School

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Ivory. The opinions and text are all mine.

Mornings used to be crazy in our home! Getting two kids dressed in uniforms, fed and to school on time all while beating traffic and looking halfway decent was just too much pressure. I would be so stressed I would cause confusion for the kids and most days make them anxious. I remember one morning, I was in a scurry searching for my keys and frazzled while my daughter who was standing by the door with her backpack on and looking very impatient said “Great, we’re going to be late!” I stopped right away as I realized she was starting to mirror my behavior, I knew I had to stop. I don’t want them to grow up thinking this is the way to start their days.

Since then, I’ve laid off all of the frantic drama and our mornings are much lighter and flow easily. While we’re still on a schedule, I don’t think the kids feel as rushed as they once did unless we wake up late. I know I’m not the only mom who works against time on school mornings so I wanted to share tips for stress-free school mornings to make “rush hour” a thing of the past:

Morning showers

After realizing how sluggish my kids were, I knew they needed something besides me singing “Rise and Shine!” to get them energized and perky. An early morning shower turned out to be the solution to beat the sluggishness. Initially, I was worried adding a shower to our routine may slow them down even more. But, they move a lot brisker and takes them a shorter time to complete morning tasks they used to drag out. Bonus – they feel fresh and clean for the day. I’m all for simplicity so I keep Ivory Original 3-bar, Ivory Original Body Wash and Ivory Free & Gentle Body Wash with Pear & Sandalwood in our bathroom. This body wash is formulated to cleanse and nourish skin with the #1 Dermatologist-Recommended moisturizing ingredient.

I was raised using Ivory and although the products have a new look, it’s the same pure formula of my childhood days. It even smells the same and if you grew up using Ivory too I know you love the smell. Ivory has been around for 138 years and is a brand I continue to use now that I am a mother, a product I can trust on the skin of the little people who I care about the most. Ivory is made of 99.44% pure ingredients and Ivory Original Body Wash has a gentle formula free of dyes or heavy perfumes. The kids are usually out of the shower in about 10 minutes and soon as they’re out, they get dressed and have their breakfast.

Always start “too early”

I wake up much earlier these days, forcing myself to become a morning person and it’s really helping. This not only gives me wiggle room to slow down, but it also gives me time to take care of myself or tend to the baby, if I need to.

Set multiple alarms

I usually set 2 alarms about 5 minutes apart, but if I’m really tired the night before I set 3. One thing I do is use music that makes me happy in an attempt to have a less stressful morning. The last thing I need is an annoying alarm.

Affirmations

I started doing affirmations with my oldest child when she was almost two years old. We always affirm it’s going to be a good day, well my son likes to say “It’s going to be a GIANT day!” I also have them do power poses just to improve their self-confidence.

Be calm no matter what

Like I said above, I used to be a frantic mess on school mornings and I would be stressed, worried, rushing or searching. Now, I’m focused on doing everything calmly – I find things faster and I am able to think about solutions to issues that unexpectedly pop up.

Listen to positive or educational shows on the way to school

Once you’re out of the door, keep the warm vibe to set your kids up for a good day at school. I listen to podcasts or audiobooks with my kids in the car on the way to school.

What are some of your tips for stress-free school mornings?