My career is technology public relations. All day, I can whoop it up with the best of the techies. But at night, I go home to a sweet little girl with her big almond eyes, round belly, golden locks and wispy eyelashes. She takes my face into her hands and says "Mom!" and giggles that musical laugh of hers – the one that makes my heart pound with happiness.

I may be a savvy PR pro by day, but my mornings are more like a circus act than a routine. If I'm lucky, I get to shower and apply makeup before my daughter is up.

But once she is awake, the toys and TV are beckoning her to stay at home rather than go to someone else's house all day long, five days a week. She is distracted by 10 things on her way to the car – the kitty cat runs by, her favorite book, the tasty-looking cheese slice on the floor from last night.

If all goes well, I'm in the office by 9:00 but I'm sweating with a headache, having no breakfast myself and only a few sips of coffee that turned cold years ago.

How do we working mothers get the mornings to be less like a circus act and more like we're savvy and in control?

Preparation and Delegation
"Routines are unprecedented," says Cindy Trotto, an Arizona-based working mother of 5-year-old Bianca and 3-year-old Justin. "What you do in the beginning with your kids sticks. You need good daycare, patience, flexibility and a good routine." And you need to know how to prepare ahead and delegate.

Pack the bags the night before or give this task to your partner. My husband leaves earlier than me and can't take her to the sitter's, but he can pack her lunch and bag the night before. Even better, pack a weekly bag on Sunday night with enough diapers, clothes or cups to leave it on Monday and take it home on Friday.

The same goes for making lunches or getting the kids ready and fed in the mornings. "My husband will put our daughter in her chair and feed her while I'm getting ready myself," says Ana Montano, an engineer and mother of Sofia. "He carries her around in the morning while she wakes up, and then feeds her so I can finish getting ready."

For single moms, it helps to prepare yourself in the morning and then wake the kids. "I wake up a little earlier and get ready while it's nice and quiet before waking up my daughter," says JoBeth Cox of Indianapolis, Ind.

Rise and Shine
Do not hit the snooze button! And wake up that child before it's time to dash out the door. She needs time to adjust in the mornings, too, and will be more agreeable.

"One thing I've found is if we wake up late, it's harder for the kids," says Trotto, who wakes her two kids up with a glass of juice and some down time talking with Mom and Dad in bed while they drink it. "They are usually thirsty first thing anyway. But we need to allow enough time between drinking and sitting down to breakfast so their bellies aren't full of juice. If we wake up late, this routine doesn't work well."

Breakfast of Champions
Do not forgo breakfast – it really is the most important meal of the day. To save time, eat breakfast before getting your preschooler up or pack your desk drawer at work full of fast, easy treats: oatmeal, fruit bars, nutritional shakes.

My daughter eats breakfast when she gets to the sitter's along with the other kids. If your child does not, make sure breakfast runs smoothly by focusing on the task at hand. Do not let television or other enticing activities get in the way. Set the breakfast table the night before, after you've cleared up dinner dishes. If you don't have time to sit down, scoop cereal into a sandwich bag and grab a piece of fruit for the kids. Or make cereal trail mix by adding raisins and peanuts to the dry cereal.

"I always eat breakfast at work," says Anna Marie Hereshko from Enola, Penn. "I keep packets of oatmeal in my desk or grab a yogurt on my way out." For son Zachary, Hereshko takes a baggie of cereal and a banana for the ride to daycare.

Red or Blue?
Have your child pick out her clothes the night before, but limit her choices to two outfits or this will take forever. Experts say you can get around the endless "No's!" if you offer limited choices. Two choices is a good number for toddlers and preschoolers, and can work for everything from getting dressed to cleaning up toys.

"Giving my kids choices helps them transition to be more independent so they can eventually dress themselves," said Trotto. "I encourage my daughter to make selections herself and we talk about the colors and whether she thinks they match."

Power Lunch
Pack your lunch with the same good foods you pack in your child's: fruit, yogurt and deli sandwiches are good choices. Cut up celery and dip in peanut butter, or use a toothpick and stick on alternating pieces of raw carrot, cucumber and peppers. Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes with the sandwich bread or spice up a peanut butter sandwich by adding granola. This may not sound as good as that chicken sandwich down the street at your favorite café, but it will give you the energy to get through the day – and will even save you money.

"If I have a conference call or early meeting, I'll pack the lunches the night before," says Trotto. "Or I will pack lunches while my husband is clearing the breakfast table in the mornings. I usually eat at our cafeteria instead of eating out. That way I'm only spending five dollars instead of 10."

Focus on the Day
"I am not a morning person and neither is Peytan," says Cox of her and her daughter. "But she is really into the calendar right now, and that gets her moving in the morning. She loves to know what the day and month are and the season. She likes to mark off the days until her fourth birthday or an event on the calendar."

In order for her kids to mentally get going in the morning, Trotto also gets her kids thinking about the day. "We wake them up and get them thinking about their day. Is it a library day, a P.E. day, or pizza day? We talk about what they need to wear or bring to school with them as it relates to the activities for that day."

And she adds, "Routines have become really important to us in the past year, especially since our daughter began school and has to be ready for the bus. It really works for us."

Want to see more?

• Moms At Work Part One – Is Returning to Work Right for You?
• Moms At Work Part Two – The Art of Interviewing
• Moms At Work Part Three – The Work-At-Home Options: Is It for You?
• Moms At Work Part Four – Making A Smooth Transition
• Working Moms Discussion Board