Stressful Mornings

Mornings in our home tend to be stressful.  I think it is because we have things that need to be done in the mornings and they need to be done efficiently so the rest of the day can run smoothly.  Tasks need to be begun before we can start our "formal schooling" part of the day. The day works more smoothly if we can get "school" started by 8am... Except it takes a lot of (non-literal) whip-cracking to get children to fulfil their responsibilities in time (they have plenty of time to do their tasks, they just get distracted easily or completely ignore what they are asked to do).

Can I make mornings less stressful?

I think working to the clock less (ie everything must be done by 8am) will help although there still needs to be the sense of routine for the day.  There still needs to be a sense of "these tasks need to be completed by x time" or else they will leave all their tasks until the end of the day and not get them completed. 

I've made new charts for their responsibilities and I am hoping that will help motivate them and keep them "on task" while not feeling like we are at the mercy of the clock.