For those of you with kids back in school, have you found your morning rhythm? Does your household run like a well-oiled machine from the time your alarm goes off until the time you head out the door to take the kids to school or the bus stop?
Yeah, mine neither.
Some days we do great, and others, well…let’s just say my child has gone to school before with teeth that haven’t been brushed or with a tummy that isn’t as full as it should be.
There are two products that are helping us be more consistent with good morning routines, though. First, I’ve got some breakfast products from Van’s in my freezer, and they are frequently requested for breakfast by our preschooler. We’ve got waffles and english muffins, and Van’s Natural Foods are high in protein and whole grains, and they are low in sugar. So they are a healthy choice and give Darah the fuel she needs to get through the day, not a sugar high to get through the next hour. And I love these products because putting together a hearty breakfast is a breeze.
The other thing we are doing is taking a healthy habit with us in the car since we are pressed for time. Darah is learning how to floss her teeth with the help of Plackers Kids Flossers. These individual flossers are in cute animal shapes and the floss is flavored so that kids are motivated to keep trying! 
. I love that we can leave the packet in the car and she can grab one every morning and practice flossing while I drive. What a great use of that time!
Plackers and Van’s are helping to streamline our morning routine and they are also encouraging good eating and oral hygeine habits.
Is your morning routine in need of some assistance? Well friends, you are in luck!
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a prize pack just like what is shown above (it also includes FREE Van’s product coupons!).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary prize pack for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
I always say a prayer when I wake up as part of my morning routine. It definitely works for me because it helps me jumpstart my entire day.
COFFEE! And then meds, then waiting until this body can get up and start the day.
My morning routine is whatever I choose to do, Usually, I go out on the deck and smell the morning.
I try to lay out as much stuff that we need in the morning the night before so we dont forget anything in the morning rush
My morning routine is sometimes pretty chaotic although this year it is getting better. I wake up an hour earlier than everyone, have my hot coffee, put out everything for breakfast. I then get myself ready and wake my husband and children, make sure they have breakfast take them to school and then go to work.
lauraemerson17 at yahoo dot com
My morning routine consists of trying to beat the kids out of bed so I can have some coffee before the chaos begins.
My morning route: drinking coffee and then go to work or school!
Thanks!!!
A quick breakfast for mommy will jump start the day.
i always feed the cats and let the dog out while my coffee perks. thanks for the giveaway!
I always try to get to work about a half hour before I need to be. It helps me mentally get ready for the day, and works for me.
I wake up my daughter. When she is in the shower, I go and make her breakfast and pack her lunch. When we are both done getting ready, I drive her to school
I don’t have much of a routine… I’m usually rushing!
Mine works. Although I really can do more in the morning than I do.
i try to get up an hour before everyone else to have coffee and me time. then i am ready to deal with the day when the others get up.
jagar047 at yahoo dot com
Getting up bright early to start your day is a must!
I wake up an hour earlier than everyone else, I find this extra time helps a lot to prepare breakfast and lunches to go for the day.
Mornings are good, I prepare everything the night before..
1 cup off coffee then I will talk.
caffeine. without it i microwave my hotpocket for 3 minutes instead of 2 and turn it into a lava filled rock.
I try to give myself an extra 20 minutes to relax, wake up and read emails before the craziness starts. I seem to have a better day if I can have this me time. Thanks!
my morning is laid back just taking care of my baby
My morning routine is so rushed!
My morning routine is a bit hectic, but seems to be working. I drag myself out of bed, put a cup of milk in the microwave (to go in my coffee), get my clothing and my son’s clothing laid out, wake my daughter up, get in the shower, get dressed, make sure my daughter gets her lunch packed, drive her to school, drive home, pick up my son, who should be ready by this time, take him to school, come back home, fix my hair, check my email, finish making my coffee, and head out the door, just in time to make it to work…PHEW!!!!
I wait to eat breakfast until I’m at work…I love to make my Van’s waffles most mornings.
wake up and make a cup of coffee and breakfast for my two kids get their lunches made and send them off to school. refill on the coffee then come check emails
I try to sleep until the last possible second and grab a KIND nutrition bar on my way out the door. Also, I make sure the cats aren’t locked in the closet by accident. kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you.
