Who wants a happy morning?
You? And you? And you?
Trust me, if I could hand out happy mornings like Oprah. I would. Hands down. Happy mornings for everyone every single day!!!
But, since I can’t gift happy mornings across the interwebs, I’ll do the next best thing. I’ll share a few of my go to hacks for making mornings happier. They’re easy, but useful, so, read on :)
Full disclaimer first, not every morning around here is picture perfect and super happy. Obviously, I always WANT a happy morning. But that’s just not a guarantee with four little souls and one sometimes hormonal mama :) But we try. Most of all, I’ve learned that I have a lot of influence when it comes to making mornings smooth for myself and my little ones.
Think of it this way, mamas, outside of the hopefully not too often meltdown, YOU set the tone for the morning. Let me rephrase —> I set the tone for the morning. I’m running this ship with Jesus’ help and usually when there is a bad morning it’s because I laid the path for it to go downhill. Wake up and smell the coffee, Gretchen, happy mornings are yours for the making!
If a happy morning is on your wish list, here are a few helpful ideas for making mornings at home and out and about HAPPIER!
Let Go of the Little Things
For me, this looks like letting the toddler wear his pajamas to preschool drop off and praising the independence of my preschooler who put his own socks on (despite them not matching). It’s not how I would do things if the world was up to me, but no one is getting hurt and everyone is happy. So, I deal.
Enjoy Breakfast
Breakfast is such an underrated meal. But folks, I love and adore breakfast and feel it needs to be brought back in a big way. Often, my kids will have a breakfast snack first thing (a pouch or a slice of cheese) and then we have a bigger breakfast mid morning.
I particularly love Happy Family Happy Tot Whole Milk Yogurt Pouches because they reduce the mess and increase the fruits and veggies in my kid’s diets. With added Vitamin D and probiotics and no sweeteners or GMOs, these pouches make both mamas and kiddos happy. So, whether it kicks off the day as a breakfast snack or joins us as a snack on the go, these pouches are always on hand. Best of all, they’re now available at Target so stocking up is easy peasy (seeing that I’m there weekly … sometimes with my kids in their pajamas, because #letgoofthelittlethings).
Listen to Music
Sounds simple … because it is! Music is a mood booster and the right tunes can set your morning in the right direction.
Choose a Word of the Day
Again, simple! The kids and I have just recently started choosing a word of the day and it helps guide things from the get go. Recent words include: kindness, fun, trying new things (yes, we allow phrases of the day too!), and perseverance.
Day Before Prep
After my crew is in bed, I think through the next day and prep everything I can. I set out clothes – or decide that it will be a pajamas day, walk backpacks/library books/etc to the car – because my hands are always full of kids when it comes time to leave, decide on the breakfast menu, and for myself, write a to do list for the coming day so there are no last minute surprises. I love surprises, but not when it comes to the pace of my morning. I want those smoooooooth and calculated.
Once the day begins, the details are already set into motion. The big kids know to ask what’s next on the agenda and the little ones follow suite. Routine is a beautiful thing.
Say Yes More
Mornings tend to be hard. Hence, my hope to create happier ones for my family. I do my very best to say yes as often as I can. Yes, you can bring your Ninja Turtle sword to the car. Yes, you can have a second pouch. Yes, you can get dressed in my bathroom. Yes, you can moisturize your face with my favorite lotion.
I try to save no for the big things and saying/hearing yes more makes us all happier.
Next time you’re at Target, look for the Happy Family line of products. The Whole Milk Yogurt Pouches can be found near the yogurt in the refrigerated grocery section.
What flavor combo do you think your kids will enjoy most?