5LittleMonkeys Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 We start school at 9. Well, let me correct that...we are supposed to start school at 9. I get my dc up at 8. I think an hour should be plenty of time for personal hygiene, dressing, making bed, eating and being ready for school. Apparently my dc think not. I have my own things that I have to take care of in the a.m. so I'm not able to hover over the top of them all morning making sure that they are moving toward being ready at 9. I hate to run our school like a b\m but I'm considering instituting tardy slips or something! I DO NOT want to get up any earlier. I am a night owl and do some of my most productive work between 10 and midnight. So, how long does it take your dc to get ready for school and how have you been able to ensure they are ready without having to micro manage them all morning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 My kids get up at 7, and we start at 8:30. Well, the younger two. Having issues with eldest in this area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Mom4 Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 With DD10, I can get her up most days at 8am and she is ready by 9am. But that is mostly because we have the rule that she can watch her favorite TV show at 8:30am while she eats breakfast IF she was done all her other preparations (dressing, hair, etc). Not ready, no TV. Motivation is the key for her - if she didn't get to watch her show, she would probably see no reason to keep moving along in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Your older dc should certainly be capable of getting ready in the morning, but I would expect the 8 and 5yo to need lots of supervision and direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisy Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 30 minutes and that includes breakfast, but my kids are all up hours before we start school. If your kiddos are goofing off, maybe they need to get up earlier and have some time to play or get the wiggles out. My kids are up by 6am usually (This morning it was 5:15) and we start school at 8am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 So, how long does it take your dc to get ready for school and how have you been able to ensure they are ready without having to micro manage them all morning? I'm also a night owl, and I like to start school no later than 9ish. My kids wake up before I do, and they fix breakfast and begin their schoolwork - on their own. They're not always dressed, nor will their hairs and teeth always be brushed, but they have food in their bellies and schoolwork in progress. That priority works for me :D. We break around 11am. I prepare lunch, and this is when they get dressed, do hygiene, and have "recess" or free play until lunch is ready. It's a great motivator to get dressed quickly and tend to hygiene matters so there is more time to play. It's great for me, too, because when we're battling over hygiene issues ("Brushing doesn't mean suck on a wet toothbrush!") it's not keeping us from school, it's keeping us from lunch. That's less stressful for me. I don't know if that'll work in your house, but we've found our happy place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 My kids are woken up at 7. They get dressed, practice their instrument, do spelling with dad, and have computer time with their Logic or typing programs. They get breakfast for themselves and their younger sibs (not baby) at 8am and are sitting, ready for school by 8:30. They are 9 and 7. :) Of course, it's only been two weeks so we'll see how long this all lasts. :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pooh bear Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 My ds is Mr. Slow. No matter how early he gets up, he is still not ready on time. Timers do work, most of the time. But he has been known to be cleaning his teeth whilst watching his math DVD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momto3indians Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 At first we were up super early and since they hit the sack at 8:30 at night and hubby & I had the rest of the evening 'kid free' starting school super early worked perfectly! As the years went by the starting times changed like the seasons of weather! hahaha...by the time my last who is now a freshman in college (and back to waking up super early!) was in her final few years of high school....I just allowed her get up on her own. She knew what she had to accomplish in a given day!! When she got a job in 11th grade once again that 'accountability factor' kicked in and she was much more disciplined.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted September 15, 2011 Author Share Posted September 15, 2011 Your older dc should certainly be capable of getting ready in the morning, but I would expect the 8 and 5yo to need lots of supervision and direction. I should have clarified that the 5yo doesn't get up until around 9:30, but he wakes up on his own, dresses, makes his bed, brushes his teeth and comes downstairs for me to get him breakfast. I WISH the others would be as self-sufficient as he is. I normally wouldn't expect an 8yo to be able to get ready in the morning but she has, on a regular basis in the past, shown that she is capable of completing a morning routine without supervision. However, I don't really mind giving her little reminders throughout the morning. It really is the two oldest that I'm getting irritated with. I guess I feel frustrated that at their ages I'm having to resort to threats or bribery to get them to be