If you have kids you’ll know one of the biggest challenges every day is getting everyone out of the door on time. Whether you have work and school to get to, or just an early morning appointment, getting out the house will most likely be full of tantrums, shouting and possibly a little bit of bribery.

I’m not going to pretend we have no stress in the mornings, but there are a few things I’ve found make the morning rush go a little bit smoother.

So here are my top tips to make your mornings easier in the hope they may help you to get out of the house in the mornings with a little less stress…

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Do as much preparation as you can before you go to bed.

Even if you’re shattered and just want to crash, it’s worth staying up a little bit later to reduce headaches in the morning.

• Pack the lunchboxes, check you have enough bread and pop everything in the fridge ready to just grab in the morning.
• Lay out the breakfast things. You don’t want to be rushing around trying to find spoons when you’re already late, and older children can pour their cereal out themselves if everything is in front of them ready.
• Get clothes ironed and laid out, including underwear so no one is hunting for a missing sock when you should have already left the house.
• Put bags, shoes and coats by the door. You can check before you go to bed that someone hasn’t lost a shoe or forgotten to pack a book.

Do things in the right order

This is a rookie mistake we made several times in the first couple of weeks of school!

Have breakfast and brush teeth before getting dressed so they don’t end up with milk or toothpaste down the last clean school jumper.

Set a challenge

Whether it’s a race to see who can dressed or brush teeth first, or asking them to brush their teeth before a timer goes off, a challenge should help to get little bums moving.

Incorporate morning routines into reward charts

If your children are lacking the enthusiasm to get moving in the mornings you could create a Reward Chart with stickers for everything they need to complete. If they’ve got ready quickly every morning without being nagged then you can bribe encourage them with a little treat at the weekend.

Allow a bit of TV / iPad

Whilst this does sound a bit crazy if the kids think they can watch 10 minutes of Disney Jnr or play on the iPad if they’re ready early then it may get them moving faster. It also lets you finish getting yourself ready in peace.

If all else fails I find that threatening to take them to school in their pyjamas usually works!

I hope some of this advice helps you get through the mornings with a bit less stress – do let me know if these ideas have helped you. What are your top tips for getting out the door on time?