Mornings with little ones can be hard. Your kids are needy, not always cooperative, and you are trying to wake up yourself. And it sucks to start the day off with drama, tears, and moodiness (on their part and yours). Implementing a toddler morning routine might just be the ticket to happier mornings for all.

Last year, two foster sons (aged 2 and 3), joined our family. With an 18-month-old son of our own, I quickly learned that having three boys, ages three and under, was going to be an adventure to say the least.

It also didn't take long for me to realize that if our mornings were hectic, chaotic, and messy, the rest of our day would follow suit.

So, after about a week of feeling totally overwhelmed, unequipped, and drained, I decided I needed to take control of our mornings. We needed a toddler morning routine.

And I found that when the morning went smoothly, the rest of the day didn't seem as daunting.  

Here are some of the things we began to implement:

10 Ideas for a peaceful toddler's morning routine

1. Wake Up Before Your Kids

First things first. To be at your best for your kiddos, the first step is to wake up before them. I have written about waking up early before I won't rehash it here... but don't overlook this step!! Before you get a good toddler morning routine in place, it is important to have a good morning routine yourself (and the first step to a good morning routine for YOU, is to get to bed earlier 🙂 )

2. Have A Toddler Morning Routine

When our family grew from 3 to 5 people (within two hours!), I quickly realized that without a morning routine, our A.Ms (and, subsequently, the rest of the day) went HAYWIRE.

Routines are good for us as mamas - mostly because they help to keep us sane But routines are also essential for our kiddos. A toddler morning routine gives our little ones:

• The opportunity to understand and practice the idea of "before" and "after"
• A sense of security and knowledge of boundaries.
• The opportunity to display independence
• A more relaxed and calm mama

So if you don't have a toddler morning routine, it might be time to start thinking about one!

3. Use A Training Clock

Say goodbye to constantly guessing when your little one is going to come running down the hall yelling “I’m AWAKE!!”. While it may take some time to get your kiddo used to the clock, once they get it....it is truly a beautiful thing

The great thing about having a wake-up clock is:

• You know when your toddler is going to get up,
• Your toddler knows when it is OK to get up,
• If your children wake up early, it gives them a chance to learn how to play on their own, in their room, until the light turns green.

This is the one we use, and have zero complaints. This clock allows you to: 

• Set a morning wake-up time
• Set a nap-time countdown
• Choose between an alarm or a green light to indicate wake-up time (my recommendation: go with the green light. If your little one decides he/she wants to sleep 15 minutes extra, you don't want to wake them up with the alarm beforehand! Plus the green light provides a much more calming wake-up experience then an alarm :))
• Select the amount of time the green light stays on post wake-up (so that when your kids sleeps past the designated time they can still see the green light when they wake).

Our little man loves his wake-up clock too. Again, he knows the boundaries, so it gives him some ownership. Most mornings he opens his door yelling "My clock is GREEEEN!"

4. Change Clothes and Diaper Before Leaving Their Bedroom

This strategy SAVED me when we had three toddler boys. My rule was this: once they woke up they could NOT leave their bedroom until I had changed their diaper and put on their fresh clothes for the day. That way there was no running around, trying to round them up and get their clothes, etc. on later. First thing in the morning, before they had even left their room, they were dressed and ready for the day.

This saved my mind. No joke.

And it made leaving the house so much easier when it was time to get up and go.  

Several things made this work for us:

1. They all shared a room.

2. They all had the same wake-up time.

3. Warm milk was waiting for them in the kitchen--a tasty incentive for them to cooperate and let me get their clothes on and diapers changed  

If you are like me, and your brain seems to get frazzled every time you are trying to get all your kiddos dressed and out the door, try this little step, first thing in the morning, and see if it helps. I know it has made a big difference for me! 

Plus, even if the rest of the day goes haywire you will already have an accomplishment in the books. At least your kids have clean clothes on, right?

