Why Moms Need a Good Morning Routine
Some people are just natural born morning people. I unfortunately am not one of those people who function well in the mornings; but I am a mother now, so I have had to learn how to “be” a morning person. Mornings as a mother requires that you have to be a morning person, because there are little humans depending on you to be “alive” with warm breakfast, morning cuddles, a cheerful outlook and the ability to work all of the remotes to put on today’s favorite cartoon. Wouldn’t it be nice though if mornings consisted of a little more quiet time before the kids rise? Wouldn’t it be nice to drink your coffee hot instead of cold and to hear your own thoughts instead of Disney Junior first thing in the morning?
As you go through different seasons of motherhood, you’ll experience different rhythms of your day. You’ll have the newborn days of waking up exhausted because you had a horrible night of sleep and then you’ll have those toddler days of waking up and being slow and lazy because there’s no rush for school drop off just yet. And then eventually, you reach the motherload of motherhood — making sure your children brushed their teeth, ate a warm breakfast and made it to the bus stop in time.
One thing that I have found throughout these different seasons, is that you will also change with them. You’ll go through the mornings of being sleep deprived all the way to the mornings of being soccer mom fixing lunches and ironing uniforms. During this transition of easing into mornings, you’ll start to develop your routines and maybe, you’ll even have the ability to carve some time out for yourself.
One thing that I have found to be beneficial to myself as a mother is to have a strong morning routine that includes a little “me" time. You may be wondering how on earth this is even possible? A few months back, I was wondering the same thing. Seeing other mothers talk about rising before the children always seemed like a daunting task that was much easier said than done.
Rising before your children can be extremely beneficial to the flow, ease and mood of your day. Whether you rise an hour earlier, thirty minutes or just fifteen minutes earlier, having that extra time to yourself to gather your thoughts before the hustle and bustle of the day begins is extremely helpful.
Some reasons why you may want to rise before the children:
To read your favorite book, scripture, devotional or the paper. This quiet time allows for you to get in some light reading that can start your day off on a much more positive note.
To meditate, pray or just be. This time can be beneficial for many who are wanting to have a stronger prayer life or who may enjoy meditating before beginning their day. Or perhaps you just want to be…be a person who for just a few minutes isn’t being quite so needed.
To workout. Some people enjoy this time to get in a quick walk or jog, to hit the home gym or get in a home yoga session.
To tidy the home. This can be huge for many. Whether you work away from the home or stay at home, starting the day with things organized and put together may reduce anxieties as you will feel less cluttered and disorganized in your own space. Start a load of laundry or put away all of the clean dishes.
To prepare the children. While I believe it is best to have your morning time for yourself, some women may need this time to really prepare for the day. You may use this time to quietly pack lunches or prepare school clothes to have a much more organized start once the children rise.
To have time with your partner. Perhaps you can eat breakfast together, read together or just be together to talk and catch up on life. Sometimes this can be difficult in the evenings when there’s extra curricular activities, homework and dinner prep.
Because your peace will rub off onto your children. Starting your day off peacefully and calmly will result in a more peaceful YOU. This can easily rub off your children and help them have a better start to their day as well.
Lastly, this is just a time for you. To drink your coffee HOT and to hear your own thoughts for a bit with peace and quiet.
Carving out this time for myself has been a huge game changer in the way my days go. Our mornings are less chaotic, there’s a firm routine in place and most of all, I get a quiet start to my day. And remember, I was never a morning person. I'm no longer so impatient and rushed to get us out of the door, things just by much more smoothly now.
As you fall into the season of motherhood where you actually get a decent night of sleep and you’re yearning for something more grounding for your day and a fresh start, try to set that alarm. Challenge yourself to start with just fifteen extra minutes and go from there. Eventually it’ll be a time that you look forward to for yourself.
If you’re not in the season of motherhood to enjoy this quiet time each morning, it’s okay. Give yourself the grace you deserve to enjoy the season of motherhood that you’re in and just remember that one day, you will get those fifteen minutes of peace each new day to just be present with your hot cup of joe, and with a fresh outlook for a new day.
PHOTOS BY GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY, LOUISIANA
