Seven Ways I Simplify Sunday Mornings

We leave for church at 8:30 on Sunday morning. There is always food to take for the fellowship meal afterward, as well as four little children to get dressed and combed and out the door. More recently we have animal chores that need done before we leave and the greenhouse and hoop beds to open to the fresh air.

It’s so easy for Sunday morning to get stressful and chaotic and a little bit desperate, until finally we all pile out the door and leave for church in a decidedly grumpy state of mind. 

It’s been a while in coming, but I’ve finally nailed down the things that make life stressful when getting ready for church, and I’ve begun to develop solutions. 

If you struggle to keep it together Sunday mornings like me, this list may be helpful.

1. Always lay out church clothes the night before. Gabe and Jasmine can get themselves dressed, so it really makes it easy Sunday morning because they just grab their clothes off the changing table where I lay them out the night before, and head to the bathroom to get ready.
2. Don’t try to make a hot breakfast. Some say you should eat a protein filled breakfast Sunday morning so your children aren’t hungry in church. For years I kept trying to make a nice big hot breakfast, but along with everything else that needed done before we got out the door, a hot breakfast was too much. We either have baked oatmeal (made the day before and reheated), or granola and milk. For protein we eat yogurt if we have it on hand. And we always have a snack on the way to church to cut down on hunger during the service.
3. Get up early. I’ve stopped expecting Sunday morning to be a relaxing, sleep in morning. If we’re going to get to church without being stressed out, I have to get up at least an hour and a half before it’s time to go.
4. Write a to-do list the day before of everything that needs done before you leave in the morning. I always do this. It’s like dumping my mind onto paper. Then I don’t have to worry about forgetting something, and yet every little task is there to check off one by one the next morning.
5. Have a designated area for things ready to go. For us it’s the countertop. Sometimes Saturday evening I’ll go ahead and put the Bibles and my diaper bag on the countertop, and then the next morning I’ll add the casserole, dessert, church utensils that I brought home to wash, a bib for Oscar, etc there on the counter. That way, if Andy has time to carry stuff out to the van there are no questions about what needs taken out.
6. Get your children to help. Our oldest is five, but it’s amazing how much the children can help with. They can help each other find jackets and shoes and put them on, carry their own water bottles out to the van, and Gabe and Jasmine can buckle themselves in. This is huge at our stage to only have two to buckle!
7. Aim to leave early for church. Technically we wouldn’t have to leave until 9 am instead of 8:30. But with an hour drive, and a few stops to get drinking water, or for bathroom breaks, it never hurts to plan a little extra time. We are usually early getting to church, but that just gives us a little more time to make sure everyone uses the outhouse before church and to get the food squared away in the church kitchen. Plus, if we take a little longer getting out the door, we don’t have to worry about being late.

What are your hacks for making Sunday morning less stressful?