If you get everything sorted the night before........

[confusedlots]

....then what time do you actually sit down and have a few moments to relax? Tomorrow the kids are starting back at breakfast club and I'm working so we'll have an earlier start than we did the past couple of days. I'm determined not to be running round frantically in the mornings trying to find things which usually ends up in us all being late and and me being stressed.

So tonight I set out my work clothes and the kids uniforms, made sure their bag was ready for after school, prepped lunches as much as I could, made sure my work bag was ready, showered and washed and dried my hair. Now I feel exhausted and like I've spent the whole evening just preparing for tomorrow! Surely people who live like this normally and are much more organised than me don't spend so much time just getting stuff organised for the next day??

The kids are young, 4 and 5. I know my biggest problem is general disorganisation. It's not unusual for me to be scrambling around in the morning trying to find a hairbrush or lunch money, or a school shoe! That's my issue that I need to somehow sort out.

Kids do a mixture of school dinners and packed lunches so there's only a couple of days a week I need to make packed lunches.

Despite feeling a bit exasperated at spending so long last night getting organised, this morning went so much more smoothly than usual and we even got left the house earlier than planned. So I just need to figure out how to organise my life and house a lot better than I currently do, so we can continue to have mornings like this morning!

My DH does not feel the same way as I do about ‘night before’ prep.

I’ve come in from work tonight at 2217 & the dishwasher is clean but full.
The dinner dishes are piled up all over the place.
Napkins and glasses still on the table from dinner.
Sofa looks like a tsunami went over it.
porch is like a bomb went off.
Food bin is overflowing & needs to go out for tomorrow morning.

I don’t get it? How is it nice to go to bed like that?

I like to come downstairs in the morning to a clean, tidy house. I like the breakfast table to be clear so we can have a nice breakfast. I like the sofa to be tidy, and the coffee table.

so anyway. I’ve been home 42 mins and 32 mins of that has been tidying like mad whilst my husband goes to bed and tells me it’s fine.

@onepieceoflollipop my morning routine is coffee (non negotiable) then shower just over 5 minutes including hair. Leave hair to dry naturally whilst sorting other things out, and then finish off last thing with dryer.

Begs the question what are the things are you sorting out while your hair drys if you've got everything ready the night before?

Well, it clearly works for him, if you are daft enough to do it for him if he leaves it.....

I used to sort dinner and then while it was cooking, empty DC's school bags (this was in the days of disintegrated paper consent forms and birthday invites), stick packed lunch boxes in the dishwasher and check their homework/spellings/reading with them.

Then eat dinner. I'd do bathtime while DH tidied the kitchen or vice versa. While they were drying off scampering around like squirrels on acid I'd lay out their school clothes.

Then I'd have a bath with a cup of tea or glass of wine, music or a book, so it felt like down time, then lay out clothes (5 mins)

I always made packed lunch fresh in the mornings but it was very basic stuff. A smoothie, yoghurt, fruit and savoury snack with a cheese or ham bagel. Or left over pasta and sauce/casserole/soup and a roll, reheated and put into a thermos, with a piece of fruit, a smoothie and a wrapped biscuit.

@Twillow
I don’t recall saying that I got everything ready the night before?

in the morning (along with most people I guess) there are things that need to be done on the actual morning.

some examples might include quick breakfast for myself, dog and anyone else who wants it. Let dog out. Stick laundry out. That type of thing that it would be rather odd or impractical to do the night before…

Or make a loaf full of sandwiches. Wrap each round in tin foil or cling film and then freeze. Take one our each morning and it's defrosted by dinnertime and ready to eat.

Get the children doing as much as possible. It will feel like a chore when they're little but will pay off when they're older and it's become a habit.

