Tips for Getting Kids Out the Door On Time

The morning rush can be a daunting challenge for any parent or caregiver, and getting the kiddos ready for school and out the door on time can be a major struggle. The daily battle against tardiness makes for plenty of stress—and a little bit of chaos. We've been there--the kids aren't finishing breakfast in time. A shoe has run away. Someone forgot about his or her homework. Our tips and tricks for getting kids out the door can help you plan, organize, and create a routine that will transform the mad dash into a well-oiled routine that gets your kids to the classroom (or daycare) right on time.

First, Understand Why Mornings Are Hard

Before you can fix the problem, you need to know what you are up against. The morning struggle is a struggle for ALMOST EVERY PARENT. Yes, there is always that one family that is up and enjoying breakfast together. But you'd be surprised to learn how many parents find mornings to be difficult. You are dealing with real challenges in biology and child development.

At its core, the morning requires a massive activation of "executive functions"—the complex set of cognitive skills that help us plan, organize, manage time, and switch between tasks. For adults, these skills are (usually) well-developed. For children, the part of the brain responsible for this, the prefrontal cortex, is still very much under construction. Expecting them to seamlessly manage a multi-step process like "getting ready" without structure is like asking them to build a Lego castle without instructions.

Typical Morning Challenges

It’s morning in America, and every family is doing their best to pack up the kids and get to school or daycare on time. We’d bet that you observe more than a few of the common a.m. challenges, including:

• The kids are tired and irritable. Kids often find it difficult to wake up early if they haven’t gotten sufficient sleep, and that can lead to irritability, and sluggish lazy mornings. A sleep-deprived brain has a harder time with emotional regulation and problem-solving, turning a small frustration like a lost sock into a full-blown meltdown. This is doubly true for teenagers, who are more likely to get insufficient sleep and whose brains continue to produce melatonin until 8 a.m. Yes, your teenager’s biology is actually incompatible with the standard early start times of the school year (have compassion—easier said than done).
• You don’t have a routine. Kids thrive with predictable routines, and if you haven’t created a working morning schedule, getting to school on time can be difficult. Routines provide a sense of safety and security. When a child knows what comes next, they don't have to expend mental energy figuring it out, which reduces anxiety and resistance. A lack of routine forces them (and you) to reinvent the wheel every single morning, which is exhausting. Is it realistic to think grumpy kids are going to follow any routine perfectly? Of course not. But knowing what morning flow to expect will help keep your family on schedule.
• Good old-fashioned procrastination. Kids tend to dawdle and delay, and are easily distracted from daily tasks like getting dressed, eating breakfast, finishing homework last minute, or packing their bags. It's important to remember that a child's concept of time is vastly different from an adult's. The urgent "we need to leave in five minutes!" feels abstract to them. They operate in the "now," and the "now" might be about perfectly arranging their stuffed animals, not putting on their shoes.
• So many distractions. Screen time and other tech can completely undo any forward momentum and make it hard to stay on schedule for timely departures. Every parent knows that denying and/or limiting your child’s screen time is beneficial, but screen time rules can be difficult to enforce, especially when we’re stressed.

Tips for Getting Kids Out the Door On Time

The realities of parenthood have (an annoying) habit of clashing with our best intentions, and that clash is crystal clear when you’re doing your best to herd your kids into the car and get to school or daycare on time. These are our best tips for making mornings go smoothly and getting your kids out the door:

• Create a schedule. Get your kids together for a brainstorm and try mapping out a schedule. Holding a "family meeting" to create this chart gives them a sense of ownership and control, making them more likely to cooperate. For young kids, use a visual chart with pictures (e.g., a picture of a toothbrush, a picture of clothes, a picture of a cereal bowl). A simple checklist works for older kids. Decide what time everyone should be waking up, what tasks should come before others (do your kids want to eat or get dressed first, for example), how to stagger bathroom time, etc. Allowing your kids to have a say in the schedule can make it more likely that they stick to it.
• Establish a "launch pad." Find a place in your house, ideally by the main exit door, for all the stuff your kids will need to schlep to school—backpacks, jackets, shoes, library books, sports equipment, musical instruments, etc.—and keep it there consistently to avoid last minute panics and rushing. Don’t forget to check the weather report the night before, so raincoats, boots, or heavy jackets are ready to go, as well.
• Clean out backpacks daily. Teachers send home plenty of paperwork for you to sign and return. Create a "family inbox" tray where all papers go immediately upon arriving home. Completely emptying your children’s backpacks daily can help you stay on top of any forms requiring signatures, so there’s no rush to find an errant permission slip while you’re trying to get out the door. This also helps you spot old lunch containers.
• Do what you can the night before. We get it—at the end of a long day, you deserve to kick up your feet and veg out on the couch. While the idea of preparing for the next school day is not especially appealing, it will really help to avoid a morning scramble. There’s a lot of weekday prep you can get done the night before, including:
  • Outfits. Choosing an outfit the night before and laying it out not only saves you precious minutes in the morning, it also bypasses any power struggles with opinionated kids. For extra buy-in, offer two parent-approved choices and let them pick.
  • Packing lunches or snacks. Lunch prep is time consuming, so anything that can go in the lunchbox the night before should (and don’t forget you can store your lunchbox in the fridge if you’re sending your child to school with perishables!). Even just setting out the lunchboxes, containers, and non-perishable snacks on the counter saves a step.
  • Bathing. Have your kids bathe or shower the night before, especially if your kids outnumber your available bathrooms.
  • Loading backpacks. Packing bookbags the night before cuts down on the chance that any must-have (like homework, books, or binders) is accidentally left at home.
  • Charge devices. Remember to charge any devices, like phones, tablets, or laptops, the night before so they have plenty of battery life to complete work at school.
  • Check the gas tank. Noticing that your gas light is on while idling in carpool is a living nightmare, right? Avoid a panic attack and make sure your tank isn’t close to empty the day or night before.
  • Set the breakfast table. Placing bowls, spoons, and cereal boxes on the table the night before is a simple two-minute task that makes the morning feel instantly more organized.
• Get enough sleep. Well rested kids are going to be better equipped to manage the morning rush, so do your best to consistently enforce bedtimes (easier said than done, of course). This starts with a consistent, calming bedtime routine that signals to the brain it's time to wind down—think reading a book, dimming the lights, and avoiding screens for at least an hour before bed. It’s an added bonus that getting enough sleep results in better academic performance, too. The CDC recommends 9-12 hours of sleep for school-aged children and 8-10 hours for teens.
• Let them sleep in their clothes. Stick with us here—clothing for pre-K kids has a lot in common with pajamas (no fasteners, mostly knitwear). While adjusting to the new routine, consider dressing them in their next day clothing after bath time instead of jammies.
• Give specific instructions. Try to be aware of how you’re directing your children: be assertive when giving them something to do (rather than asking them to do it), and give specific instructions. Use "When-Then" phrasing, which clearly links a task to a desired outcome (e.g., "When you put on your shoes, then we can listen to music in the car"). Little kids won’t understand something as vague as “please finish getting ready for school”, but they will know what to do if your instructions are explicit. An ordered list of tasks, like “please put on your shoes, grab your lunchbox, and then meet me at the door” is more likely to yield results from the youngest members of your household.
• Timers are your friends. Using timers can really help keep younger children on track to complete morning tasks (and they’ll like getting to set the timer themselves, so look for a manual kitchen timer that’s easy to twist and set). And if you see them dilly-dallying, try incorporating a racing game, like getting dressed at cheetah speed, or announce countdowns to the house.
• Minimize distractions. Any potential distraction—watching television, playing on a phone or iPad, coloring a picture—should only be allowed once your child is ready to leave the house (they’re great motivators for keeping kids on task, too!). Make a clear house rule: "We get ready before we play." This includes parents, too! Avoid checking work email or scrolling social media until everyone is ready to go.
• Don’t stress about the chores. Teaching children responsibility through daily chores is an important lesson, of course, and children should know they’re expected to contribute to household duties. But the morning rush probably isn’t the time to insist they make their beds or return dishes to the sink. Save those tasks for after school.
• Eat a simple breakfast. The most important meal of the day doesn’t need to be elaborate to also be healthy (weekday mornings aren’t the time to play short order cook, either). A yogurt parfait, toast with peanut butter or avocado, or fruit added to cereal are well-balanced brain food for kiddos, and require very little prep work (plus zero cooking—not even a microwave).

