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Stop Being Late: 7 Simple Steps for Getting Places on Time

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Are you the mom that always gets to your kids’ pediatrician appointment just as little bit late? Have you ever driven too fast, praying not to get a speeding ticket along the way, in an attempt to make up for lost time and get where you need to be on time? When you have kids, the odds are this has happened to you at least once. Before you had kids, throwing your hair in a pony tail and doing a quick brush of the teeth was probably all you had to do to get out the door in a hurry but, when you have kids getting out the door quickly is nearly impossible. What's a mom to do?

Here are 7 simple steps for getting places on time.

Get the kids ready the night before. This one is probably common sense but a lot of moms fail to do this one little thing that makes an enormous impact on the morning routine. You can even try putting your kids to bed in the clothes they will be wearing the next day. It's a little secret that early-bird moms may not tell you about.

Give yourself at least twice as much time as you think you need. If you are going to a new location, give yourself even more time. Look at the map in advance so you are familiar with the directions. You probably want to leave fifteen minutes to a half an hour earlier just in case you have difficulty finding the place.

Keep your keys and shoes in the same place every time. After all, you can't leave if you don't have your keys. Having an extra set of keys is also a good idea. This way, if you have an accidental brain lapse and set your keys down somewhere without thinking, you have a back up.

Have a quick and easy emergency breakfast or snack ready to go. Keep a box of cereal bars or an easy snack ready to go. Stopping at the drive-through on the way to your location can really slow you down. Although the goal of a drive-through is to get you through quickly, we all know that it doesn't always work out that way.

Get ready first and then relax. Are you the type of mom that needs to sit down and have a cup of coffee to get going? Go ahead and have your coffee but don't sit down to relax until after you have everyone ready to go. If you have plenty of extra time, then you can sit down and enjoy your cup of joe.

Be a task master. Don't count on your kids to get themselves ready. Just because you ask Johnny to go put his shoes on doesn't mean that's what he is going to do. He may just sit on the couch and go back to sleep. Give deadlines and follow up. “Johnny, you have three minutes to get your shoes on.” Then check up to make sure he has done it.

Have an extra set of clothes ready and a back up pair of shoes for the kids. Kids play. Sometimes they get their clothes or shoes dirty or wet on the way out the door. Keep a back up pair of shoes just in case you need them. And bring an extra set of clothes with you if you have little ones that may get dirty.