Our morning checklist is the tried and true practice that has stuck around over the years. As homeschool moms, we are always adjusting routines and curriculum to better fit our needs, and although we have adjusted our checklist at times – the rules of it have stayed the same. It has been such a help for our mornings!

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How it Started

I first thought of the idea a couple years ago when I was listening to a podcast from Durenda Wilson. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what the episode was, but she talked about how important it was for her main living spaces to be clean and clear before she started her homeschool day. At the time, I could feel the weight of the mess in my own home and new this strategy could be helpful.

She also talked about the fact that the key to doing this is to not take it on alone! Get the kids involved. Set up routines and chores so that the whole family is working together and the pressure is not on mom alone.

The Constant Questions

The other problem I was running into was the questions I had to keep asking every single day. “Did you brush your hair? Did you brush your teeth? Is your room picked up?” Times that by four for each of my children, while I was trying to cook and clean breakfast – I was exhausted doing it!

This really drove me to teach them how to be more responsible about getting ready and how to help me in the house more.

The Morning Checklist

Enter the morning checklist.

I thought carefully about the things I wanted the kids to do to get ready and added that to the list. I also followed the advice of Durenda Wilson and set a goal to have our main living space clean before we started. This means we would work together to get the kitchen and living room picked up each morning.

It’s tempting to put a large list of things on the checklist, because wouldn’t that be the most helpful? However, I found it best for us to smart very small and eventually work our way towards a good quality list.

Breakfast

One thing I wanted to do was put items on their that will be easy to accomplish. For example, “eat breakfast” is on the list. I plan to feed them every day, so I know for sure they will be able to check that off with ease. I want them to feel successful and not defeated as soon as they start.

At breakfast my kids make a “cup for the day“. This is the cup to be used for the whole day. It stays on the table (or the counter) for them to use as needed. I implemented this cup idea because every time my kids were thirsty, they’d just grab another cup.

Some of the fault was on me too – I’d see a cup and put it in the dishwasher. The cycle of always needing a cup continued. So our “cup of the day” rule helps with that.

Getting Ready for the Day

To avoid all of the questions I was having to ask, I added to the list our daily tasks for getting ready. This includes “get dressed“, “brush your hair“, “brush your teeth“.

Now, this doesn’t mean I never have to question them. I have some kids that are really good about the checklist and others that need reminders. However, it’s better than managing all four by myself. No matter what they’re learning to be more responsible.

Morning Chore

The last piece of the checklist was the chore to help me prepare our home for the day. Remember my focus was the kitchen and the living room. So, I chose two jobs that my older two girls would alternate each week.

One would unload the dishwasher for me and the other would pick up the living room. So, their checklist states, “morning chore: __________________” and I write one of those jobs each week. It’s super easy to manage and they help me remember who’s doing what.

Now, at the time we started this my third daughter was only two. She was just learning about chores, but I wanted her to be a part of our family clean-up team. So, I gave the her job of picking up couch pillows. She’s done that same job every day for the last couple years. She’s almost four now and she’s probably ready to do something more, so I’ll be thinking of that soon I’m sure.

Our First Checklist

Did you catch all of the items on the list? I will list it out for you so you can see how simple and small we started. It was so helpful to do it in this way because the kids could accomplish the list, and I didn’t feel pressure of making them do all kinds of tasks in the morning.

• Eat Breakfast
• Cup for the Day
• Morning Chore: ________________
• Get Dressed
• Brush Hair
• Brush Teeth

Adjust the List for Each Child

I do adjust the list for each child as needed. For example, I drew pictures on my preschooler’s list because she can’t read it. They aren’t fancy. I just took my pencil and made a quick drawing.

Some tasks may need to be done by one child but not the others. We started my youngest daughter’s list with “throw away pull-up” on there, and she took care of that on her own every morning.

I’m also able to write things on the list if I want something temporary. For example, if my child has to take medication or if their lips are really chapped, I might add “medicine” or “chapstick” with a wet erase marker. Then we can erase it the next week.

Storing and Displaying

We keep our lists in a dry erase pocket. I’ve learned that the best place for them to be displayed is somewhere near me so I can help make sure everyone is on track. For our home this is the utility room door near where I’m cleaning up in the kitchen in the morning. This makes it easy for me to check on the kids as they finish their items.

The dry erase pocket has been so nice. They erase really well, and if I want to write anything temporary for a few days I just use wet erase markers.

Adding Items When We are Ready

As we have gotten used to our checklists, it’s been easier to add more items to it. For example, The girls’ lists now say “tidy room” and “make bed“. I don’t require a perfectly made bed. I just ask them to pull up their blankets and make it look nice.

This would’ve been great to have from the beginning, but at the time it was overwhelming. Once we had mastered our first list, it felt easier to add more. I also feel like this is a big reason why it’s been so successful – starting small.

Final Thoughts

Things come and go with our homeschool, but this is one thing that has consistently worked for us the last couple years. It makes my mornings easier, and everyone knows what’s expected of them.

When we take breaks from our homeschool routine, we usually skip the checklist and have more relaxed mornings. However, it’s the perfect thing to bring back into our morning a week or two before we start up again to kick everyone back in gear for school.

One new thing I did before we started after Christmas this year was I asked the girls if there was anything they’d like me to add? It wasn’t much, but those one or two items they added really gave them ownership of the list and got them excited for routine again. (If you’re curious what they added, one was “deodorant”, another was “vitamin”, and I think one was “feed cat”…which we don’t really have. It’s a barn cat that all the neighbors feed, but my daughter wanted ownership of that. I gave it to her! She loves it!)

Although we’ve done this for a while, we still have our not-so-good days when it comes to getting it done. We’ve had phases where I had to set timers to motivate them. I also have a couple that need lots and lots of reminders, at times. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s one that has been so beneficial to us.

Last thing – I really try to do the same things for myself to set the example. I used to not make my bed, but once I asked them to, I realized I really needed to do it too! I’ve even said things like, “I’m going to do my checklist” when I get ready. I don’t really have one, but they get it! We all have our responsibilities in the home.

What would you add to the list? Do you use something similar? If you try this out let me know how it works for you! Comment here or find me on Instagram @simply.learning.together