I get all the uniforms ready over the weekend, they get hung in the wardrobe and the children get dressed in the morning.
As soon as they get in from school they empty and wash their lunchboxes and water bottle, fill in any forms for me to sign, pack any kit needed for the following day, get any money needed ( we have a tub of £1 coins and envelopes in a cupboard in the kitchen) get changed hanging up anything that can be reworn and put the dirty stuff in the wash and do their homework.
When I'm doing dinner I do bits of packed lunch prep, so there'll be tubs of veg sticks and fruit in the fridge.
In the morning the kids take a fruit, a veg and their snacks fill their water bottle and I do the sandwiches or other main.

It takes about 10 minutes to get DDs things ready. She doesn't go to school but we home ed so like to keep her in a routine and we go to a different building for 'lessons'. Pack bag with books, laptop and drinks bottle. There's a kitchen where we go so no need to do lunch. Lay out some clothes and shoes, prep breakfast bits and lay table. Then I sort my clothes, shower, sort makeup for the morning and I'm usually able to sit down after 45 mins of prep? But I take my time and I'm disabled so for most it wouldn't take so long

It is just basic organisation, how are you losing school shoes? Step in the door, shoes off, put them on the shoe rack in the cupboard, coat on a hook, backpack on a hook in the same cupboard as the shoes, water bottle and lunch box into the dishwasher. Keys in the thing on the table by the front door. Packed lunches done while dinner is cooking. Check to make sure nothing special is needed for the next day eg swimming kit, if it is put it in the bag, I'd do this while DS was in the shower. DH worked late last night I got home at 5:45 by 7:20 everything was done house tidy, DS in bed and I was sat on the sofa. We do have a robot hoover so he hoovers every night while I relax.

Tbh if it took you that long in the evening it would take you that long in the morning! At least you were less pressured!

Sounds like you need a bit of streamlining generally. With everything you need grouped together and having a place to live.

ie all hair stuff together in one place - brush, bobbles , comb etc And this is where they always live.

Everything together for lunches. Bag, water bottles etc And this is where they always live.Have a a few lunches you always do eg cheese roll, veg sticks, fruit etc. This lives in a box in the fridge. Freeze rolls and defrost in the lunch box over night so you always have them.

A hook for the bags. They always get put there.

A basket for shoes. They always get dumped there.

I always lay out breakfast stuff and that smooths things out no end. 5 mins at night = so much less stress.

Getting this stuff ready should take about 1/2 hr tops depending on how many kids you have.

Know where your keys always live. Bowl, hook, etc.

I get everything sorted the night before, but it doesn't take too much time away from my evening.

After collecting kids from nursery/afterschool club its about 5:45pm. They're in the bath at 6;30 and DH often supervises them. Meanwhile, I get kids nursery clothes out for the next day and school clothes (and I leave school clothes out so DS gets dressed as soon as he's up in the morning). We have school clothes for all 5 days which means no frantic washing or drying during the week. I then make sure book bag is packed, PE kit if needed is packed. Add some spare clothes to nursery bag and that's the kids sorted. Takes about 5-10mins. Then I go and help with bedtimes and stories.

Once they're in bed (7-7:30) I have my shower and if needed wash hair etc (I'm lucky that DH does the cooking here, so I do all my prep whilst he cooks us dinner). I can get away with washing hair twice a week so mostly just need a wash. If washing hair, I leave to dry naturally and then all it needs is a quick straighten through in the morning. I get my clothes sorted night before too, and ensure my work bag is packed. All bags then go in the car so I don't have to carry loads of stuff out in the morning whilst wrestling a 1 year old and dragging the 6 year old!

All in, I'm done by about 8pm but I can properly relax knowing that I can sleep a bit longer tomorrow and won't be rushing around trying to find PE trainers etc.

It's all about mindless routine OP and knowing where stuff is. Doing the same things over and over again. Like cleaning your teeth.

You know where your toothbrush lives don't you and don't have to think about it?

It's just buying yourself time and energy for what you really want to be doing.

I think if you have a space for uniform and it's all clean and hanging there, the 4 and 5 year old should be able to put it on themselves. My 5 year old likes to do it herself. There is a small element of faffing but after is few weeks I can leave her to it and get breakfast.