punctual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamauk Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 My kids are 8 & (almost) 6. I wake up at 6:30 every morning (because I enjoy a quiet cup of coffee). I wake the boys up at 7:15. They are allowed to watch TV, play Legos, snuggle with dad, whatever, until 8:00. At 8:00 they are called to breakfast. Then they go get dressed, make their beds and brush their teeth. They then have a little more free time and we are all at the table, ready to work at 9:00. I have found that if I don't build free time into our mornings, things do not go well at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted September 15, 2011 Author Share Posted September 15, 2011 Hmmm, well I don't know if free time would help or not but I could try it. I'm thinking that maybe the older two need to get alarm clocks. I shouldn't have to get up earlier just because they are slow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plain jane Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Hmmm, well I don't know if free time would help or not but I could try it. I'm thinking that maybe the older two need to get alarm clocks. I shouldn't have to get up earlier just because they are slow. :iagree: With this sentiment. :) For us, it has been the opposite. I find if I allow free time in the morning, that the kids drag their little behinds and/or get distracted and school starts up late. I allow them 15 min to dress, brush teeth/hair, make beds and they do just fine with that before jumping into their morning lessons. I find the kids don't need a half hour to eat breakfast (other meals, yes) so they're able to have their dishes put away in that time as well. On days when I've been busy with something to start school at 8:30, it is harder to get them going and away from whatever it is they went to do instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 My kids have no choice but to hurry or they'll miss the bus. They get up at 5:50 and the bus picks them up at 6:40. They shower, dress, eat breakfast, and go. When we homeschooled they were more apt to dawdle because they did not risk my ire by missing the bus. LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Well it is currently 11:09am and the kids are just eating breakfast, and we are all still in our jammies. I am on the way to the shower and by the time I am human for the day, they will be done eating and ready to start. Today is not a normal day, but we had a very late night. Normally we start at about 10 am. We are not morning people at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5LittleMonkeys Posted September 15, 2011 Author Share Posted September 15, 2011 My kids have no choice but to hurry or they'll miss the bus. They get up at 5:50 and the bus picks them up at 6:40. They shower, dress, eat breakfast, and go. When we homeschooled they were more apt to dawdle because they did not risk my ire by missing the bus. LOL. My two oldest went to ps 2.5 years ago and they were able to catch the bus everyday with only 30 minutes to get ready. Yah, they are taking advantage of the situation. Now, how to fix it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 My kids (age 4/almost 5) generally take about a half hour (including vision therapy) - unless they are sulking or procrastinating. Procrastination has been a big issue, so I have to require them to do A before they can start B, etc. If they get up before me, they can play until I come and give orders to get dressed. Then they are supposed to focus on getting dressed until they are completely ready (I do their hair and back fasteners only). Then they can have something to eat, and if they finish that early, they can play until it's time to go to school. We go in cycles. Everything is great for a few days, then the procrastination starts along with me giving too many "reminders," and finally I get sick of it and institute consequences (e.g., no evening treat, early bedtime), and then we get back to efficiency - until it starts all over again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 With me lighting a fire under them? About an hour. Left to their own devices? About 8 hours ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 it takes us both a while to get woke up /alert/agreeable in the mornings....but I've been thinking it might be easier for us to start earlier in the day--our average start time is 10ish.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Some have told me I'm harsh, but I'll make my kids start lessons on time even if they haven't eaten. Not my fault if they choose to play instead of eat. Now, when I give them one warning of what time it is, they buckle down and eat breakfast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Sorry I haven't read many of the replies yet. My kids and I get up at 7:00 a.m. We eat breakfast first and lounge around until about 7:30 or 7:40. Then the kids get dressed and brush their teeth. At 7:55 we meet for the Pledge of Allegiance and to sing a patriotic song. Each day one child gets to be the flag holder and pick out the song. They take turns doing this which they think is very fun. Once in a while someone is not ready and is upset that he/she missed the opening ceremonies. This usually convinces that kid to get ready on time in the future. If I had older kids who were not motivated by the opening ceremonies, I would just say that they needed to do the work they missed in the morning for "homework." My kids consider "homework" one of the most terrifying words they have ever heard, so that usually does the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 The house is all awake and up at 7. We dawdle/play for about half an hour and then start doing chores and breakfast. I make them do almost all of their chores (cleaning the bathroom can wait) before breakfast. That gets my son moving because he's always starving in the morning. We start school at 9, too. I imagine it will get harder as he gets older and wants to sleep in more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Umm "prepare"? We eat breakfast when I wake up...usually by 8:30a.m. They brush their teeth. We start. We don't get dressed unless we want to or are leaving the house. We don't do household chores until after we are done with schoolwork. There's really no "preparing". It's more like, "Okay, done with breakfast, great, go brush teeth and let's get started on our schoolwork". