As a parent of four kids ranging from 8th grade down to Kindergarten, getting out the door and being on time for school can be challenging. 

I remember one particularly rough morning, when my kids were in Kindergarten, 3rd and 5th grades, and we also had a two-year-old.

We woke all the kids up at 6:30, and everyone headed down for breakfast. The kids were all extra chatty that morning, but we were rushing them along, encouraging more eating and less talking. Our 3rd grader finished eating and was heading for the bath when he spotted THE FORT that was left up from the night before!!

Everyone was thrilled and headed straight there. Meanwhile, my husband and I were frantically trying to corral the kids upstairs to finish getting ready for school.

By this time, we had four kids to get through the bath, dressed, teeth brushed, shoes on, and packed up in about 25 minutes.

Full speed ahead, we started in on this mental checklist because my husband had to head to work in ten minutes. I spent the remaining fifteen rushing the kids and barking orders. We barely make it out the door, only 7 minutes late, but we have a forgotten lunch!

At the time, we had a 25-minute commute, one way, to school. There was no way around it, we had to turn back. Second time down the driveway, we are now 18 minutes late in leaving, which puts us “tardy slip late” as we call it. That was it. 

I don't function well when I'm rushed, and I am never late!! Here are 5 tips that we implemented shortly after that to help keep us on schedule and the chaos at bay.  

Prep the night before

We try to have all homework finished and in backpacks, lunches made and packed and clothes set out before bed. This includes uniforms and musical instruments for whatever sporting event or lesson may be scheduled for immediately after school. This alone makes for a much more leisurely morning. 

Get up earlier than the kids 

My husband leaves for work about 20 minutes before the rest of us head to school.  It is a tremendous benefit that we can team up for a good part of the morning. All hands on deck. He and I wake up before the kids and get ourselves ready for the day. We are then able to facilitate and assist any and all the kids as they are moving through their morning. My husband starts breakfast while I wake the kids in shifts. We wake them up 5-10 minutes before they need to actually get moving. This allows for time for that last stretch in bed before hitting the ground.

Train your kids to be independent

Our schedule is the same every morning, with one exception: our 6th and 8th grade boys, who share a bathroom, both like to eat breakfast first. If they do not alternate eating and showering, one is waiting for the bathroom, which we do not have time for. We have a written schedule hanging on the inside of their closet door which shows who eats breakfast first each day of the week. Our girls, in kindergarten and 3rd grade, know the order of their schedule as well. They both start with breakfast, then they return to their room back upstairs. They have a checklist so they don't forget what needs to be done before school. This includes duties like bath, get dressed, hair, brush teeth, double-check backpack, etc. This list can be as simple or detailed as necessary.

Build in time for the unexpected

 It's inevitable, with four kids (or even one!), that someone is going to run into a problem or have some kind of hang up. Lost library books, a last-minute printing of a bibliography, or scramble for a show-and-tell item have all made their way into our mornings, and we manage to roll with it. It doesn't happen every day, but we allow time for this by making sure we are not pushing anything to the very last minute.  

Connect, check progress and stay calm  

Since we are not preoccupied with getting ourselves ready for the day, my husband and I are available to chat with our kids about the day's events. Our boys are fully capable of getting themselves up with an alarm clock, but the fact that they allow me to give them a light nudge and say, “Good morning!”, I'll take it! These moments are gone before you know it! Brushing or braiding my girls' hair is our time to connect before they start their day. We are all rotating through the kitchen at some point communicating about what is going on. This is part of what keeps the atmosphere calm at our house. Add gentle reminders into the mix throughout the morning, and we are out the door on time with minimal chaos.

Once we are in the car, we all take a breather and focus on prayer.  We pray for our school, each other, others' needs and always include thanksgiving. Sending my kids off for the day after a calm morning feels so much better than rushing out the door after barking at them to do this or that! Every family dynamic is different, but I honestly believe any speed bump can be overcome with a little planning.  

What techniques does your family use to get out the door on time on school mornings?