6 Simple Morning Practices for Kids to Help them Succeed

I don’t know about you, but I get a tremendous feeling of satisfaction when I send my kiddos off to school knowing I’ve done everything on my part to set them up for success. There are a set of morning practices for kids that are integral to this!

Not every morning is full of rainbows and sunshine. It’s often chaotic and sometimes even stressful, but there are little moments of true beauty in between. These simple morning routines help us find them

How we spend our mornings will influence the rest of our day, and it’s the same for our kids. I encourage you to start incorporating even just one of these 6 simple, mindful practices into your kid’s morning routine, it can really help set the tone for their day/week/month/year!

Check out these 6 simple morning practices for kids to help them rise ‘n’ shine with flying colors:

1. Embrace

Human touch releases the love hormone, oxytocin. It is the ultimate “feel good” boost. It’s beautiful that a simple back scratch, hug, or “I love you” whisper can be so powerful. 

For example, while my son is an early riser and wakes up as soon as he sees a light on in the house and my 4-year-old daughter waits in her bed for me to come and get her. Some mornings it seems stressful to wake her up given everything I need to do to get my kids out the door, but I remember that this small act means so much to her. It’s something she will likely remember forever. I go upstairs in the morning and spend an extra 5 minutes with her. It’s just the “medicine” she needs to start her day in a great mood.

As for my son, I love to kiss him on the top of his head and playfully tell him that I will never stop loving him.

What’s your favorite way to embrace your family? 

2. Gratitude

Start a morning gratitude practice with your kids. My kids and I often have great gratitude conversations during our car rides to school. We each go around and think of 2 or 3 things we are grateful for. Some days we are silly and others we are more serious. The point is to model all the simple and incredibly beautiful things we have in our life that deserve a bit more attention.

3. Drink More Water

If you know me, you know that my solution for 95% of all problems is to drink more water, especially in the morning when we wake up dehydrated. At our house, we get creative to encourage drinking water. For example, we get our kids to do a 10-second countdown chug and cheer them on, or we hold a water bottle over their mouths and pretend the faucet is running… Any way you can get them to drink water is a win.

It’s also helpful to explain to your kiddos that drinking water will provide them SuperHero benefits. Once kids understand, naturally they will drink more on their own. And by water, I mean water. Not orange juice, not chocolate milk, simply good ole H2O. 

4. Healthy Fat Breakfast

Research tells us time and time again that a breakfast high in healthy fats provides sustained energy, focus, and a stable mood. There are so many incredible reasons to incorporate healthy fats into your kids’ diets daily! Set your kids up for success by serving healthy fat (full-fat yogurt, avocado toast, nuts, and seeds) over a quick carb (bagel, cereal, etc.) every day! At our house, we love eggs, and we are always changing up ways to eat them. Don’t forget about leftovers from dinner last night as an underrated, easy breakfast solution.

5. Morning Sun

The benefits of a little sun in the morning are endless! In fact, (besides egg yolks) this may be the best multivitamin you can give your kids. Before you jump in the car in the morning, spend 1–5 minutes breathing in the fresh outdoor air and soaking up some sun. Heck, send your kids outside while you are loading up the car, and in my case, grabbing my to-go coffee.

6. Movement

Can anyone else relate to that 10 am window when your kids decide to go crazy? When your kids have extra energy, movement is a great solution. Even better, try to prioritize movement in the morning. Morning movement fills our kid’s lungs and bodies with oxygen and increases blood flow to the brain. It also helps our kids get out all of their energy and wiggles so they can sit for long periods at school. There are so many free, simple ways to move our bodies, even for 5 minutes! Have a quick dance party, shake it out, or do some stretches.

We hope you’ll try even one of these 6 simple morning practices for kids! It may be overwhelming to incorporate all of these changes at once, so try just one to start. See how it makes a different in your kiddos.

Remember, baby steps add up over time. Small changes today can lead to big changes down the road!