We have a great schedule that works for us! I lay out school clothes, his backpack and anything else he might need the night before, I wake my son up 50 minutes before the bus comes, he gets dressed while I make him breakfast, he eats then brushes his teeth, flosses, and uses mouthwash, then he gets to spend 10 minutes watching cartoons before catching the bus! Im worried that when our daughter starts school in 2 years our wonderful schedule is going to get a little hectic! lol
I dont like giving myself only 30 minutes to get ready in the morning. Half the time I am running out of the house forgetting something. Thank you
My morning routine is waking up when the baby wakes up feeding her and then watching an episode of backyardigans and then playing until daddy wakes up!
The ONLY thing that works about my morning routine, is laying out everyone’s clothes the night before. That helps. Everything else. Utter Chaos. lol
mommysap@gmail.com
well I guess it would be bathroom, computer, eat then daily stuff
I like to have a variety of breakfast foods in the house so no one can say “there isn’t anything I like”. My daughter loves to have waffles for breakfast.
Thanks!
We keep our routine the same everyday even on the weekends, this makes school morning easy
I start my morning with a cup of coffee and it works for me!
I shower every morning.
When my daughter wakes up we snuggle for awhile and then go get breakfast and start our day.
Our morning routine is breakfast(which I try to prep the night before) and then start our school work as I home school my 4 kids.
I do not have a good routine just try to get everything done
vmkids3 at msn dot com
I have to wake up super early for a long commute, so I have breakfast/lunch packed, and clothes set out the night before. My alarm goes off at 4:45 am, and I roll out of bed, shower up, and head out the door!
Coffee for me- breakfast for son
I’ve gotten the weekday routine down pat…I wake up, start water for oatmeal and pour the cereal (but not the milk), lay out the kids clothes in their chairs, go wake them up. They come dress and get out the door all in less than 30 minutes.
I wake up and make a cup of coffee and breakfast for my two kids who just started Pre-K & Kindergarten!
My morning routine is always done as quickly as possible. Late work schedules keep me up late and by the time we wakeup we have to race to make it out the door on time
sagegiveaway@yahoo.com
We need a better routine but with a one year old that wakes me up twice a night mornings aren’t easy.
I take a little time to pray and be with God every morning.
abbegirl1977 at gmail dot com
My entire morning routine doesn’t work! I stay awake until my boyfriend leaves for work at 3am then go to sleep some time before he gets home at 9am and don’t wake up until well after noon!
Lunch is made the night before–all I have to do is get it out of the fridge, put an ice pack in it, and pack anything that didn’t require refrigeration. Clothes are picked out the night before and hanging where a certain six year old can reach them and put them on herself. A little bit of prep goes a long way!
Considering I normally get up 10 minutes before I need to leave I am always rushing, I wish I had a routine!
Timeouts work after age 3
My morning is getting up around 8 and having coffee. My daughter is grown so I have no kids to get ready to go to school. I go online and get things done. Thank you for the cool giveaway!
Coffee,get the kids ready and then get ready myself.
my routine is quickly getting ready and having my morning cup of coffee
Something that works: planning outfits the night before!
My morning is smooth as long as I get up before the kids. I get up, get my coffee going, get breakfast going, and lunches started usually before they get out of bed. That way I can do it in peace, without being interrupted 20 times!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
Enjoy my breakfast and then start the chaos of getting the kids ready!
First my daughter wakes up, then my newborn so I feed and change him. Then we all go downstairs to eat breakfast.
coffee. must have coffee
I don’t really have a morning routine because I usually stay up all night and sleep in the morning so I guess sleeping is my morning routine lol
I take my dog out every morning before I go to work.
since I lost my job my morning routine is fairly laid back
I try to wake up a few minutes before everyone else to allow my mind to wake up. I do as much as I can for my son’s school day in the evening and I finish in the morning.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I get my son up and feed him breakfast while I down a Starbucks doubleshot espresso energy drink to get me through the day.
Our mornings are pretty hectic… everyone running around trying to get everything done!
pack snacks/lunches night before
I need coffee!
Coffee, coffee, coffee!
Amen!
I get up at 5:30 am – read the paper, have a bowl of cereal and go to work.
