The Morning Routine Cheat Sheet

The Morning Routine cheat Sheet Do you struggle to get your family up and out of the door on time? Master the art of being a slick morning person with these tried and tested tips. The crazy morning rush 75 The time British people spend on their daily morning routine, according to a survey by Allianz Insurance, including: minutes Getting kids out of bed Making breakfast Getting the car ready The school run 10 10 11 8. 12 8. mins mins mins mins mins mins mins mins Getting kids dressed Helping with homework Getting in the car Dropping kids off 27% of parents find it hard 42% of mums and dads say that being in a rush is their to get their children out of bed in biggest school the morning run worry So how can you make your mornings go smoothly? 1 GETTING OUT OF BED Recommended hours of sleep per night: Child (5-12) Teenager Adult 10-11 9.25 Make sure Stick to the same everyone gets enough sleep so they don't wake up tired bedtime and Download a wake-up time to balance your body clock talking alarm clock app to your phone to motivate you, or one you have to shake to turn off USING THE BATHROOM 9.3 19.5 minutes minutes The average time spent in the shower The average time spent in the bath Use a getting-ready checklist – including tasks such as brush teeth, comb hair, wash face – to help get the family organised Brush teeth Comb hair Wash face 730 745 800 Create a bathroom schedule so everyone has an allocated time slot Give younger kids a bath or shower before bedtime to free up the bathroom in the morning HAVING BREAKFAST 60% of mothers forego breakfast because they're rushing to feed the children Draw up a weekly breakfast menu for Keep a supply of healthy on-the-go snacks, such as fruit and breakfast bars, for emergencies the family – stick to simple items such as cereal and toast Get the food and crockery ready the night before GETTING DRESSED 468 The number of washing machine cycles per year for a family of 4 Check the weather forecast to help plan all your outfits and accessories Get everyone to pick their clothes and lay them out ready the night before Ensure the washing is up to date to avoid last-minute panics 5 PREPARING THE LUNCHES A healthy lunchbox should contain: Starchy foods such as pasta or rice Vegetables or fruit Protein Dairy such as yoghurt or cheese such as eggs, meat or fish Most popular fillings include: 88% of parents make sandwiches for their children's packed lunches 44% ham 20% cucumber 26% cheese Prepare packed lunches the night before to save precious time in the morning T. Sam Rasts Samt Create a weekly lunch menu plan with the help of Weelicious.com Assign a shelf in the fridge for each person to make it easier to locate each lunchbox PACKING THE BAGS The number of items parents commonly check their kids haven't forgotten on the way to school Keep a schedule of activities so you These include: foeta • Schoolbag • Homework • Lunch • Sports kit Books know which items everyone needs to pack each day Charge up phones, tablets and laptops before bed Get bags and backpacks ready the night before LEAVING THE HOUSE 16% of people are late for work at least once a week Choose a designated area by the door to place bags and shoes for a speedy exit Put a checklist on the door to make sure you don't forget any essentials Make sure items such as your car 00 keys, phone and purse are put in the same place every day Plan ahead, stick to a routine and prepare as much as you can the night before. Coodbye chaos, hello calm mornings. Sources Allianz. 2013. School run rush. allianz.co.uk Dorey, M. 2014. Study reveals parents' choices in providing children's packed lunches. leedsbeckett.ac.uk E.ON. 2013. E.ON UK press release - shower ballad Brits. pressreleases.eon-uk.com Huntpalmer, B. 2014. How to establish a morning routine for kids that actually works. lifehacker.com Logsdon, A. 2013. End morning chaos with morning routines. learningdisabilities.about.com MacClure, R. Top 10 morning madness tips for getting kids up and ready. childcare.about.com National Sleep Foundation. Healthy sleep tips. sleepfoundation.org National Sleep Foundation. Teens and sleep. sleepfoundation.org NHS. School packed lunches. nhs.uk Real simple. 9 ways to speed up your family's morning routine. realsimple.com UK Whitegoods. 2013. Working out your washing machine use. ukwhitegoods.co.uk Unilever. 2011. UK sustainable shower study. unilever.co.uk Warbutons. 2012. The great British breakfast report. warburtons.co.uk Weelicious. 2014. Quick school lunch ideas. weelicious.com Sleep: Matters THE C CLUB POWERED BY Dreams www.dreams.co.uk/sleep-matters-club