I’m not gonna sugar-coat it – I have spent many mornings – YEARS of mornings actually – yelling, snapping, huffing and puffing at my kids to try and get us all out the door on time.

And now here comes the summer with it’s own unique/challenging rhythm and I want to be ready for it.

Because several years ago it finally occurred to me how much I miss on the mornings when I’m frustrated.

On the days when I rush my kids to find lost shoes, chug down honey nut Cheerios and pack lunches and stuffed bears. On the days when I snap because I’m still as tired as they are. On the days when the dishes are still piled sky high in the sink and that one library book is STILL missing and I can’t be late for a meeting.

On those days, I am learning to stop and ask myself: How much does the rush cost me?

We want to be on time, yes. But on time and frayed around the edges, on time and in tears, on time and relieved to be parting ways is no one’s win-win.

And a few years back it hit me –

The rush is all mine. I can choose to shelter them from it or not. I can choose to prepare for it or not.

The clock is all mine. I can choose to dictate from it or not.

The rhythm is all mine. I can choose to dance to it or not.

Because here’s the secret I discovered: the melody of any day ebbs and flows around a mother’s mood.

And as it turns out, my kids are not the boss of my feelings.

I actually get to choose.

And if I can set my mood by the desire to send them off at peace and full of the knowing that they mattered then they will have a gift to unwrap the rest of the day.

Knowing that they mattered to their mother more than her to-dos.

And yes, I hear you saying that there are things we can’t actually be late for. And to-dos must be done sometime or lives will unravel. I agree, I do.

But I am learning to tell the difference between the rush of the doing vs. the gifting of the doing.

I am learning to spot the wonder in the ordinary. Because if it is all a gift to me from the Father who gives good things, why don’t I re-gift it to my kids before we rush out the door?

Time and again I have to reel my fast, wagging, frustrated tongue in and slow down the crazy that’s about to spill out of me.

If I want our kids’ morning routine to work I have to work the hardest at keeping it together. Myself first. My tongue, my temper and my temptation to dish out blame for being late.

And because we do still need to be on time there are some very specific things I’m doing in order to get us there with tempers and kind words in tact.

14 Ways to Maximize Your Mornings so You and Your Kids can Stop Dreading the Day and Start Enjoying it Instead.

Remember my friend Crystal from Money Saving Mom? She braved the 18 hour flight, jetlag, strange foods and awkward moments to travel with me to South Africa in January?

Well she is launching an eCourse starting Tuesday (yup, that’s tomorrow!!) that pretty much lays out 14 steps to making your mornings work for you rather than trample you.

I got to hear her planning it while we were squashed into the back of minivans down dirt roads together.

You guys, I’m SO excited about this Make Over Your Mornings Course for 2 reasons:

1. I watched all 14 videos in one sitting because they are short and fun. And these are the exact steps that have changed our mornings here at the Baker house. Listen, I’m NOT an early riser. You don’t have to be a morning person to get a TON out of this course. I’m telling you that these practical suggestions have practically impacted every part of our days.
2. CRYSTAL DONATED 25% OF ALL SALES ON LAUNCH DAY TO SOUTH AFRICA!!!

Some of the topics covered in the 14-day course include:

• Discovering why a well-planned morning revolutionizes your whole day
• Establishing bedtime routines
• Designing a morning routine centered on your biggest priorities
• Goal-setting
• Setting up a task management system
• Prioritizing exercise and healthy breakfasts
• Creating internal and external motivators
• Establishing accountability
• Battling lies
• Building stamina when things get tough

Crystal’s easy-to-follow-and-apply 14 days course includes: a chapter to read, a video to watch, and a project to complete – all of which will take no more than 15 minutes of your time.

We all have time for that!

I’m not kidding when I say that Crystal is about the most productive, disciplined woman I’ve ever met. Literally. She’s also one of the most fun, generous and creative.

I’ve often wanted to crawl into a corner of her brain and just hang out there learning all her secrets to making her days work for her rather than trample her.

You guys, this course is that opportunity! I LOVE how it’s so candid and includes a sneak peek into her daily routine.

She’s not perfect; she’d be the first to admit that. But she’s an amazing entrepreneur who still balances kids and life and ice cream runs into the mix and I love getting to learn from her.

I’m not kidding – any chance I could eavesdrop on her blog/planning process while we were travelling together in South Africa I TOTALLY did (insert shameless grin here).

So, if you’ve ever wished that you could figure out how to get more done, have more organization in your life, and find time to spend on things you love, the Make Over Your Mornings Course is for you.

It’s not about following a one-size-fits-all system (because every woman and family is different!), but about creating a morning that is in line with your life, your strengths, your family’s needs, and your unique situation.

Now, at our house this doesn’t make breakfast any more nutritious than a bowl of cereal or a bagel and cream cheese most mornings. But it does make us all feel filled up in the ways that matter most. Some mornings we still snap and no one brushes their teeth and car doors are slammed. But other mornings – more mornings these days – there is time factored in for slow. Time factored in for connecting before parting.

We don’t have big prayers or profound Bible readings – but we have the heart of the thing. The rhythm of secure kids and restrained parents. There is give and take. An episode of Mighty Machines if breakfast is eaten. Time for a quick game of soccer outside if teeth have first been brushed. A half hour of swashbuckling in the yard if they’re dressed in full ready-to-leave-from-the-yard-when-mom-calls clothes.

If I want our kids’ morning routine to work I have to work the hardest at keeping it together.

Sure there will still also be days of crazy and whining and bed head. There will be the same red cereal bowl and yellow spoon Micah’s used a hundred mornings before.

There will be trails of socks and cries that someone is out of undies. There will be missing library books and someone who insists on wearing his camouflage pants again. There will be a raggedy toy bear and a baby that trails around behind every body, unpacking everything.

But on the very best mornings, oh yes on the best mornings, there will also be dancing at our house.

Click here to snag the Make Over Your Mornings Course and you’ll also be supporting moms in South Africa – win win win!!!

I’m a proud affiliate, so delighted to share about this course!