10 Tips for a More Organized Morning

1. Teach your children to use an alarm clock or clock radio. Nagging is not the way to begin anyone's day!

2. Organize your closet for easy access to your clothes. Help your children do the same in a way that works for them.

3. Choose clothing and accessories the night before. Steam wrinkled clothes in the shower.

4. Pack lunches the night before. Make sandwiches in multiples and freeze.

5. Keep quick nutritional breakfast items on hand at all times. Make coffee the night before and put on a timer.

6. Identify a place to put car keys and other items you need when you leave the house in the morning. Organize hats, gloves, umbrellas etc. for easy accessibility.

7. Have a large, easily accessible container to collect loose change readily available for lunch money and tolls.

8. Identify a specific place for children to put papers, which require action by parents, e.g. magnetic pocket on fridge. Give each child a basket for papers, which do not require action to look at together late in the week.

9. Use color to identify ownership on clothing, books, cassettes and other items that may cause arguments.

10. Use Post-it notes for reminders to your children -- include positive messages such as "Good luck on math test" or "Good job on room clean-up."

© Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.ProductiveEnvironment.com

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