I’m not one of these people that has a picture-perfect morning routine. You won’t find me getting up at 5 a.m. and going for a run to kickstart the day (or at any other time for that matter)! Nor will you find me stepping out the car with a perfect blow-dry, dressed head-to-toe in the latest trends.
You will, however, find me arriving at the school gates at a totally acceptable time, wearing something passable, and as relaxed as one can possibly be on a school run where I’m responsible for some chaotic little beings of my own creation.
The reason for this serene start to the day? Well, it’s because I’ve got my morning routine down pat.
The secret is to work out how to start your day in the easiest possible way and then do just that. Stop chasing perfection, just do exactly what works for you the easiest way you can.
Here’s how my morning routine goes:
Wake Up Before Everyone Else
Why yes, I could just get up when the kids get up and have an extra 30 minutes in bed, but then when would I get any peace? Since there’s no danger of my husband or teen seeing 6:30 in the morning and my younger two only get woken by me, I have the house to myself. Aside from the cats begging for breakfast, I can get a solid half hour of peace and quiet before the household wakes up.
This is essential for my relaxed-state at the school gates. I love that little pocket of time when the house is still and no one is squabbling or queuing for the bathroom.
This early start gives me chance to collect my thoughts, plan my day and indulge a little. Which brings me to my next step.
Make a Morning Coffee
Having a coffee first thing is part of my early morning ritual, where I get time to myself before the kids get up. Nobody realises the luxury of an uninterrupted cup of coffee until they have children and all their drinks are interrupted.
My favourite thing in the world right now is my coffee machine because it gives me a posh cup of coffee, but is very easy to use. I’ve saved so much money on takeaway coffee since we got this machine and I’m just totally in love with it.
I’ve even set up a cute little area in my kitchen and it brings me so much joy to start my day with a proper coffee. I’ve been experimenting with different grounds to see what I like the best and how strong I like it and I gravitate towards anything that claims to have hints of caramel. I generally have a double shot in a milky coffee like a latte.
The good thing about this machine is that it has a milk tank and frother so I can have latte or cappuccino without having to stress about how to do the milk. I just sort the grounds, stick my cup under and select which coffee I want from the menu then the machine makes it in about a minute while I go off and feed the cats.
I will add that the coffee comes out the perfect temperature to drink so I can just grab it and get straight to relaxing.
Have a Sit Down
Since I’ve got a coffee ready to drink, I nip round and open all the curtains and have a little rest on my sofa while I drink it. I’m self-employed so I like to have a quick skim of my emails before I start my working day properly after the school run.
I don’t do any real work during this time because I firmly want it to be relaxing time, so I’m looking at the laptop with no pressure. It also gives me time to make sure I’ve ordered school dinners, paid for any trips and can check if I’m getting any parcels I might need to wait in for.
Prepare for the Day
I simply cannot be organised enough to get all the school stuff ready the night before, but I can do a quick run around first thing and get everything together by the front door. This means I don’t forget anything, I’m not rushing, and most importantly, I don’t have to do any extra household labour as I’m about to go to bed.
I think it helps that I get a bit of extra pep in my step from the coffee I’ve just had too. That little boost gives me the energy to keep things running smoothly. Once I have everything ready, I get myself ready and wake the kids.
Get the Kids Up and Out
Getting up early means I can turn my attention to the children. My middle child only really needs waking and my littlest needs waking plus some gentle encouragement for every step of getting ready and out the door. Thankfully this is quite straightforward because I already have everything else sorted, so it’s just a case of making sure they’ve eaten, have clean teeth and a relatively neat-looking uniform.
Once we’ve ticked off that checklist, we all pile into the car and everyone gets dropped off.
Back Home and Back to Work
As I mentioned, I’m fortunate enough to be self-employed so I can do all the school runs and not have to book childcare. That does mean my working day is condensed into the brief window where everyone is at school. The first thing I do when I’m back through the door is make one more coffee to ease my into my work.
If I start my day with a latte, then my next cup is a cappuccino and vice-versa.
If I’m having a particularly coffee-fueled day, I’ll switch to decaf at some point, but otherwise I’m just going back and forth having my faves.
So, I’m not saying coffee is totally responsible for my chilled morning routine, but it’s definitely a big part of it!