Morning Routines for Happy, Healthy Kids

By: Becky Cummings

Do you remember as a kid how you would begin your day? Did you consider yourself a morning person? My breakfast was usually with a bowl of sugary cereal followed by watching cartoons, finished off with my mom nagging me to get ready for school. I never considered myself a morning person, probably because my habits weren’t setting me up for a good start.

Whether you homeschool or send your kids to a traditional school, getting kids up and ready can be a challenging part of the day. Personally, a morning routine helps me feel calmer and enthusiastic about my day, and I believe it helps children felt set for success too.

Every year around mid-December I used to begin to plan out my New Year’s resolutions which involved a laundry list of ideas I could do in the am that would radically make my life better. Drinking fresh-squeezed juice, exercise, meditation; my list was impressive. The only problem was it stayed in list form and never became a reality. Well for about a week it did, but after that, it was too much and I quickly went back to old habits.

This year I decided I would only do one thing new in my morning routine. I’d make and drink lemon water. That’s it. It’s been 8 months and I am proud to say I am still drinking my lemon water daily and so are my kids. I even started drinking celery juice and taking my supplements. What I learned about myself was I needed to take baby steps. Setting very small, manageable goals. Once I had one thing down to the point where it was automatic, like pulling the lemon squeezer out as I walk into the kitchen, then I could add something else.

Perhaps you’re reading this thinking you want to change some things about your morning routine. Are there habits you want to add, things you want to eliminate? The time to begin to change them is now. Start with one item at a time. An easier one is usually best in the beginning. I don’t recommend starting with celery juice! HA That is one to ease your way into! Make sure you enthusiastically share with the family so everyone is prepped.

Listed below are ideas for a solid morning routine.

1. Pray or meditate.

Tips: My kids wake early so my time to do this is usually short. If you’re an early riser then you can have some quality time alone to focus. I usually only have a few minutes, but it’s enough time to set my intention for the day which helps me feel more positive and ready for what lays ahead.

2. Start your day with room temperature, lemon water with honey.

Tips: I make a big batch of this for all five of us. I use 2-3 organic lemons and about 2 TBSP of organic raw local honey. I mix enough so the kids each have about 8 ounces and my husband and I have about 16 ounces. This is a great way to flush out toxins and hydrate the body for the day! Make sure you wait 15 minutes before you eat or drink anything.

3. Drink fresh juice, bonus if it’s celery juice.

Tips: This can be one of the most challenging morning routines to begin because it does involve some prep work and cleanup. Plus, if you don’t have a juicer you will need to buy one, but for me, it is life-changing to start my day with live raw juice that floods my body with major amounts of nutrients. I know throughout the day my kids will probably not drink enough water so between the lemon water and the juice we’ve given our bodies plenty of hydration to feel good through the whole morning. Celery is a powerful herb that can be juiced and should be drunk alone. Start with a few ounces and work your way up. It’s an amazing juice that cleans out viruses, pathogens, and bugs. If you want more information about the power of celery juice I recommend checking out Medical Medium. Besides celery juice, any raw juice is a great way to start your day. Just make sure that you wait about 15 minutes before eating anything else after your juice. 

4. Make a healthy breakfast.

Tips: In a busy morning schedule it can be tempting to make a quick breakfast that isn’t always healthy such as sugary cereal or a bagel but many healthy choices can be fast and easy as well. One of my go-to recipes is a detox smoothie with homemade granola on top. Another favorite in our house is oatmeal. I have about 7 breakfast meals that I rotate through so I don’t have to think much about the prep work because I keep those items on hand.

5. Take Supplements

Tips: As much as I aim to prepare healthy food for my family, I still don’t trust the overall quality of our food these days and feel our immune systems need to be extra strong with all that is going on in the world. I keep a bin on my counter with supplements. I give everyone a multivitamin, zinc, Vitamin C, and B12. For myself I do a few others.

6. Morning responsibilities

Tips: I like to give my kids a morning responsibility that they do before they get to eat breakfast. Whether it’s feeding the cats, cleaning a bathroom, or scooping a litter box, many tasks need to be done first thing in the morning that you can delegate to your children to help make your household run more smoothly.

7. Shower or Bath

Tips: If you’re tight on time in the morning this is an easy one to move to the night before bed. But my kids like to shower or take a bath in the morning so they feel awake and invigorated. Since we wait 15 minutes before eating or drinking after consuming our lemon water, it’s a good time to take a shower.

8. Making lunch

Tips: If you have time in the morning you can have your children pack their lunch. If you are worried about what they are going to pick, start buying only items that you would want them to choose. For the longest time, my husband was getting annoyed that our kids would pick chips for their lunch. Then I said to him, “stop buying them, then it’s not an issue.” It seems so silly and simple, but it’s true. If you do have some fun foods that you want for a special occasion, then keep them out of the lunch packing section of your pantry. If you need ideas, in my book, My Magical Foods, I have a full-page list of healthy snack ideas you can use to help encourage your kids to make great choices. If mornings feel tight on time, this is an easy one to move to the night before.

9. Exercise

Tips: I’m not a morning person, so I don’t like to exercise in the morning but many people are. Even a simple walk in the fresh air can be an inspiring way to start your day. Plus, you are building habits for your children that show them movement should be a priority in their daily routine.

10. Get Work Done

Tips: For many of us our brains are fresh and ready to go in the morning. It’s a good time to get some work done that needs focus. For kids, it might be a great time to read a book.

No more dreading the morning routine! You can design your morning to get everyone set for success! Remember to ease into it and begin with one habit at a time until it becomes natural. If you’re tight on time, see what you can move to the night before to take things off your AM plate. With a calm, healthy morning routine you will lay the foundation for a great day!