The Benefits of School Day Morning Routines

The benefits of a consistent school day morning routine aren’t limited to your household, although having happier kids is always a win. Other totally awesome improvements include:

• Stress reduction! A thoughtful morning routine reduces stress for parents and kids, lowering levels of the stress hormone cortisol and setting a positive tone for the rest of the day.
• Improved focus and productivity! Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule and following a structured routine leads to improved focus and productivity at school. A calm, predictable start allows a child's brain to be primed and ready for learning, rather than recovering from a chaotic transition.
• Better time management! Morning routines help teach kids to manage their time effectively, a critical executive function skill that they’ll carry into adulthood. Arriving on time means they don't miss crucial instructions for the day, which often happen right at the morning bell.
• Increased academic performance! Punctuality and preparedness for school can lead to better academic performance and increased confidence in the classroom.
• Stronger Family Connections! When mornings aren't a constant battle, you create space for positive interactions. A quick hug, a shared smile over breakfast, or an encouraging word as they head out the door builds connection instead of conflict.

Your Role in the Family’s Morning Routine

Now that you’ve come up with an A+ morning gameplan, it’s time to implement those strategies effectively, and guess what? It’s (mostly) on you—you’ve got this!

• Talk it out. Any organization benefits from open communication, families included. Talk through the routine with your kids, give verbal cues to help keep them on task, and help them understand the value and importance of being punctual and organized.
• Model good behavior. You know the drill: little eyes and ears pick up on everything, so if you’re moody, disorganized, and distracted, chances are they will be, too. This also means managing your own stress. When you feel yourself getting frustrated, take a deep breath before you speak. Your calm is contagious. Do your best to wake up on the right side of the bed, and if you have trouble remembering where your keys and sunglasses are, it’s time to get organized.
• Get up earlier. Even 15-20 minutes can be transformative. Giving yourself an extra half hour to have some coffee or check emails before your kids get up will free up your time and attention to help manage the morning schedule. This quiet time allows you to face the day feeling prepared instead of reactive.
• Be consistent and persistent. Adapting to change isn’t easy for anyone, and that’s especially true for children—they’re learning to be human, after all. Changing habits takes time, so expect some resistance initially. It can take several weeks for a new routine to become an automatic habit. But take a deep breath, stay patient, and continue to consistently enforce the morning routine.
• Allow for flexibility. If you’re a few weeks into the new school year and have seen zero improvement to your weekday rush, reassess what parts of your routine are working, what’s not, and be flexible. Rearrange and switch it up until you land on the routine that works best for your family.
• Keep extras in the car. Keeping an emergency stash in the car will really help out in a pinch if your family is having a hectic morning or if someone overslept. Pack an oversized Ziploc or bin with mess-free breakfast items (like granola bars), hair brushes, phone chargers, extra socks, Kleenex, ponytail holders or clips, and a few extra bucks in case your kids need to buy lunch. Stash it in your glovebox and give yourself a pat on the back.
• Don’t forget the TLC. Is anyone their best self before 7 a.m.? While it can definitely be challenging to stay calm and positive in the midst of a toddler meltdown, do your best to offer extra support and TLC if your munchkins are having a tough morning. Knowing you’re there to help will improve their behavior and willingness to cooperate in the long term.

It can feel overwhelming, but we can transform chaotic mornings into smooth(ish) routines that won’t leave you feeling frazzled and stressed. With consistent sleep schedules, structured morning routines, minimized distractions, and a few creative motivators, your kids will be empowered to be punctual, organized, and prepared for a great day at school.

Finding What’s Right for You

Every family is unique, and the perfect routine is the one that works for you. Don't be afraid to experiment! Find a rhythm that fits your children's personalities and your family's needs. 

Albee Baby is the oldest family-owned specialty baby shop in the US, and we pride ourselves on providing our customers with the best assortment of baby products anywhere, at fair prices, always. We’re committed to being an inclusive resource for parents, and hope you’re feeling empowered to find the right car seat for your family. Still have questions? Feel free to contact our baby gear experts at 877.692.5233 or by email at [email protected].