girl doing dishes

16 of 17
Stop Catering to the Kids
If you find yourself going out of your way to do everything for your family in the morning, no wonder you're scrambling to get out the door. According to time management expert Laura Stack, some parents overcompensate for the way they were raised—and don't let their kids do anything. "Parents are not servants; they're teachers," Stack says. "It's okay to let other people pack the lunches or make the beds—even if they don't do it the same way you do," she says. Stack suggests chores for each child to help speed up the get-out-the-door process. A good rule to enforce is that kids don't get their privileges—watching TV, playing video games, talking on the phone—until after they fulfill their responsibilities. Stand firm. You can try a chore-reward system (think, extra playdates) if you achieve a week of on-time arrival and departures. 

Keep Reading: How to embrace your crazy, chaotic life