Help your teen start the day with a productive morning. A morning routine sets the tone for their and your entire day…and week really! Whether you’re homeschooling or navigating a busy school schedule, creating a positive morning routine with purpose is a GAME CHANGER!
So we have found that our teens are NOT morning people haha! You’re shocked, right?! hahah. Over the last while we have managed to ease that struggle with a predictable and consistent morning routine. They do absolutely have some choice in what this looks like.
After they wake up and have pulled themselves together, they practice their instrument, workout, and help with chores. By the time 8:00 am has come around, they’re far more focused and motivated for the day. Why do we torture our teens (and ourselves) with these morning activities? Because it’s so important to their personal development, and we’re building lifelong habits.
There are also amazing benefits in other areas of life that come from these morning activities. We’re laying a foundation for discipline, creativity, physical health, and responsibility, ultimately starting the day ready for success.
Fueling Creativity and Discipline to Start the Day
Why Practice in the Morning?
A good night’s sleep (assuming your teen got one) = a mind that is fresh and ready to learn new skills. With less distraction in the early hours, morning practice sessions are optimal! My 13-year-old has been learning to play the guitar, and my 14-year-old the bass guitar. Practice is a point of resistance, but morning has been better for focus and quality practice sessions.
Starting the day with a creative outlet has been ideal! Your teens don’t have to play an instrument to reap the benefits of starting the day out with some creativity. Art, drawing, writing, journaling, language learning, or even coding can set a tone of intention and focus for the day. These activities fuel creativity AND instill discipline. Which helps teens develop a strong routine that supports personal growth.
While music is our creative go-to, really, the key is to find something that they like. Something that engages your teen’s mind, sharpens their focus, and builds a sense of achievement early in the day.
Cognitive Development
Whatever it is – music, writing, coding, etc. These activities stimulate the brain in ways that enhance memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. Which are essential in learning. Daily engagement in these mental exercises boosts cognitive abilities that lead to academic success. Especially in subjects like math and language. Drawing or writing also require the use of both hemispheres of the brain, improving creativity and logical thinking. Morning routines with mentally challenging activities will help your teen throughout the day with sharper cognitive functions and better concentration.
Emotional Growth
Creative activities, including music, art, and writing, are powerful outlets for emotional expression. These years are a period of heightened emotions. Giving teens a way to channel their feelings can be SO therapeutic. Things like strumming a guitar, sketching a new design, or writing a short story let your teen process emotions like stress and anxiety in their own way. Having this built in “emotional release” in the morning routine is kind of preventative. Your teen will be more likely to navigate unexpected emotional ups and downs that pop-up throughout the day..
Academic Performance
You may already know that studies show a positive link between creative activities and academic performance. Creativity is associated with better grades and improved skills in critical subjects like math, science, and languages. Incorporating these activities into your teen’s morning routine helps with focus. Making them more prepared to face academic challenges later in the day. Creative and artistic activities also build discipline, a key trait for success in school and life in general.
Discipline and Time Management
Dedicating time to these tasks each morning, your teen will also learn the importance of commitment and perseverance. Developing a morning routine that includes structured practice or creative work encourages them to manage their time effectively. This extends beyond the morning too, helping them maintain focus throughout the day, achieve academic goals, and pursue personal interests.
Overall, incorporating creative activities into your morning routine helps your teen start the day with a sense of purpose! It also provides numerous cognitive, emotional, and academic benefits.
Morning Workouts to Energizing the Body and Mind to Start the Day Right
The Importance of Physical Activity First Thing in the Morning
Physical activity in the morning is a game-changer. It wakes up the body, boosts metabolism, and sets the stage for an energetic day ahead. Doing a cardio workout, strength training, or yoga, morning exercise helps your teen start the day with a clear mind and increased focus.
This is an area where I give my kids a lot of freedom. I really just want them to move and get the blood flowing. I also don’t want to end up with teens that hate exercising or physical activity. So, allow out of the box ideas. Some of the things they have chosen as workouts include walking the dogs, jumping on the trampoline, fly fish casting practice, or youtube workouts.
