For many families, getting out the door in the morning is one of the biggest hurdles in our day, whether you’ve got one kiddo or multiples. Mama needs to get ready, children need to find that missing sock, and everyone needs to find something to eat—all while making it to the car before the entire day is running behind.

So we asked Chairman Mom members for their best tips and tricks to getting out the door faster in the mornings. H ere’s what they shared:

1. Get your kids to help prep the night before

“The simplest thing you can do to streamline the morning is prep everything that can be prepped the night before. Often easier said than done. But once your kids are old enough, they can own a lot of this.”—Amy

2. Set an alarm using your kid’s favorite song

“Something small that saves us a few minutes: I put on an alarm with my 3 three year old’s favorite song at 7:42, he knows it signals it’s time to get his shoes and coat on.”—Nogo

3. Use smart technology

“We use Google Home (I’m sure Alexa would do this too) to read kids a story. So much easier to stop after the story is over then telling her to shut off the tv from watching a show!”—Maven

4. Try wearing a mom uniform

“I don’t wear make up, and my hair is an inch long, so I do not spend any time styling anything. I have an Office Casual Uniform arrangement of clothing, shoes, and jewelry, so there is no real choice involved. I have a coffee maker that is programmable, so I set it up the night before to brew at 6:15am.”—Melinite

5. Simplify your beauty routine

“I do mascara and tinted sunscreen. Lipstick that I can put on without a mirror.”—Julie

6. …and your kid’s beauty routine

“I brush and braid my daughter’s hair the night before so that we don’t have to deal with tangles in the morning. This saves the morning from going off the rails…”—Crystal

7. Hire extra help just for the mornings

“I have a nanny for 45 minutes every morning that comes to help us. That’s the best hack my husband and I have found to have happy and stress free mornings and be working or at work by 8 or 8:30 am.”—Maria

8. Make breakfast super easy

“Keep breakfast food at my office (instant oatmeal, nuts + dry fruit) that I eat at my desk while doing the first round of email.”—Petya

9. Find those lost socks

“Whenever I have a MOMENT I prep lunches, fix sandwiches, put them in Tupperware, chop fruit, etc. (Oh! I even let the kids earn extra spending money by chopping the week’s fruit for me on Sunday with butter knives) And get uniforms and SOCKS ready. Finding socks can eat up a good 10 minutes of my morning routine.”—Sarah

10.  Take the guesswork out of what your kid will wear

“I have a toddler who hates changing out of her PJs so we just dress her in her day clothes the night before—one less battle to fight in the morning.”—Jess

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