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.
To Dream The Impossible Dream of An Organized Home Does the idea of organizing and cleaning your home seem like an impossible dream? Homeschooling mother of six Tami Fox shares how she uses routines in her home to make it a haven for her family. She’s taught her children these routines, so they’ll be able to take their wings and fly into life as prepared adults. She shares positive methods for organizing and cleaning. Tami wants to help you give your children wings, so they can FLY, too!
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Tami lives in rural North Carolina with her husband of more than twenty-five years and their children. She has been
Tami Fox is a homeschool mom of 6, who in age from 24 to 8. She and her husband have homeschooled for 15 years and have graduated two of their children from their homeschool. They are currently homeschooling 4 boys who are in grades 10, 8, 6, and 3. They use hands-on learning and unit studies to ignite the fire of learning in their children. Tami is a homeschool writer and conference speaker. You can contact her through her blog TamiFox.com or by email at Tami@TamiFox.com.
Colette is a busy mom of 2 kids focusing solely on being a mom. She hails from the Caribbean and now balances the full life of being a SAHM and dabbling in odd jobs to help around the home. She enjoys sharing her memories, hopes, food, travel, entertainment, and product experiences on her blog. Please read my disclosure

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This sounds like a fantastic read. I want to check this out :)
ReplyDeleteGetting up an hour earlier is a great idea. I know it worked for me. Sometimes there was tons to do, that without little ones underfoot was easier, other times it was just nice to be able to be in my own head without constant interruption.
ReplyDeleteI agree getting up an hour earlier definitely helps! That is what I do too!
ReplyDeleteI am not a morning person. I tend to have my time after the kids go to bed.
ReplyDeleteWhen the kids were in school I used to get up at 4 am so I could exercise, shower and relax a bit before they even got up.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great topic for discussion. I never like getting up early in the AM. Definitely going to try your tip
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about getting up an hour earlier in the morning for a while now... this was just the push I needed! Thanks!
ReplyDeletegetting up an hour earlier provides extra time that you may not find throughout the remainder of the day
ReplyDeleteI don't read parenting books but this one sounds interesting. I love empowering my twins so they can be the best they can and want to be.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great read. I am a morning person my kids are schooling so i will be wake up before 4 am
ReplyDeleteGetting up an hour earlier would be a really nice idea. I should try, even if it is not an easy task because I love sleeping!
ReplyDeleteLooks an enjoying and great read. Sounds interesting, will check this out.
ReplyDeleteIt is very important that we give our kids wings by teaching them independence. Teaching them how to help themselves when necessary is key
ReplyDeleteI try to get a few things done each morning before the kids are up. Even just 20 minutes of quiet can improve my day.
ReplyDeleteI am NOT a morning person at all! I dont know what I will do when I have kids.
ReplyDeleteIt is way easier to do things when the kids are still sleeping. That's why in the summer when they are home I get way less accomplished. I need to keep waking up earlier then too apparently :(
ReplyDeleteI think its great to have a good morning or daily routine. It just helps with the flow of life I think. I'd wake up early, but I just can't pass up having that down time with my husband in the evening after the kids go to bed. I'd have to go to bed with them, to wake up a few hours before them I think.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could be more of a morning person, but I'm usually up late trying to prepare for the next day, I'm beat.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great parenting book. I like waking up early to have all the things ready for the family.
ReplyDeleteMust read for all the parents out there
ReplyDeleteI get up super early to have that alone time in the morning too. I always enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI LOVED the cover. It looks so pretty. I will check this book out. Thank you for sharing. I myself LOVES to read books too.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great read for any parent! :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book! Definitely something I'd like to check out. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks So Much for Sharing Your Thoughts on Trying to Get Children Ready in the Morning While Still Making Time for Yourself! Unfortunately I Don't Have Kids and I Live at Home with My Parents b/c I Was in a Bad Motorcycle Accident and I Can't Work Right Now! Although I Don't Have Kids My Parents Used to Keep the Grandkids a Lot and it Took a Village to Try and Get Them Both Up and Ready for School On Time! So I Really Feel for You but I Can't Imagine My Life Without My Nieces & Nephews, They May Be a Handful at Times but They Really Make Life So Much Sweeter! Well Thanks Again for Sharing, Have a Wonderful Evening! - Jana
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