The older ones get themselves up and dressed. They also know to empty lunchboxes and bags immediately they get in the door and put dirty stuff in the sink and school letters on the counter ready for me to action.

Shoes are taken off by the front door and if left chucked around the hall, they are asked to come back and put them together. If you have space, a shoe rack would be good. Bags hung up in or on the cupboard door. Coats too.

I'm anally organised but I have set expectations over the years and it becomes second nature to them after a while (although they do moan and ask me to do it).

Easy dinners in the week. Freezer food or omelette or beans on toast. I'm not making a big meal every evening. Then clear up as you go along or when they're getting into PJs. They don't need a bath every night unless filthy. Get them to tidy their rooms a bit each evening.

Bags checked and lunchbox emptied as soon as home. Forms etc filled in immediately and put back in bag. Anything unusual needed for the next day (eg take in a shoe box or jam jar etc) put with bag

packed lunches made while dinner is cooking.

Washing up/dishwasher/kitchen clean up done straight after dinner.

clothes got out when getting dc ready for bed, also a quick 2 min tidy of their bedrooms.

Washing sorted and put in machine when I go for my shower.

Make a cup of tea and sit down.

I do it as I go rather than in one big ‘getting ready for tomorrow’ session so it doesn’t feel like it takes any time at all usually.

Three terms in to our school year and I finally feel like I've got it sorted for us. It's a bit easier now that I've roped the DC in as well (2 and 5).
There is a hallways stand by the door with a basket, hook, shelf and shoe asked for each dc.
Coming home both dc will take their school shoes, hats and jackets off and put them in the right place (or at least the general vicinity)
Both take their water bottles to the kitchen for cleaning.
DC5 unpacks her bag- lunch box to the kitchen and home reader on the lounge floor.

Dinner is at 5 and usually I will be packing the lunch boxes for the next day and chatting with them while they eat.

DC in bath and then I collect their uniforms/daycare clothes and put them in their basket for next day. Also lay out pjs/toothbrushes.

Youngest DC into bed at 6.30 (his preferred bedtime). Home reader, chapter book and bedtime for older DC at 7ish.

Then dinner for DH and myself about 7.30, quick kitchen tidy, both of us get our stuff ready for next day.

Washing in machine on timer, dishwasher on, kettle on. Final check of calendars for next day and any last minute items put in baskets/bags.

Finish about 8.30 usually.

We go by a place for everything and everything in its place so we all know where to tidy things away to or look for things. And also be future friend to yourself- what can I do now to make life easier for myself in the next hour/24hours/week etc.

I have to ask, for those of you who have 5 polo shirts or 5 trousers for the school week, why so many?

My DC wears the same polo for a number of days unless it’s been through mud or unless something has spilled on it, DC comes in and changes after school so the uniform is clean for the next day. I only substitute it with a fresh one if needs be. There’s a variety of leggings/trousers/flares to pick from but the upper half normally stays clean so can get a longer use out of it. I definitely wash it weekly though regardless.

Delegate and play to your strengths. My husband always did packed lunches in the morning because I am really not good first thing and neither of us could be arsed the night before. I am good at planning and shopping for the lunches.

School bags, sort out when you get home (we split the pick ups, so shared this)

Uniform - we had two pairs of trousers, two sweatshirts, 5 polo shirts. Hung up straight away when washed/dried so no ironing. Hang next day's up ready as part of bedtime routine, takes minutes.

Though, tbh, living near both work and school (20 mins walk to each) and not starting work til 9:30 is the thing that made the most difference...

He wears a completely fresh set every day regardless. But he is a grub.

And it means if I am busy and don't put a load on early enough, then I don't have a "bollocks there are no trousers" moment and then have to sit up and wait for them to wash and dry to iron etc.

For me; staying up half an hour later is easier than getting up half an hour earlier.

So if I have to choose when to prep, I’d choose the evening before.