Invite joy into your family’s life by creating a morning routine. It’s all about pure consistency. Quieting the clutter of the mind and daily rhythms allows your children (and you!) to connect to what God is up to more easily. Share what your mornings are like in the comments below!
Creating the Best-Ever Morning Routine
Children, like all of us, thrive with healthy structure. A healthy structure is consistent yet adaptable. Our mind and body know what to expect with consistency. And adaptability means we listen to our current needs, notice what is possible at the time and shift in necessary ways.
Life is unpredictable, as are children’s needs. Therefore, a child’s mood, fatigue level, possible illness, hunger level, will, among other things, all affect how routines play out.
Not only do children’s needs affect consistency. Life’s twists and turns do, too. Weather, work, school schedules, travel, family, cars, and all manner of other variables make it impossible to demand perfect adherence to the routines of life.
And, so, we do our best. And that’s enough, always.
Children Need Presence, Not Perfection
When parents look at their efforts, they often feel guilty. We wish we could give more. More time, more hugs and kisses, more patience, more grace, more fun memories, more locally sourced organic home-cooked meals. More (fill in your blank).
But, guess what? Your kids don’t need you or their life to be perfect. Let yourself off the hook. Having the easiest, most comfortable life isn’t actually what sets any of us up for strength and resilience and hope, anyway.
Your kids need you to be present.
I don’t mean your kids need you to be near them every moment of the day. Instead, your kids need you to notice them, value their experience, be mindful of your relationship with them. From this place of presence, the rest flows with enough to go around.
So, as you consider creating a morning routine with your kids, strive for consistency and presence that informs your adaptability. Ignore unreachable standards. None of us will meet them, and we don’t need to.
Flow with the hopes and needs of today, and let the rest go.
A Morning Routine Will Revolutionize Your Life
A consistent and adaptable morning routine offers our children and us several precious things, among them is a little more sanity.
A morning routine creates predictability. When children know what to expect, they feel safer and more at ease. This allows for them to handle other things that come their way. With more of their nervous system’s reserve available to them, they are more likely to roll with unforeseen stuff that pops up.
A morning routine grounds us. When adaptive, we help children learn the valuable lesson of paying attention to their needs. We help children learn the art of presence when we offer them opportunities to listen to how they are feeling and then act accordingly.
A morning routine encourages independence. As daily rhythms become familiar, children are more able to carry out tasks on their own. This frees up time for parents, which is always a win. Additionally, children take ownership and pride in caring for themselves, which is a boost for self-confidence.
A morning routine establishes trust. Children with routines in their lives trust more in the world and others. As routines are created, children learn they can count on things happening. Consequently, as they live within this safety healthy risk-taking and development is possible.
A morning routine means less conflict. When children can care more effectively for themselves and know what to expect, less conflict arises. There is less arguing about what needs to be done. Mornings can be rough, especially with those cranky kids who are more night owls than early birds. So…WIN!
A morning routine eases transitions. Transitions between activities can be difficult for any of us and particularly for children. For example, the change from sleeping to school can be a trying one. With routines established, children can more easily emotionally and mentally prepare for what’s ahead.
Ideas for Creating Your Child’s Morning Routine
As you consider creating a morning routine with your child, think about the things that must happen. For example, list necessities like:
- Eat breakfast
- Brush teeth
- Brush hair
- Get dressed
- Check backpack
Then, include something that quenches your soul’s thirst and goes beyond the necessary. Perhaps add a dance party or meditative prayer just before leaving for school.
Being a parent is demanding no matter our life situation. So, don’t forget to incorporate small daily things that bring you joy. The morning is the perfect time to start off doing so.
How will you use your family’s morning routine to connect to God’s life-giving, joy-producing presence this school year? Don’t forget to share in the comments below. We love hearing from you!
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