Get Your Kids Out the Door Fast in the Morning

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Out the Door, On Time! 12 Strategies for Speeding Up Your Mornings

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Erika Rasmusson Janes on May 22, 2012 at 2:20PM

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12 Strategies for Speeding Up Your Mornings

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a Erika Rasmusson Janes on Sep 30, 2010 at 12:29PM

No one ever told you that motherhood was synonymous with chronic lateness. But from packing the depleted diaper bag to getting your dawdlers motivated, there are plenty of reasons you probably feel like you haven't gotten anywhere on time since your baby was born. Let's face it: Kids dilly-dally, moms nag -- and no one gets out the door any faster. To the rescue: solid strategies from organization experts and real moms like you for getting your kids (and yourself) out the door.

Prep the Night Before
"The key to getting out the door fast in the mornings is to do as much as you can to prepare the night before," says organization expert Jodie Watson, founder and president of Supreme Organization. That means laying out your own and your kids' clothing; making sure backpacks have everything each child needs for the following day -- like completed homework, sports uniforms, show-and-tell items and signed permission slips -- and making lunches ahead of time. Another night-before idea: Check the weather forecast, so there's ample time to search for that "other" mitten or rain boot.