By Stephanie Vozza, founder of The Organized Parent http://www.theorganizedparent.com

When is the last time you started your day by putting well-fed, well-rested kids on the bus or into carpool with a kiss and a hug? More often, mornings are a whirlwind of stress as parents get kids out of bed and into school before the final bell.

Is it possible to take the stress out of mornings? Absolutely! The key is to establish a routine, bringing predictability and order to what can easily become the most chaotic time of day.

The best mornings get started the night before. In fact, what you do before you go to bed can make or break your morning.

First, lie out your child's clothes for the next day, including socks and underwear. The most organized parents will invest in a five- or seven-shelf hanging closet organizer labeled with the days of the week. Fill it on Sunday night and you're ready for the week. This is also a great place to store items kids use once a week, such as scout or sports uniforms, or dance gear.

Make sure your child's backpack is packed for the next day and stored near the door. That means homework assignments, permission slips, lunch money and snacks are all in place, ready to go, eliminating last minute searching. Do not allow your children to finish homework in the morning, and be sure that any assignment or paper that needs your signature is signed before you go to bed.

Pack lunches the night before. My boys check the school's lunch menu on Sunday and circle which days they will buy their lunch. To save even more time, I pack an entire week's lunches on Sunday night. The biggest trouble and mess in assembling a sandwich is getting the items out. I pack enough sandwiches for the entire week. Plain turkey or ham sandwiches pack ahead just fine, but you may not want to try this with peanut butter and jelly or sandwiches with condiments. You can also pre-pack items such as pretzels, carrot sticks and grapes in plastic baggies. Then simply grab enough items for one lunch, place them inside your child's lunchbox and put it in the refrigerator for the next day. In the morning, all you'll need to do is insert an icepack and put the lunch in their backpack.

Finally, get breakfast ready by putting out cereal boxes and bowls, so children can serve themselves in the morning.

In the morning, establishing and abiding by your routine is vital. Be sure to wake up before your child does, so you can take a few minutes to get your "head in the game." If your child is a slow riser, add extra time into your schedule. Consider getting your child an alarm clock, making them responsible for getting up. If they miss their ride, they're at your mercy for a ride to school or they will have to find another way of getting there. It's hard to let our children make mistakes, but one or two tardy slips might be all the motivation they need.

When children are out of bed, be sure they know what to do. Young kids do best with visual reminders. Create a chart that tells them to get dressed, brush your teeth, make your beds (and whatever other morning chores are required), and head to the kitchen for breakfast.

Set a time when everyone should be in the kitchen, allowing a few extra minutes for the unexpected, such as a baby spitting up on your clothes or a dog having an accident on the floor.

After breakfast, children should put their dishes away, grab their backpacks, coats, gloves and shoes, and head off to the bus stop or into the car.

Imagine: You and your children starting their day with no stress - at least not until you get out into morning traffic!

Stephanie Vozza is the founder of www.theorganizedparent.com, a web site that offers smart products for busy moms. She lives in the Detroit area with her husband and two boys. Contact her at Stephanie@theorganizedparent.com.