As a mom and even when I was teaching, making sure I was considering the whole child/teen was a priority. I can’t ever claim to be perfect at it lol, but, you know, I try. In the book Teaching with the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen, he talks about the mind-body link. To put it simply, movement and learning are processed in the same area of the brain. What does this mean? Well physical activity plays a key role in cognitive development and overall wellness for teens, and not solely for their physical health.
Other Benefits to Your Teen Beginning the Day Right:
Physical Health
Obviously regular exercise or movement helps teens improve their strength, endurance, and overall fitness. It also helps to prevent issues like obesity at a young age. Morning workouts help teens set themselves up for a successful day. It’s a great way to get daily physical activity in, which are so important during these year, like we’ve already discussed..
Mental Health
Morning movement or exercise gives teens a mental health boost. This releases endorphins (the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals) that help regulate mood and provide mental clarity. Stress, anxiety, and mood swings are no strangers to teen development, but consistent morning workouts can help keep these in check. It also builds resilience and a positive mindset.
Enhanced Learning
Exercise increases blood flow to the brain. This improves focus, attention, and memory, which is CRUCIAL in learning. In other words, a morning workout is like priming the brain for academic and problem solving tasks required in academic work.
Social Skills
Morning workouts or exercise could be done with a sibling, in a group, as a family. Which lends to better communication and a teamwork.
Building Responsibility Through Starting the Day with Morning Chores
Incorporating Chores into the Morning Routine
I have always dreaded the battle of the chores, but not so much anymore. Now that chores are incorporated into our morning routine my kids don’t resist so much because they know it is what we do each morning. They also get to choose which chores they want to do from a list of household things that need to be done. This gives them some autonomy.
It has helped them grow more responsible and independent. They have a sense of accountability and ownership over their environment, because they are contributing to family life. The best part… their chores get done early, which frees up the rest of the day.
Life Skills
Chores teach practical skills that your teen will need for going out on their own someday. Washing dishes, folding laundry, sweeping floors, etc. instill the importance of cleanliness, organization, and self-sufficiency. The consistency will help your teen create a good habit that will make moving in adulthood a little bit less stressful.
Responsibility and Ownership
Home is the first place a child learns to be a contributing member. Something as simples as a chore or two can give your teens a sense of ownership. I know, we talked about this, but I thought it was worth mentioning again. Because it teaches them the value of their help in maintaining a clean and organized living space. This sense of responsibility is super valuable as they grow older. The older they get the more roles and tasks they’ll take on. Both at home and in the outside world.
Time Management
Yikes! I don’t know if your teens struggle with this, but this might be our biggest hurdle! Learning Life balance in our house, like chores with schoolwork, extracurriculars, and hobbies has truly been an uphill battle! BUT sticking to our morning routine (even when I don’t want to) has given my kids a sense of structure. Not only does instrument practice and chores free up time later in the day, their responsibilities are prioritized and met.
Character Building (No teen wants to hear these two words either)
Daily chores and responsibilities build a strong work ethic and patience in teens. Completing tasks—no matter how small— again, provides a sense of accomplishment and pride. It will take time, BUT your teen will develop a greater appreciation for the value of hard work. And hopefully perseverance. These character traits are super important in preparing for the challenges of adulthood.
Setting the Foundation for Your Teen to Start the Day Right
By working with your teen to start the day with a structured morning routine, you are giving them an invaluable set of tools. These will be important to personal growth, discipline, and success. Building in activities like instrument practice/art, working out, doing chores, etc. contribute to their development in meaningful ways. Mostly, I think it’s so important to do what works for you and your teen(s). These are just the things that have worked best for us. Since starting though, I have seen my boys be able to problem solve better, make healthier choices, take on more responsibility, and manage time better. And one of them is neurodiverse. I do feel like we are heading in the right direction for success in beginning adult life.
If you’re homeschooling, I’m telling you! A morning routine that promotes creativity, health, and discipline can make all the difference. It can be a challenge to establish, and you’re likely to get pushback. But when you help your teen start the day with purpose, you set them up for success. In every area of life. Even if you’re not homeschool, you can establish an effective morning routine.
If you have a morning routine, we’d love to hear about it! What benefits do you see? Any tips and insights to share? Feel free to leave a comment with your experiences.
