Morning Madness
b'We\\u2019d all love a school morning where everyone gets out the door without Mom\\xa0yelling or feeling stressed. And by \\u201call\\u201d we mean all mothers. Our children seem blithely indifferent to all the hollering and pleading and bargaining we do each morning in order to make the bus\\u2013 which means each day we have to do a little more of it.\\xa0Good times.\\n\\xa0Leigh Anderson puts it this way, for Lifehacker Offspring:\\n\\n\\u201cGetting kids out the door in the morning can go one of two ways: They wake up early and then dawdle, forcing a last-minute scramble, or they wake up late, forcing a last-minute scramble.\\u201d\\n\\nIn this episode we talk about what works to get the kids moving and in charge of their own schedules. We love Leigh\\u2019s idea of creating a morning playlist: if \\u201cYellow Submarine\\u201d is on, it\\u2019s time to be tying your shoes.\\nOur other favorite tip\\u2013 keep another set of toothbrushes in the downstairs bathroom!\\u2013 is from Carolyn Dalgliesh\\u2019s book The Sensory Child Gets Organized.\\nHere\\u2019s other tricks and tips we discuss in this episode:\\nAmy uses these\\xa05- and 30-minute hourglasses\\xa0to make the dwindling time until the bus arrives more concrete. (Beware: the 30-minute one can sometimes have the paradoxical effect of making the time left seem endless, at least to an 8-year-old.)\\nThe Time Timer is a less chic but equally effective visual reminder.\\nMargaret has her son use a smart speaker to set his own timer.\\nMargaret uses a dry erase board to remind her kids of what\\u2019s left on their morning checklists.\\nAmy\\u2019s friend Susan uses this gradual sunlight alarm clock for her exhausted high-schooler.\\nAnd if all else fails: put them to bed in their school clothes.\\nHere\\u2019s how to handle the dinnertime madness: HelloFresh, which delivers weekly recipes and fresh ingredients straight to your doorstep. What\\u2019s for dinner? Open fridge, pull out bag, get to it. No planning, no shopping, no complaining. Your kids might even *HELP* because the directions are so snazzy. We are huge fans!\\nGet $30 off your first HelloFresh delivery by going to\\xa0hellofresh.com and entering the code mother30.\\n\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\n\\xa0\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices'