Incorporating Mindful Moments into your Morning School Routine

Mornings! Between school, work, exercise, the time in the morning sometimes seems to move more quickly than other hours of the day. Here are some of our co-founders’ favorite tips to make mornings easier and more mindful.

Create Routines Together

Routines help children feel safe and build healthy habits. 

• Working with your children, think through the steps of what actions take place in the morning in the order they occur, think about how many minutes each one takes, and then create a schedule by working backwards from when you have to leave.
• Don’t forget to take time during the busy routine of every day to look around, take a breath, smile and appreciate the small happy moments!

Work Ahead

Taking a few minutes the evening before a school day to prepare yourself and your children for the next morning is always time well spent. 

• Prepare lunches and plan your breakfast the evening before. Even go so far as to get out the pan for eggs, set a timer on your coffee pot, or put plates & silverware on the table. 
• Lay out clothes the night before -- including belts, hair ribbons, and shoes. 
• Parents -- this goes for you, too! Are you heading straight to work or an exercise class? Prepare your own clothing the evening before so you are ready to start your day.

Divide & Conquer

• If you have two parents managing the morning routine, divide and conquer as much as possible! One on breakfast, one on braiding hair, etc.
• Keep your children happy & occupied by incorporating a morning play time on a mat with pose cards or dice game while you prepare breakfast.
  
  

Take Mindful Moments

• Choose a fun and uplifting mantra to start your child's day "I am kind, I am strong, I am mindful, I am ready"
• As an added bonus, incorporate some mindful movement with each mantra
• "I am kind"
• Inhale arms up over head
• "I am strong"
• Warrior 1 pose
• "I am mindful"
• Reverse Warrior pose
• "I am ready"
• Easy pose, hands at heart center
• Keep a gratitude journal (or even use sticky notes!). Every evening, write down three things you are grateful for with your children. 

Wind Down Together

• Read books together. Goodnight Yoga is a favorite book of ours.
• Choose a few pose cards to practice slow breathing and gentle stretching with our Happy Kid Kit.

Parents, don’t forget to take a few moments for yourself. Just taking a few deep breaths and easy stretches can help with better sleep. Keep your strap beside your bed for some quick heart openers and side stretches before bed.