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Oh boy, this one hits close to home. I used to always be the late Mom. I come from a long lineage of late Moms. There was actually a random family that started to save us a seat in church because they knew we were going to be 10 minutes late every Sunday. There is something to be said for consistency. So embarrassing!
I hate being late. Truly hate it. I have always hated it and just never found a way to change. But I knew I could change. I just needed to dig in and do it. I read up on the psychology behind being chronically late and I found ways to cure myself of the disease. (Don't get me wrong though, I'm still late from time to time when I'm feeling nostalgic for it.)
Here are my hard-earned tips.
Prep Work:
Explain the game plan.
Explain what to expect the next day to your kids. This goes a long way. I didn't realize how much I was just barking orders at my kiddos and they didn't even know we needed to go somewhere! Well no wonder they didn't want to get ready. Ready for what Mom? Remember, they're good kids and they're on your team. They will help you be on time if they know and understand what's going on.
Get baths/showers the night before.
Have kids pick out their clothes and pack their bags the night before, right before they get in bed.
Pack food.
Pack non-perishable snacks and juice boxes or water bottles in the car in case you're running late but the kids are hungry. Throw some bibs in for good measure.
Don't forget the gas tank.
If I see it's getting near the quarter-of-a-tank line, I just go ahead and fill-up on my way home. When I know I have to be somewhere early the next day, I make sure not to put it off, even if I'm feeling lazy. I tell myself that I will be happy I did it tomorrow morning.
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On the day of:
Do not turn on the TV!
Give yourself extra travel time.
GPS is the best. Mine allows me to see exactly how long it will take me to get anywhere using real-time traffic conditions. But here's a little something "a friend of mine" always forgets; you can't teleport yourself and your kids directly from your car, in the far corner of the parking lot, into your desired destination, three stories up. And very few venues allow you to actually drive your car into the building. I don't know about you but just unbuckling the car seats and extricating the kids adds an extra few minutes for us. So use your GPS to see when you need to leave and add 10 to 15 minutes. I know you know this step already. Wouldn't you know it, actually doing it works!
GPS is the best. Mine allows me to see exactly how long it will take me to get anywhere using real-time traffic conditions. But here's a little something "a friend of mine" always forgets; you can't teleport yourself and your kids directly from your car, in the far corner of the parking lot, into your desired destination, three stories up. And very few venues allow you to actually drive your car into the building. I don't know about you but just unbuckling the car seats and extricating the kids adds an extra few minutes for us. So use your GPS to see when you need to leave and add 10 to 15 minutes. I know you know this step already. Wouldn't you know it, actually doing it works!
Give direct "Mom Orders".
Give orders on an individual basis. What am I talking about? It goes like this:
[Child's name], (squat down, get on their level and make eye-contact) "I want you to ..." Then give clear and simple instructions in 3 steps or less.
This will cut so much time off the "getting ready to go" phase.
Do not look at your phone other than to check the time.
Cute cat videos will be the end of all productivity!
Set an alarm and keep hitting snooze.
Set it for 30 minutes before you have to go and continue to hit the snooze button so that you can mark the 10 minute intervals. You'll be shocked at how quickly 10 minutes will pass.
On the last 10 minute snooze alarm give the potty-time last call.
Let them know this is their last chance to use the bathroom for X number of minutes. This also counts for our four-legged friends. I let our puppy out and crate her during last-call.
On the last 10 minute snooze alarm give the potty-time last call.
Let them know this is their last chance to use the bathroom for X number of minutes. This also counts for our four-legged friends. I let our puppy out and crate her during last-call.
What not to do:
Don't give up sleep. You need your sleep. You don't get enough of it as it is. I don't know you, but I feel comfortable saying so. It's the biggest parenting cliche and we still haven't solved the no sleep issue. I'll say it again. Don't give up sleep.
Don't yell at your kids. It makes them flustered and feel like they're bad children. They end up internalizing it and over time, it can become part of their self-identity. Only yell at your kids if you want to convey to them that they are bad children. (Never a good thing.) Or if they're in danger, then of course, yell your head off.
Don't forget that no one cares about this issue as much as you do. You're your own worst critic and your biggest champion.
That's it. That's all I did to change my bad habit. I promise that you can do it. If I was able to break my life-long history of being late, then you can too! If you follow all of these rules, you might just end up being the first one there! No speeding involved!
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