In 2023, I unexpectedly gained full custody of my now 10-year-old daughter, which meant rearranging my entire life. At the time, I was working as a journalist for one of the oldest and most prestigious media houses in Lagos, Nigeria, while living in Ibadan. I’d chosen an apartment close to the expressway to Lagos to make my daily commute more affordable and efficient.
But with my daughter back in my life, I faced a new challenge: finding a school in the city that would work for us. My home was far from the bustle of urban life, so we had to find a school that would involve a commute. The school we found required her to be up by 5 a.m. to prep before the bus arrived. This early start not only added stress to my life and work, but it also affected my then-9-year-old daughter, who had to adjust to the same grueling routine.
Amid this chaos, I realized I needed clever hacks to bring sanity to our mornings—because who really wants to be up at the crack of dawn? Here are the strategies that helped me turn our mornings into a smoother, more manageable experience.
(1) School Change: If possible, consider changing your child’s school to one closer to home. There’s absolutely no reason for your child to be up at 5 a.m. preparing for school; they should be asleep, free from unnecessary stress in their lives.
(2) Prep Everything the Night Before: While it may not be entirely easy—especially for working moms—preparing everything the night before can help you snag that precious extra hour of sleep. Lay out clothes, pack bags, and prepare lunches ahead of time to make the mornings more relaxed.
(3) Make Mornings Fun: Play some upbeat music and throw an impromptu dance party! I’ve tested this strategy more times than I can count, and I can wholeheartedly say it’s a game changer. In no time, when Davido’s “Unavailable” comes on, my kid is up and singing, “I’m unavailable, dem no dey see me…” That song has saved me on countless mornings. Thank you, Davido!
Shoutout to fellow moms whose mornings are energized by Wizkid, Burna Boy, Kizz Daniel, Qdot (My home) and many others, we see you!
(4) Assign Tasks to Your Child (Encourage Responsibility): In my house, my kid takes charge of the dishes. Besides making sure her flasks are clean after school, she also tidies up the kitchen sink before heading out. It’s a small way to encourage responsibility, and it helps make our mornings a bit smoother.
(5) Prioritize Self-Care: Whether it’s a quick meditation or some deep breathing, self-care is key. Personally, I like to start my day with a blunt and some clove tea to center myself. A daily tarot card reading is also a ritual that helps set the tone for my day. Whatever your routine, a little self-care goes a long way in preparing for whatever the morning brings.
These little hacks took our mornings from chaos to a kind of calm. Sure, the alarms and to-do lists didn’t magically vanish, but a few smart changes brought us closer to mornings that feel, dare I say, manageable—without the dreaded 5 a.m. wake-up call. After all, who says you need to love mornings to make them work?
