Anyone with more than one child can attest to the fact that getting their children ready in the mornings and bedtime can be exhausting, physically and emotionally! In the mornings, we need to make sure that teeth are brushed, hair is combed, beds are made, and pajamas are in the hamper (not in the middle of the floor). Before bed, we need to see that they have again brushed teeth, changed clothes (and put the dirty ones in the hamper), used the toilet, and tidied their rooms. Multiply these verbal commands and reminders for two, three, four or more children, and you quickly become very irritated by the sound of your own voice!
We streamline our mornings and bedtimes with lists of “habits” that the children need to complete each day. I made a laminated chart that lists “Morning Habits” on the front and “Bedtime Habits” on the back. Each habit has an accompanying picture so that children that can’t read yet can visually see what they need to do. The charts are hung on the knob of their closet doors, right where they need them when they are getting themselves ready in the mornings and evenings. At the bottom of each list, I typed an applicable Bible verse for the children to think about.
