Share: What are your tips and tricks for the morning rush!
