This post could also be titled “Mom’s Always the Last One Ready.”  Getting daughters out the door on time can be tough, but it can done.  Today, I’m sharing some simple hacks for low maintenance girls who don’t like to be late!

This post may contain affiliate links and was sponsored by Dryel.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  Please read my Disclosure Policy for more information.

My brother and sister-in-law were so sweet and invited my older girls and myself to join them to see Cinderella at the Pantages Theatre over the weekend.  The Rogers & Hammerstein musical follows the lovely Ella through her dashes to the ball in a familiar story line.  However, the Tony Award winning version adds splashes of humor and even a political commentary as the townspeople struggle for democracy.  My 10 and almost 9-year-old daughters were elated.  They had never been to the gorgeous art deco Pantages Theatre so I showed them pictures of the 1930’s decor in advance.  They’d never been anywhere as palatial, so they knew they needed to get dressed up.

They spent the evening before trying on dresses and swapping earrings.  It was pretty much the cutest thing ever.

But with a bit of a drive up to LA and three girls to get out the door on time, we needed a plan.

How I Get My Daughters Out the Door on Time

Prep the Night Before

My girls were so thrilled at this grown-up fun that it wasn’t hard to get them to prepare the night before.  Just like school days, laying out outfits, shoes, etc helps a ton.  But part of our night before prep is talking about what’s to come.  Share the timeline for the day.  Not only does it outline expectations, but it gives my girls a sense of ownership over their time.

Explain the value of timeliness

I’ve passed onto my daughters my trepidation of being late.  Watching the minutes pass by make me clench my teeth and my blood pressure rise.  Knowing this about myself, I always leave 15 minutes more than what Mapquest suggests.  On one hand, I should help my daughters not to stress.  Figuring I’m relatively calm about most things, I’ll give myself a pass on this one.

Instead of instilling fear of being late, a more productive option is explaining why its important to be on time.  Being on time shows you care. Planning to be early allows you some wiggle room in case something unexpected happens, like traffic or the realization you haven’t had three gallons of coffee yet and desperately need to race through Starbucks.

Pick easy styles to wear

My tweens have very different hair.  One has very straight hair, and the other has waves.  When you’re trying to get out the door on time, rock what you’ve got.  If you’re short of time or trying to get a lot of ladies out the door at once, pick a hair style that features your natural look.  DevaCurl Light Defining Gel is my favorite product for curly hair, by the way.

Delegate Tasks for Getting Out of the House

There are so many steps to getting out of the door that are unrelated to fashion and beauty.  Now that my girls are older, they can totally help close windows and lock doors. Having them help out with these simple steps cuts means I have time to put on lipstick in front of an actual mirror.

Have Hacks on Hand

Since my tweens were so excited about getting to go see Cinderella, I spent amused by their antics as they daydreamed above the music, the costumes, and how grown up they are.  I didn’t put any thought into what I would wear the night before.  I’ve got a safety net of sorts with Dryel At-Home Dry Cleaning.

I’ve written about Dryel before. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to dry clean your clothes at home.  It’s starts with the included fabric protection bag and dryer activated cleaning cloths.  Add the articles you want to clean into the bag with a cleaning cloth.  Put them in the dryer according the package instructions and wait.  It only took 15 minutes to refresh and renew my dress for the show.

If you’re short on time and need to get out the door, Dryel can get you from pajamas to the Pantages on time!

You can pick up Dryel at major retailers or online.  Eliminating the errand of heading to the dry cleaner means extra time to spend with my tweens.

How do you get out of the house on time? Share your tips in the comments!