Getting Out The Door

Have you ever tried to get your family ready to go somewhere, and you get to a point where Dad, Daughter, and Son are all set but you're standing in a towel rushing around? They look at you like "well, we're ready". And you're thinking, "Yes, but I got you all ready and I have myself to do, too, you selfish (insert naughty word here)!"

Here's an organizational/time management tip for mothers: get yourself ready before you get your kids ready. In the morning, when you're all heading out, and the kids need to get dressed, do your shower first. While they take their own sweet time, you can get dressed, do your hair/makeup/whatever, and when it is Rush Time, you'll be ready. If you do it in this order, when I am helping them, I know I'm done and can focus on getting them ready.

Maybe it is just me, but I know if I do it the other way around, I become resentful, like "Don't you see that I still have to get ready?" P.s. it doesn't matter to them -- preschoolers generally don't 'get' the rushing concept. You're the only one truly aware of the time factor. It makes it that much harder if you are all half-dressed, your hair is wet, Susie needs her hair done, and you're watching the minutes tick by. That's when stress sets in, the yelling might start, etc., because it is all on me to get the household out the door.

When you're in a rush, you are also more liable to do things for the kids to save time. Being ready to go before the kids allows you to have more time to give them to work it out by themselves.