5. Make Their Bed

I think this is just a good habit to get kids into. I know for me, as an adult, I feel 100% better when my bed is made. And while my kids may not necessarily feel the same way, the habit of doing it will hopefully set them up for success in the future.

Not only will it help them to form the habit but it also:

• Provides them an opportunity to show responsibility
• Gives them ownership of their own space
• Teaches them a bit of discipline and self-control (when they want to just sprint out of their room and start their day!)

Of course, a two year old is probably not going to be able to make the bed on their own (if yours does, pass your tips along in the comments!!). So help them out (which basically means you are doing the actual making). But let them feel like they are a part of getting something accomplished and praise their effort.

6. Read the Bible Together

Helping your toddler get into the habit of reading the Bible first thing in the morning might be one of the most important habits you can help them to form.

If you don't have a children's Bible try one of these, both of which we have and use:

My husband has also started showing little man short YouTube videos about the particular story that was read that day. Which is extra incentive for our son to listen in so that he can watch the short "show" afterwards

Some ways to make morning readings a warm, cozy experience:

• Let them drink warm milk while y'all read together
• Get comfy on the couch
• Cover up and get cozy under a blanket
• Get some of their stuffed animals to snuggle and "read" with y'all
• Let your little one watch a short YouTube video of the day's Bible story once you are done reading.

7. Work On Memory Verses

8. Eat A Good Breakfast Together

Get your day started off right with a nutritious and delicious  breakfast! Eating breakfast with your kids with give you another chance to intentionally engage with them first thing in the morning.

Just like we, as mamas, need to be filled by our Heavenly Father in the mornings, I have noticed that my guy does better when he has some intentional mom and dad time in the A.Ms. He seems to be able to play better by himself later, when I need to get dishes washed or laundry folded.

Check out some of these yummy, easy breakfast recipes  you can enjoy together:

• Oatmeal with bananas or blueberries
• Oat flour waffles with strawberries and maple syrup
• Scrambled eggs with cheese and spinach
• Toast with avocado, berries, and a fried egg
• Green smoothie (we like bananas, spinach, frozen berries, chia seeds, pecans, milk, sunflower seeds). 
• Or look HERE for more ideas!

9. Let Them Brush Their Teeth When You Brush Yours

Brushing teeth is always more fun when done together, right?? After breakfast is all done, head straight to the bathroom and get those pearly whites brushed and cleaned. Try letting your kiddo brush yours, while you brush theirs. Just watch out for the toothbrush stabs and jabs in the back of your mouth and the side of your cheek

It's also good to let your little ones practice brushing their own teeth once you are done with the real cleaning Start a flossing routine, too (mostly just to help them form the habit).

Make it fun!

A Sample Toddler Morning Routine

Here is what our weekday mornings look like (when everything goes well!) But keep in mind that this is OUR routine. Tweak, adjust, add....do what works for you and your kiddos. 

5:00-6:50 Mama wake up and start your Mama’s Morning routine

6:50-7:00 Get milk warmed, blinds opened, items picked up from my morning

7-7:15 Kiddos wake up!

• Change diapers and clothes
• Make bed

7:15-7:45 Head out of the bedroom and into the living room

• Grab kiddo's milk (if applicable)
• Head to the couch and read a Bible story
• Work on Bible verses together

7:45/8:00 Breakfast!

• Whip up a quick breakfast and eat together at the table (work on Bible verses while you are eating, too. Or try practicing their letters during breakfast)

815/8:30 Brush teeth

Get Going With The Rest Of Your Day!

So now, after you have completed your peaceful and relaxing morning routine with your toddler, you will both be calm, energized and ready for a smoother day.

Ha!

Not all days with toddlers go smoothly and as planned. BUT, with a good morning routine in place, hopefully you will both be in better moods. And, by 9 A.M. you can already feel accomplished!

So get going, mama. And have a good day 🙂

I'm rooting for you!