The Morning 5: Our Game-Changer for Stress-Free School Mornings
If your school mornings feel like a battle zone—kids running late, backpacks forgotten, and teeth unbrushed—you’re not alone.
Last year, our mornings were full of chaos. My daughter would come downstairs, lovey in hand, not dressed, and completely unprepared for the day. Cue the nagging, frustration, and tears (sometimes mine). I knew something had to change, and so, inspired by my work with Sunny, a social well-being nonprofit that is based in behavior design, I came up with The Morning 5.
It’s simple. It’s positive. And honestly? It’s been a total game-changer for our family.
What Is The Morning 5?
The Morning 5 is exactly what it sounds like—a short checklist of five tasks my kids do every morning before school. Think of it as a bite-sized morning routine designed to help them feel accomplished and ready for the day, while keeping our stress levels at bay.
The Morning 5 for my daughter (age 7):
1. Make her bed
2. Tuck her lovey in her bed
3. Get dressed upstairs
4. Brush her teeth
5. Brush her hair
Simple, right? But here’s the magic: we tied it to a reward system. For every school day that she completes her Morning 5, she earns $1. By the end of the week, she’s got $5—her weekly allowance.
Why It Works
I’ll be honest—when we told the kids this summer that they’d need to start making their beds every day, they laughed in our faces. (And not in a cute way.)
But when we introduced the checklist and added that dollar reward, everything changed. Suddenly, it wasn’t about me nagging them—it was about them taking ownership.
At first, we made it super tangible by putting a dollar in a jar every morning. Seeing the jar fill up was a huge motivator for them.
Now, months in, it’s second nature. My daughter wakes up, checks her list, and gets started—all without me hovering.
Oh, and my daughter asked for The Evening 5 checklist. Umm, YES, ma’am!
Tailoring It for Each Kid
My son, who’s older (10), has his own version of The Morning 5 that reflects his responsibilities:
1. Make his bed
2. Brush his teeth
3. Brush his hair
4. Put away his laptop charger
5. Pack his gear for that day’s afterschool activity (usually soccer!)
His tasks are different, but the structure is the same. Five things, every morning, done.
Adding Flexibility (and More Fun) with Chores
Beyond The Morning 5, we’ve introduced optional chores for extra rewards.
Here’s how we break it down:
$1 chores: Putting away laundry, feeding the dogs, taking out the trash, etc.
$5 jobs: Bigger tasks, like helping Dad with yard work or tackling a big organization project with me.
We’ve also made it clear that some tasks, like taking care of our dogs, tidying up their room, helping set the table for dinner, are part of being in our family—not something you get paid for. But for the optional extras, the kids love having the choice to earn a little more.
Why You Should Try It
The Morning 5 isn’t about perfection—it’s about creating small, manageable habits that make mornings smoother for everyone. If your family has been struggling to find a rhythm, give it a try. Customize the list for your kids, tie it to a reward that motivates them, and watch what happens.
As you can see from my fridge, I may have gone a little overboard when we started—OMG. I over-thought it and made it more complicated than it needed to be, but the important thing is that The Morning 5 worked.
Since fine-tuning our approach, I created a new design and am excited to offer it as a free download: The Morning 5. If you’re local, email me, and I’ll whip out my laminating machine and make it official for you!
Check out our template, send feedback, and share it on Pinterest.
pinterest.com/aglittering
I’d love to see how The Morning 5 works in your home! Snap a photo of your customized checklist or your kids in action and share it on Pinterest.
Be sure to tag pinterest.com/aglittering/ so we can celebrate your creativity and share it with the community! Use the hashtag #TheMorning5 to connect with others and inspire even more smooth mornings!
#TheMorningFive #StressFreeMornings #ParentingWin #MomHacks #MorningRoutineForKids #PositiveParentingTips #RaisingIndependentKids #BackToSchoolHacks #ParentingSpectrumKids #ParentingADHD #ParentingAutisticKids
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