We get up at 5:40 & the kids are on the bus by 6:00. Everything is ready the night before. Luckily they make breakfast at school.
get up a 5:00 a. m. have a coffee or tea then get ready for work
It mostly consists of me yelling at everyone to get going. And no, it doesn’t work
Get up a bit earlier than needed, my daughter needs time to get up and wake up for a bit before getting going.
make cup of coffee every morning
one child up at 545 am makes me tired rough times in the morning
I eat oatmeal every day.
We get as much done as possible the night before so the morning is not rushed
Kims2312@verizon.net
i use a daily vitamin box for the kids vitamins… Otherwise we wouldn’t remember if we gave them to them that day!
i make my breakfast and coffee and eat while feeding my daughter in her high chair, it works because i know she cant grab for my hot coffee mug
My kids are out the door at 6:45am, so our routine starts early!
With three kids under 3 I can’t even think about getting ready for an hour or two. Diapers need changed, breakfast needs made
I try to get up, make the kids’ lunches, feed them breakfast, then make sure we’re all ready to run out the door to school
Jake loves to eat left overs for breakfast, works pretty great. He would avoid eating otherwise.
I run for 30 minutes and then take a shower to energize myself.
set aside 15 extra min every day
Right now we have two different routines – husband wakes up early to be at work for the military, and I get up later. With a baby due in a month, though, our routines will certainly change!
I tend to have at least one cup of coffee before I get in the shower…sometimes two. That doesn’t work really well, and I’m trying to change that habit so I can get going a bit earlier and get more done during the day.
Thanks{!}
h4schaffer at gmail dot com
My daughter and I get up and eat first, then I read e-mails while she gets ready. After she leaves for school I exercise and get ready too.
Get everyone dressed and feed.
I put oatmeal in the crock pot the night before, that way it’s all ready for eating when we wake up!
Planning your outfits the night before streamlines the morning rush!
lots of coffee
I plan the night before
I get everything ready the night before so no crazy running an hunting in the morning,one cup of coffee on board before getttin kids out of bed
I try to do as much the night before, but we usually end up rushing. The toughest part is just getting my 5 year old to eat breakfast before she goes to kindergarten! I’m usually putting on her shoes while she’s eating because the bus is about to come!
Marysa {at} marysa {dot} com
I snooze for an hour and a half! LOL
The only way my morning routine is successful and stress-free is if I do absolutely as much as possible the night before.
I dream about my alarm going off and shut it off without really waking up. Frustrating.
I’ve started making smoothies for my teen daughter and me for breakfast. We’re not morning people and I get the stuff ready the night before and it’s quick and easy.
I always lay my son’s clothes out the night before, but getting him to put them on is a challenge!
We lay out clothes the night before, make sure their backpacks are ready to go.
I get up a couple of hours earlier than everyone else, so I can get my own work done. It is always really quiet, too.
I drink a cup of tea when I wake up and about an hour later I will eat eggs or cereal and then get ready for work.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
Our morning routine begins the evening before. We lay out our clothes, pack as much as we can for lunch, and prep breakfast. Plus we get our bags ready so when we leave we just grab them and go.
My morning routine, is getting the kids off to school, getting myself ready, doing chores around the house. Taking a nap because I’m 8 months pregnant and exhausted! lol
I make sure to have my clothes and my sons clothes laid out the night before so we can get ready quicker and sleep in a bit later
I have a quet routine in the morning.
I set up the coffee pot the night before, pack lunch night before and am at the gym early most mornings before work
love to have breakfast with my son before we leave for the day
im so not a morning person but my two yr old is so i have to get up. i wake up hungry everyday too.
Mornings consist of…get dh up at 430…out by 5. Girls up at 6 and on bus at 7…baby and son up whenever…to feed and change baby’s diaper.
My morning routine is getting up very early and getting myself ready before the rest of the house gets up. I have time to relax and have a cup of tea!
My morning routine begins with a puppy hyper to get out and go potty. It might not seem great, but he’s a pretty great puppy to wake up to.
I am lucky if my kids make ie to school on time. Even if we get up early one child always lag behind. But we make do!!!
My morning routine consists of working from 6 – 7 am. Then getting 2 boys ready for school and leaving for work at 7:30. I have quite the rush every morning. But both kids get breakfast every day.
My morning routine consists of helping three people ready for the day (not including myself) and making sure my daughter gets to the bus stop on time