Getting your child out the door on a weekday morning can be a challenge. No matter how early you start, it's always a struggle to get everyone out the door on time. If you are looking for a positive morning routine, start the night before.

Bedtime

Make sure your child is getting enough sleep. For school-age children, the recommendation is about ten hours a night. If your child needs to be up by 7:00 every morning, he or she should be asleep by 9:00 every night. You may need to make adjustments for children who have trouble falling asleep or like to drag out the bedtime routine. If you have children that struggle in the mornings -- not everyone is a morning person -- give them some extra time in the morning to avoid a meltdown.

Good Night's Sleep

As a parent, you know that a good night's sleep isn't measured by the hours spent in bed. The quality of sleep is as essential as the amount of sleep. If your kid is tossing and turning or getting up throughout the night, you may need to look for a quality kid's mattress. The best mattress for kids is one that is designed for them. After all, kids are growing. Their bodies are constantly changing, and a mattress needs to adapt to those changes.

Backpacks

Pack backpacks the night before. Trying to find papers, books, or a change of clothes in the morning only makes for a hectic start to the day. It is an excellent way to check that homework is done and that a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is not turning green at the bottom of the bag.

Breakfast and Lunch

Pack lunches the night before. If your kids buy their lunch, be sure there is money in their account or coin pouch. Designate a shelf in the refrigerator for lunches, so everyone knows where to find their lunch. If you have a morning checklist, make sure "getting packed lunch" is on the list.

Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier

Waking up at the very last minute only leaves you scrambling to get yourself and everyone else ready on time. The stress of running late can start the whole family off on the wrong foot. To ease into your mornings more relaxed and in control, set your alarm for at least 15 minutes before you regularly get up. Maybe 30 minutes if you aren't a morning person. Use that time to double check that lunches are packed, prepare a healthy breakfast and most importantly make yourself a strong pot of coffee!e Having ample time to prepare yourself for the day, makes getting everyone else ready that much easier.

Morning Checklist

Make a morning checklist and post it where everyone can see it. Use graphics, stickers and pictures to illustrate items on the list for children who aren't reading yet. If it's easier, create separate checklists and post them in the child's room. Develop a morning checklist for yourself to make sure you haven't forgotten anything. Just running down your list can remind you of something you forgot.

We Can Help

We can't promise hassle-free mornings for the rest of your life. But at 5 Little Monkeys, we have created the best kids mattress for a good night's sleep. The 5 Little Monkeys bed was designed to give kids an energized start to their day. Help your kids wake up on a positive note and check out 5 Little Monkeys’ kids mattress.