Wouldn’t it be great if every morning could be like Saturday? We’d spend our mornings on the couch in fuzzy slippers with a steaming mug of coffee, reading something we enjoy. No alarm clocks or schedules—just an easy, breezy start to the day with no stress.
But, alas, other days of the week require us to suit up and use our God-given gifts and talents, so there’s no time for cozying up. Those are the days we face the race against the clock to get out the door. Or in my case, get behind my desk and fire up my laptop.
And can I just tell you that I’ve had my share of crazy mornings? Like the time we really needed to be somewhere on time, and after a long, panicked search for my keys, they were found in the pantry. (I mean, what in the actual world?)
Mornings are not always good.
But there is a way to make them better. When we establish a morning routine, we set ourselves up to have a smooth morning. We can be at our best for our people for the rest of the day. Having a daily plan can make the difference between frantic, mad dashes out the door and a calm, semi-peaceful morning.
Sorry, I can’t promise 100% peace. For example, I can’t help you keep your teenage daughters from fighting over the bathroom or toddler boys from launching toys over the back of the couch. But knowing where your purse and keys are as you leave the house? That’s sanity, right there.
There are 3 elements of a good morning routine:
It’s written and posted.
You want to write all of the steps down and post them somewhere you’ll see them in the morning. If it takes a cup of coffee (or three) to get your brain functioning in the morning, you’ll be able to refer to it without having to remember which step is next.
It’s realistic.
To develop a morning routine, you’ll want to perform each of the steps to see how long they actually take. For us optimists, this is the hardest part. We want to believe we can apply our makeup and dry our hair in 15 minutes, but for most of us, this is unrealistic. When you’ve determined how long your routine takes, you’ll know what time to set your alarm clock.
It’s flexible.
You want to leave some margin time, for when the unexpected happens. We all hope the 3-yr-old doesn’t dump cereal on the floor, but that’s like hoping it won’t get hot and humid in the South in July. (Parenting hack: never pour more than you’re willing to clean up.)
What do you put on your morning routine list?
Short answer: everything you do in the morning. Also, everything you need to do in the morning, but you don’t have time because you haven’t planned for it.
Start a load of laundry.
Maybe “laundry day” is the highlight of your week (if you’re really, really weird), but if you’re like most people, having piles of clothes to wash, dry, fold and put away can suck the life out of you. Not to mention the panicked feeling if there’s nothing to wear when laundry day is preempted by an urgent interruption. You’ll want to make sure your evening routine includes finishing the load, so you don’t have to re-wash it 4 times. (More on the evening routine next month.)
Unload the Dishwasher.
The key to making an unpleasant task palatable is to make a game of doing it as quickly as possible. Can you beat yesterday’s time? When you invest a few minutes in the morning, it makes your whole day (and evening routine) much easier. It enables you to load dirty dishes immediately throughout the day, rather than piling them in the sink. Not only does it save time doing the dishes later, but a clean kitchen gives you a psychological boost. An empty sink just feels better.
Groom and dress yourself.
We’ve all had that dream where we showed up to work or school in our pajamas, but there’s a pretty good chance you won’t skip this step. Nevertheless, include it in your written plan for two reasons: 1) You’ll factor in the time with the rest of the list and 2) It will be an easy item to check off.
Water the garden.
For those who have a garden, this step is likely seasonal. Watering in the morning before the soil gets too hot will help conserve water and keep your plants healthy. I like to pull the weeds out each day too, before it becomes a big job. It’s easier to pull them when the soil is wet too.
Connect with God.
This is the one we’re so tempted to skip if we are rushing around. But it’s the step we also need the most if we’re rushing around. Even a few minutes of prayer can focus our thoughts and attitudes on what’s truly important for the day.
If you’re a parent or grandparent, sometimes it’s hard to know how to pray for your kids. Sally Burke and Cyndie Claypool De Neve have written a book called Raise Them Up: Praying God’s Word Over Your Kids. Sally and Cyndie understand the spiritual benefits of praying scripture over your kids. They say, “You may not realize this, but every atom is held together by an invisible force that scientists call gluon. If you split an atom, you get atomic power. And yet God’s Word is much more explosive and powerful than that.”
Giveaway Time!
Thanks to our fabulous friends over at Harvest House, we are able to give a few of you a free copy of Raise Them Up!
And one Grand Prize Winner will receive:
- Copy of Raise Them Right
- Felt Letter Board
- Ladder Toss Game
Leave a comment below to be entered to win. What are you putting on your morning routine list for summer?
*Giveaway for US residents only.
Part of my morning routine needs to include going to bed early enough so I feel rested when it’s time to get up. I need about 8 hours every night, but I usually get about 7. By Wednesday or Thursday, I’m dragging and have no patience for my kids and helping them get ready. They are 7&5.
