How do I stay present in my daily prayers?

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. I write about gratitude in small things, but when it comes to my salah I often feel like I am running through a checklist while the house hums around me. The youngest asks for milk during maghrib, the kettle clicks for tea at fajr, a text lights up my phone as I stand for rukoo. Sometimes I close my eyes and my mind is already planning dinner. I want the quiet of the prayer to feel like a conversation, not an item on the to-do list. What small, real things have helped you slow down and be present in prayer?