Getting up ready and out for nursery and school in the mornings must fall into one of the most challenging times as a parent. Especially at this time of year when it’s cold, dark, wet and windy!

There is nothing worse than having a stressful morning with our children, one which leaves you feeling guilty for the rest of the day. If this is what is happening for you in family-life - now is the time to make changes to improve this important part of the day.

If you want to make mornings and the school run heavenly there are a few tips to observe:

Be organised – reduce stress in the morning by getting everything you and your children need ready the night before.

Work as a team – encourage every family member to work together to achieve a smooth transition from home to nursery or school. Talk to your family and allocate ‘jobs’ to do the evening before and in the morning. This could be something as simple as getting school bags by the door, or putting out breakfast. Reward this behaviour with high fives and smiles.

Be gentle with yourself – some mornings will not go to plan. That’s ok! Family life doesn’t always take the image of the cereal packet family. Nursery and school will understand if you’re a little late every now and then. If you have a bad morning, get support, talk about it with your family in a calm and constructive way and plan to improve things together. Don’t try to be super human believe me it isn’t possible!

See: www.parentandbabycoach.co.uk

Next week: Encouraging good sleep habits