Came across your blog from the MOPS speaker page for mom con. Due to work and finances unless by a miracle I won’t be able to make it. So I decided to look up some of my topics I need. Yours is always one. Decluttering and making to put my mindset on what is needed each day, but I know I always feel a difference when I start my day out with quiet time and read a Youverison devotion.
so it is not a coincidence that I came upon this blog post today. Character issues and feeling a failure as a mom arises in waves and I needed to be reminded to pray God’s promises and words over them – and me. Thank you!
Congratulations Kim, you are a winner! Please check your email for more details. ~Kathi Lipp Giveaway Team
How awesome! Thank you!!
My morning routine is feeding the dogs first. I have 5 and they know when 5:00 rolls around. I put A batch of clothes to wash then I’d like to say my next on the list is Coffee and God time, but sometimes that just doesn’t happen the way I plan it.(I don’t have time to even finish my coffee). Then feed cats, chickens and rabbits. Water the garden. Breakfast. Then starts the today’s list. Housecleaning, appointments or whatever that day brings.
I teach so I need a morning routine that gets me energized.
I need to do my Bible Study and pray
I need to exercise, get in some water, and eat a planned out breakfast.
Get my lunch put together or I get to grabbing and going and those meals never help me out.
School hasn’t started yet for us but I want my time with the Lord to be consistent and not shrink in the morning rush.
I’m trying to add daily exercise to my morning routine.
My morning routine includes so many of the above plus feeding my pups and letting them go out to do their thing!
I don’t have littles or bigs but my 3 year old grandson hangs out with me several days of the week. Those mornings include fixing eggs for him and now that he knows Nene makes toast with cinnamon/sugar, it’s a must add-on.
Would relish praying over him specifically as he grows. I already do but this book may have prayers I haven’t thought of using.
Thank you for this delightful giveaway! Fabulous!
My kids started school on Monday. My goal upon waking up is to immediately thank God for the sleep I did get, regardless of how much or what the quality of it was! For some reason, I still struggle with consistently getting more/enough/quality sleep even though my kiddos are now both in high school 😛 I plan to continue my regular routine as well.
Congratulations Jacqueline, you are a winner! Please check your email for more details. ~Kathi Lipp Giveaway Team
Thank you tremendously! I look forward to learning more about boldly praying scripture over our children and better utilize God’s incredible power through His Living Word.
I’ve always wanted a mourning routine yet it’s never happened. With an unpredictable 4 year old who wakes up early no matter what time I get up, it’s always a struggle.
I want to be consistent w my morning quiet time with God
Thanks for the great post. I am trying to spend time praying and reading The Word after my husband leave and for work. It helps to have some quiet time before the kids get up. It is nice when it’s cool enough to sit on the back porch. I also like to finish up any laundry or dishes and pick up anything left out from the night before. A lot of mornings, that doesn’t happen, but I am inspired to continue to try!
Now that my kids are back in school, I need to add time to make sure they eat breakfast and have lunch packed.
We are doing some housework in the morning. We used to put this off until evening, and then it never got done–too tired, late getting home, etc. This is working great to keep our house in order! Thank you for the giveaway.
I have 2 children and between them have 7 grandchildren. I am always looking for new input on how to pray for them and their parents. Their ages are from 5 to 17. I am so thankful that my children are raising their children in good, Bible believing churches and leading them to the Lord.
Thanks so much for all your input on ways to pray and uplift!
Thanks,
Vonnie
I have a morning routine but it hasn’t been going quite as smoothly as I would like it! after spraining my ankle and not being able to exercise for over a month, getting back to it is harder than I would like… cleaning always takes up my time!
Our morning routines are just getting established, since school started a couple days ago. I have three that started new schools (including two that were previously homeschooled until now), so their routines are entirely new and different! Our top five items for the morning routine are: make your bed/eat breakfast/get dressed/jammies away (we call that our basic AM routine), grab your lunch, check the calendar for the plan for the afternoon/evening, brush your teeth, and discuss the verse of the day.
We have good intentions of having a family worship time in the morning but it often gets pushed to the side. I think building it into the routine of consistently doing it after breakfast will help set the tone for our day.
What an awesome give away.
I’m dealing with unpredictable infant sleep so that definitely messes with my morning routine!
But I include:
Time with god
Coffee
Brush teeth and get dressed
Start 1 load of laundry OR unload dishwasher.
And I’m trying to have my kids get back into morning routine. We homeschool but still do co ops twice a week and we need to get re established.
Thanks for another wonderful post. I love reading all the comments!!
