Oprah's Tips to Conquering Morning Madness

With Back-to-School time just around the corner, Oprah has given some tips for how to make mornings run more smoothly.

1. Prepack lunches the night before
2. Prepare coffee machine the night and simply turn it on in the morning
3. Prearrange and iron clothing the night before
4. Coordinate bathroom schedules
5. Have easy breakfast food on hand (even “portable” ones like breakfast bars)
6. Create and “Inbox/Outbox” system to deal with school papers and homework
7. Use a timer to limit time wasted if you tend to linger when you eat or shower
8. Have a schedule for carpool and/or confirm rides the night before
9. Prepack backpacks, purses and briefcases the night before
10. Establish rules and routines to prevent morning temper tantrums
11. Ignore chores in the morning – worry about it when you get home

All in all, I think these are good guidelines. I try to do most of them but I find the inbox/outbox system to be the most difficult to maintain consistently.

source: Oprah.com