6: Parenting Path in Action: Six Steps for a Happier Morning Routine

Ever feel like mornings are a never-ending battle of nagging, rushing, and meltdowns? 

This episode is a little different - it’s what I call a Parenting Path in Action episode.

That means I take you step by step through a common parenting challenge and share practical, mindful strategies you can try right away.

Today, we’re tackling mornings - the chaos, the resistance, the rushing - and turning them into opportunities for connection, cooperation, and calm. 

I’ll guide you through six simple steps to transform your mornings, and yes, I’ll even introduce you to my playful French alter-ego, Madeline!

If you’re ready for more laughter and less yelling in your mornings, this one’s for you. 

Don’t forget to check out the show notes for your next step and extra resources to support you.

Transcript

Episode 6. Parenting Path in Action: Six Steps for a Happier Morning Routine

You're listening to Your Calm Parenting Path. I’m your host, Nina, a mindful parenting coach and mum, here to help you go from overwhelmed and reactive to calm, confident, and connected with your kids.

This show is for parents who want to raise their children with more patience, less stress, and a whole lot more joy. Because small shifts make a big impact - and you can build the parenting life you’ve always wanted.

If you want to see what I’m up to, follow me on Instagram at @mindful_parenting_lifestyle. And don’t forget to hit follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode.

Now, let’s get started!

Hey there, welcome back to Your Calm Parenting Path! Today, we’re doing something a little different - todays episode is a Parenting Path in Action episode, where I take you step by step through a common parenting challenge and give you mindful, real-life strategies to make things easier.

And today? We’re talking about mornings. Because let’s be honest - mornings with kids can feel like a marathon before the day has even started. The rushing, the resistance, the last-minute water bottle hunt… oh my god it’s exhausting!

But what if we could approach mornings differently? What if we could bring in more calm, connection, and cooperation - without having to nag, bribe, or lose our patience?

That’s exactly what we’re going to do today. I’ll walk you through six mindful parenting steps to help shift your mornings from chaos to calm.

And at the end, I’ll give you one quick, simple challenge you can try tomorrow morning - so stick with me!

Let’s dive in.

So, why are mornings so hard? Well, first of all - kids and time don’t mix well. They don’t feel the urgency we do. They wake up on their own timeline, they get distracted, and transitions are tough. But when we’re stressed and rushed, we end up sounding like drill sergeants just trying to get them out the door.

And the more we push, the more they resist.

So instead of fighting against the natural rhythm of kids in the morning, let’s shift into a mindful, connected approach. We’re going to walk through six key steps to set the tone for a smoother, happier morning.

Before the morning even begins, check in with yourself. How are you feeling? If you’re already stressed, it’s going to come through in your energy.

Take three slow breaths and set an intention. Maybe it’s “I’m going to start this morning with patience” or “I will connect before I correct.”

This tiny shift helps you start the morning from calm, and not chaos - and that makes a huge difference in how your kids respond.

Now, my next tip you don’t have to do every day, but you might like to do once a week. And this is to think about, what can my child do on their own? What do they still need help with? What do I need to teach them?

If your three-year-old isn’t dressing themselves yet, expecting them to suddenly be independent will only lead to frustration for both of you. But if your seven-year-old is perfectly capable and just getting distracted, they might need more structure or a fun challenge to keep them on track.

So, this step is all about setting realistic expectations - because when we expect too much, we get frustrated. When we do too much for them, they get frustrated, and finding that balance is key.

Obviously, their skills will change over time, so this is why I suggested just checking in every week to see if anything has changed

OK, back to the day to day tasks.

Make a connection before making requests is step number 3.

When we’re waking them up, instead of jumping straight into commands, we’re going to connect first.

So, for little ones, that might be a snuggle or a soft back rub, you know, while saying, “Good morning, love, time to wake up.” For older kids, maybe it’s just sitting beside them for a second and saying, “Hey, how’d you sleep?” or “Did you have any funny dreams?” 

My kids wake up before me and so I like to sing as I walk down the stairs, “Good morning, good morning! Good morning children it’s a wonderful day, good morning, good morning to you!” and give them a little cuddle and we have a little laugh about how bad my singing is.

That tiny moment of connection makes them so much more likely to cooperate.

Step number 4 is using playfulness to keep things moving. Because getting dressed and ready can be a battle, so let’s make it fun instead of a fight.

One of my go-to tricks? I pretend I have no idea how clothes work. I’ll put their shorts on my head and say, “All ready to go!” Or I’ll wear their socks on my hands and act completely confused, like, “Wait… why does this feel wrong?” 

And of course, they laugh and rush to show me the right way - and just like that, they’re getting dressed without a battle.

And then there’s Madeline - my very sophisticated French alter ego. Every couple of mornings, she arrives in the kitchen with her accent and says, “Ahh, bonjour my little customers! What shall I prepare for you today? Would you like ze cereal with ze milk? Or with ze hot milk or with ze cold milk. Would you like to have ze red bowl or ze yellow bow.?”

And my kids? They love it. Breakfast suddenly becomes fun and easy.

Because here’s the thing - kids respond to engagement way more than commands. And Playfulness removes resistance.

Step number 5 is to problem solve in advance.

The best way to make mornings easier is to solve the struggles before they happen.

If they struggle with getting dressed - lay their outfits the night before so they don’t have to go and find it. 

If breakfast drags on - give them two quick choices. 

If they forget to brush their teeth - can you use a simple checklist to keep them on track?

Thinking ahead removes frustration before it even starts.

Step 6 is to let go of perfection and repair if needed.

Even with all of these tools, some mornings will still be messy. And that’s okay.

The key is to Repair and move on.

So, after a tough morning, you can say: “Hey, this morning was tricky. I wish I had slowed down a bit more. Let’s try again tomorrow.”

It teaches kids that mistakes happen, but we can always reset.

Alright, let’s wrap up. Here’s what we covered today in our parenting path in action.

We talked about 

-          starting with calm

-          setting realistic expectations

-          connecting before directing

-          using playfulness

-          problem-solving in advance, and 

-          knowing when to repair and reset.

Now, here’s your challenge for tomorrow morning: Pick just ONE of these steps and try it out. And yes, you can borrow Madeline, she won’t mind.

Maybe it’s playfulness. Maybe it’s taking a deep breath before the rush starts. Just one thing. See how it changes the tone of your morning.

And if you’re nodding along but thinking, “Oh Nina, our mornings will still be a battleground!”, then I’d love to invite you to book an SOS Parenting Support Call with me. 

Over 60 minutes we’ll talk through exactly what’s happening for you and your child, I’ll give you one or two clear strategies to make mornings (or any other hot spot) easier - starting right away. 

Then, the best part, we’ll check in a week or so later so that we can look at what is working and what might need a little tweaking!

Now this service is normally $99, however I am offering a special discount for Your Calm Parenting Path listeners. You can receive 50% off the full price of an SOS Parent Support Call, using the Code SOSPATH on checkout.

You can book your spot at mindfulparentinglifestyle.com.au or just check the link in the show notes.

You’ve got this. And I’ve got your back. See you next time.

Thanks for listening to Your Calm Parenting Path! I’m so glad you’re here, and I hope this episode gave you something useful to take into your parenting journey.

If you’d like to dive deeper, sign up for my mailing list at mindfulparentinglifestyle.com.au for more tips and insights, or book a free chat to learn how we can work together. And don’t forget to hit follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode.

I look forward to speaking with you next time on Your Calm Parenting Path.