I need to add to my gratitude list each morning. I think it will help me to face the day in a more positive way. I have adult children and one granddaughter who I would love to pray over. Thank you for the opportunity to win the book.
Since I no longer have a child in school (YAY!?) my routines have changed in the past few months. This is my current routine –
5:00 – 5:30 a.m. – Eat breakfast & read devotion (unfortunately, this one is skipped half the time)
5:30 – 6:00 – shower
6:00 – 6:30 – misc. (moisturize, put on my gettin’ ready clothes, put contacts in, start/swap/fold whatever laundry needs, make coffee)
6:30 – 7:00 – put on makeup
7:00 – 7:30 – blow dry hair, get dressed, brush teeth
10 minutes of putting away any dirty dishes or garbage, swapping laundry if needed, make sure everything is turned off, etc.
7:40 – 8:00 – drive to work
I’ve also broken down my evening routine in similar segments, some of which is planning and gathering things for the next day. It has been amazing to only have to think about things maybe one day a week, and just follow the schedule the rest of the week!
So need to get back to the set morning routine! I’m adding skim the pool and empty the skimmer basket to my summer morning routine.
My morning routine is waking up and handing the day over to God and asking Him to show me what to do today. Get showered and dressed for the day. Then make my bed. Get my lunch out of the refrigerator for work and out the door by 6:30. I like the idea of starting the load of laundry and I have done that a few times but not as a routine. I definitely need to pray more consistently over my kids and grandkids day and future. I will start doing that when I pray on my commute to work. That is my praise and prayer time. I will be adding these things to my list tonight.
Starting a new morning routine:
Quiet time / Devotion
Some type of workout
A simple chore that alternates throughout the week.
Be at work at least 10 minutes early
The most important part of my routine is spending time in prayer and Bible with Jesus. I need to get my water and breakfast before starting my day. I had been in the habit of skipping breakfast and I notice it had a negative affect on both my mood and productivity level.
Writing it down and posting is what I need to do. I get too frazzled or too easily distracted that I have a hard time keeping routines. My kids could use this, as well, since they are developing my bad habits! I’m with Liz, brushing teeth and brushing hair need to go on the list. I always discover how crazy the boys’ hair is when I am dropping them off with their teachers.
Congratulations Becky, you are the Grand Prize Winner! Please check your email for details. ~Kathi Lipp Giveaway Team
Unloading the dishwasher as part of the morning routine is the best thing you said. I do also need to make praying for my kids something I do every morning. I set out to that now and then and quickly forget to take the time.
Congratulations Dana, you are a winner! Please check your email for more details. ~Kathi Lipp Giveaway Team
Perfect timing. Trying to get 2 kids up for school as I now have a 3rd grader and kindergartner. I need to write a routine down and add time for the unexpected.
Putting away yesterday’s clean dishes is spot on for me! I’ve been trying to make sure I don’t leave any dirty ones in the sink over night, but I never put them away. I just leave them there to dry but then I procrastinate the next day hoping someone else in my family will just put them away for me 🙂
Get up, put out my husband’s lunch, brush teeth, get dressed, make tea, and have quiet time before the rest of the house awakens. I also try to figure out dinner, so I don’t have to worry about it later.
I’m trying to complete something that I’ve been procrastinating on each morning and make time to read to my kids!
Congratulations Mandy, you are a winner! Please check your email address for more details. ~Kathi Lipp Giveaway Team
It’s like God knew I needed to read this. I’m in the midst of evaluating our fall schedule and I’ve been prompted that it’s overburdened. Thank you for your kind-hearted wisdom. ? This summer, watering the garden has been part of the routine, but it rained last night, so I get a few extra minutes on my porch to read your article!
My morning musts include drinking water, stretching, devotions and walking before my daughter wakes up!
School is starting today so this post came at the perfect time. I really need to establish a routine. I think the hardest thing will be planning enough time to allow for the baby’s unpredictable moments.
Kathi, I appreciate all of your posts and podcasts. Just yesterday, I typed up my morning and evening routines. I love the idea of having a book for praying over my children and grandchildren!
OMG! Loved this post! This gets me started with my morning routine with the kids going back to school. I’m not a morning person so routine is vital for me to keep moving!
Congratulations Kristin, you are a winner. Please check your email for more details. ~Kathi Lipp Giveaway Team
This is exactly what I needed this morning as we all head back to school! Thank you!
thanks for the reminder on how to pray for your kids and making a change to how I spend my morning. I need to get back into that practice. work has been crazy and my son moved out a few months ago and I welcome the information on how to pray for my adult child.
I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I need to add “brush teeth and hair” to my list. I’m great at doing both before bed. But in the morning chaos, we all just love running right out the door with a messy bun and stick of gum to hide what we didn’t do lol