I know as well as anyone the rush of the morning trying to get everyone ready and out the door, or the rush in the afternoon when you underestimated a task and now you’re running late for something. It can be harder still as a single parent, when you are responsible for everyone. Well, if you are using your calendar at least you didn’t forget that appointment. How much stress do you have every morning trying to get yourself and your children ready and out that door? The morning used to be the most stressful time for me, but not any more. There is no stress anymore when leaving to go do anything.
The way to accomplish this is to get ready to do what you are going to do; not when it’s time though. Long before it’s time. Get your things ready the night before for the next day’s activities. After you go to check your calendar at night, get everyone’s clothes out for the next day, if your children go to school, have their backpacks and anything else they need by the door ready to go, have their lunch packed and in the fridge, if there are any extra curricular activities get everything needed for that by the door ready to go.
When you do this, all that will need to be done in the morning is getting out of bed, getting dressed (in the clothes that are already picked out and ready to go), eating, and getting hair, teeth, and face done. No one has to waste 10 minutes trying to pick out their clothes when they first wake up and are not fully functioning, no one has to run around looking for that science book that they were sure they left on the dining room table, no one has to search for that baseball mitt or shin guards that they don’t know what they did with them. Setting aside five minutes at night to get ready saves a ton of stress in the morning when you need it least.
This goes for other events as well. Do you have a child’s Birthday coming up in 3 months or 6 months? Start getting ready now. Do one thing every month, or week, depending on how much time you do have. Get or make decorations one time, get party favors another, you can also get one present every two weeks as well. This not only insures you are ready on time, but also insures that you spread the spending out so you don’t have to buy everything at once and break the bank. Have a potluck soon? Figure out what you’re going to make one week, go grocery shopping the next, and make it the next.
Getting ready early, whether it’s for the next days regular activities, or next months special event is a is a time saver, and in some cases money saver. It definitely saves stress, because you know you’re ready for it, so you can relax and enjoy the ride.