Getting yourself out the door on time on weekday mornings is tough enough. But when you've got kids to manage on top of it, it's a recipe for multitasking madness. Besides getting them up, dressed, showered, groomed and fed, there are lunches and snacks to pack, notes for the teacher to write, permission slips to sign, backpacks and homework to gather, and maybe even socks and shoes to find.

There's way too much to do, which gets compounded with the more kids you have. Even if you're organized, the best-laid plans can go awry, when, for example, your preschooler throws an outfit fit or your grade-schooler refuses to eat anything.

The good news? It gets easier as kids get older because they can take on more morning responsibility. The trick is to establish healthy habits and to get into a manageable routine, so you can gradually delegate to them. Here are top tips from moms who've found solutions to common morning time traps and sanity snatchers.