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Get out the door! 4 hacks to make your morning exit stress-free

These 4 at-the-door hacks will help by making morning exits more smooth for any family.
/ Source: TODAY Contributor

Check back with TODAY Parents every day for a new tip on starting the school year off right. Today's topic: Creating weekend traditions.

Sometimes I lie in bed in the morning and calmly think “It might not seem like it now, but we’re already late.” And within twenty minutes, I’m throwing shoes and socks at kids while I bark orders like “Did you brush your teeth? Come breathe on me so I can check.”

Back to school is serious stuff. Just ask these two.
Back to school is serious stuff. Just ask these two.Amanda Mushro

But not this year, friends. This year this mom is embracing all the sanity savers and parenting hacks to protect my precious sanity and shave a few minutes off our hectic day.

For starters, these 4 at-the-door hacks will help by making morning exits more smooth.

1. Keep it handy. A decorative silverware organizer is perfect to leave by the door so each family member can always grab what they need before heading out the door: phone, keys, ID tags, headphones, wallet, and even a stain remover stick

2. A visual reminder. Change the locked picture on your phone to a written note with your kid’s schedules, pickup times, and drop-off times for a quick reference at the beginning of the year.

3. Hang it up. Use decorative towel hooks inside a closet or on a wall to create a backpack nook. This gives kids the perfect place to hang their backpacks

4. Last-stop station. Create a “last minute” station using milk crates near the door. Using shoeboxes or plastic containers, store socks, hair accessories, change, and quick grab snacks like applesauce pouches or granola bars for those last minute needs.

Amanda Mushro is a mom of two and blogs at Questionable Choice in Parenting and is a member of the TODAY Parenting Team. Read more of her back-to-school parenting hacks here.

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