I can count the number of times I have been late on one hand.  I hate being late.  Even with a newborn and a second child, I was rarely ever late (let me say rarely instead of never in case there was a one-off I do not recall).  To me, being early is on time, and being on time is late.

This said, I am not one to judge people who are chronically late.  Quite frankly, I am quite amused by their consuming desire to be on time, which never actually materialises.  I say this because strangely enough, all of my favourite people are actually people with the tardiness gene.  Strange huh?

The fact that I know and love so many people who are always late makes me symphatise with them.  Contrary to popular belief, I know that they do not do it out of disrespect.  People who are always on time think it is easy to be on time.  This, dear mamas, is not true.  Just because it is simple for you does not mean it is simple for everybody else.

I believe that being on time requires planning, forecasting emergencies and organisation skills.  Not everyone is blessed with these traits.

Being the organised and forward-thinking freak that I am, I thought I would share my 6 steps to always being on time.

Step 1: Pack your bags the night before

I always prep in advance.  I make sure the children have snacks & water packed and a few bits and pieces to keep them entertained.  Baby wipes?  Check!  Tissues?  Check!  Portable potty?  Check!
Also see if you need to prepare anything else related to any errand you are running.  You might be going to the post office for example and need to prepare a parcel.  If your kids are going to a party, write the card and wrap the present beforehand.  Returning clothes?  Place the bag including the receipt next to the door.

Step 2: Make allowances for traffic & parking

Traffic & parking have become a nightmare.  We all know it.  If you are driving during peak hours, especially in high-traffic areas, you need to add a few extra minutes to your travel time.  Think about parking too.  Unless you are parking in a parking area, or you are visiting a friend and know you will have no problem parking near her home, you need to factor in parking time too.

Step 3: Factor in a 10 minute ‘transition time’

‘Transition time’ is the time it takes you to get your kids out the door and buckled into the carseat.  We all know that this is the most challenging part of any outing!
You need to make sure you have all your bags, and that the kids have put on their shoes and jackets.  Then you remember you forgot your mobile phone on the kitchen counter.  Shoes have to go off again (at least for us; we do not wear shoes in the house).  Back to the front door.  Shoes go on again.  One kid has taken off his jacket because it is hot.  The other one is whining because he is thirsty.  You somehow manage to sort both kids out and go outside.  Lock the door. Buckle the kids in.  Pushchair and bags into the luggage boot.  Where you have you put your car keys?  You start fumbling in the bags and frantically patting the seats trying to remember where in the world you put them.  You hear a jingling noise coming from the backseat.  Your youngest is rubbing his gums with your car keys.  Help!
Do you still think you don’t need an extra 10 minutes? ?

Step 4: Get ready when the kids are asleep – or way in advance

I have my shower, get dressed, and put on my make up at a time when I can can do it in peace.  If I am going out with my husband, we take it in turns to get ready.  If we are going out in the morning or early afternoon however, I wake up earlier than my youngest (she is 3, and normally gets up at 7:15ish) and get ready when everyone else is asleep.  That way I can focus on myself for some time and start the day looking and feeling good.

Step 5: Work your way backwards

What time do you need to be where you need to be?  The day before, make a plan.  Here’s my detailed example.

10am

The time you need to be at your destination.  Driving time with no traffic is 30 minutes.  Parking is an issue.  Considering this is a busy time on the road, you need to factor in 45 minutes total for driving and parking.

9:15am

The time you need to start you car.

9:05am

The time you need to start leaving the house (you have 10 minutes of ‘transition time’).

8:45am

The time you need to start getting your kids ready.  This of course depends on the ages of your children and how challenging it is to get them dressed.  20 minutes works for me.

8:00

The time you need to be seated for breakfast.  Time how long it takes you to eat breakfast and then clean up afterwards.  45 minutes is the magic number for us.

7:45

The time you need to get breakfast started.  Once again, this depends on what you are preparing.  When we are going out in the mornings I like to opt for simpler breakfasts, so toast, cereal, fruit or yoghurt is what we usually have.

7:10

The time you need to wake up.  I like to laze in bed for 5 minutes before I get up.  Then it’s time for a shower, putting on my make-up, fixing my hair and getting dressed.  35 minutes does the trick.  See how much time you need and plan accordingly.  Of course,  this is unless your kids get up extra early and you have no one to entertain them for a while; in that case wake up before them to get yourself ready.

Step 6: Focus on getting out the door

This will make or break your success.  From 7:05am until 9:15am (which is time you need to leave), do not do anything else which is not part of your plan.  Don’t just decide to clear up the toys in the living room, nursery and hallway.  If you spot crumbs on the carpet, now is not the time to vacuum.  Each and every task you add on will essentially make you late.

A final note

Everyone’s situation is different.  When my daughter passed through a phase of trying on 5 dresses before deciding which one to wear, I had to allow an extra 10 minutes for her majesty (haha!).  What about when the kids were newborn?  Now that was one hell of a challenge!  I used to pre-empt feeding times, and slot all the above steps in between feeding, burping and nappy changes.  It used to take all day to go out but it was worth the effort nonetheless!

I sincerely hope that this blog post will help you be on time if you are chronically late.
If you are always on time, I hope that this lengthy post will help you appreciate that the effortless plans we make do not come naturally to everyone.  Show some love – share this post with whoever you feel could do with a hand!