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaMa2005 Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 DS is up at 7:00 and school starts at 8:00. That is plenty of time for chores, personal hygiene and breakfast. Privileges are lost (for the day) for every 5 minutes late. Rarely do we have a problem :) . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeaCookiesBears Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 My two dd's have their own time schedules. Dd12 likes talk and do anything to distract herself and others but ironic part is she gets up not to long after me most of the time. Dd5 is like her father, a night owl and no matter how early I try to put her to bed she still goes to sleep late and get up late. And heaven forbid if she has a nap then she will not sleep until it is close to the time for her to get up. So, because of dd's being like night and day I try for 10am no later than 11am to get everything done including chores. What I might try is getting girls up earlier no matter what to get them to see that I mean business getting ready for the day:glare:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 In our house it's not the children who need to be told to get ready. More like me. I make my ds who sleeps in his undies put on pants for school, but otherwise, as soon as I get up and stagger downstairs, we start. They're generally been up for ages at that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Oh. :001_huh: Are we supposed to have a regular Start Time? :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Forever and two days. I've timed it. Actually, the younger two get up and get going pretty quickly. Sometimes Sarah has been up doing school work an hour before I even get up. Kelsie(14) though, she's the one that takes for.ever. She's hard to wake up, and hard to get going. It runs about an hour for her. Unless I am cracking the whip :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwjx2khsmj Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I take dd15 to public school at 8:00. When I get home dd12 and I walk the dogs then we all take care of the other animals. We are all usually having breakfast around 9:30. School work begins when breakfast is cleared. I suppose I could count the walk and animal care as the beginning of the school day. Those activities are as valuable as the more academic activities. Our getting ready only involves breakfast and teeth brushing on most days. Getting dressed is optional for the dc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 I usually get mine up between 7:30 and 8 and start at 9, but mine were still lagging behind at times. Now that I've instituted the rule that they don't eat until their chores are done, they're rarely late getting things done. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Mine are younger, but like someone else posted, they do their morning chores before they eat breakfast. Dh leaves for work about 8:00, they do chores, eat breakfast (I always make a warm breakfast), and then school starts when the baby goes down for his morning nap. Right now only my oldest is schooling for the morning session, but I would like to add some together learning first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 30-40 minutes to get ready; 1 hour if they both shower. I get up at 6 am. I get ready for the day-pick up the house, any dishes that need done, start the laundry, get out school. I get them up at 7am. They eat, brush teeth, get dressed and are ready for read aloud by 7:45-8am. I run a tight ship because I have to leave for work at noon. We almost always make it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 You've got kids moving into that weird teen-sleep age. They're wide awake late at night and dragging in the morning. At my house, I just make sure they eat and brush teeth before we do school. Getting dressed, showering, and chores can all wait until we need a break from the books. If they did all that BEFORE school, they have a 30 minute break/recess. If not, they catch up on the morning routine. My son is a morning person, gets dressed quickly, and always wants breakfast in the morning. My teen daughter just wants a drink or a little fruit and waits to eat til she's been up a while. If your teens are really dragging their feet, they might have to lay out their clothes the night before, or go to bed earlier. You may need to require that they turn in their gadgets to you at night. I have a weak spot for late-night reading and am reluctant to limit that. My daughter just has to suffer in silence the next day if she's up too late :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketgirl Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 My goal for us is 8, if we start at 8 we'll get everything "in" in a leisurely way - no rush; and be done early, by 2. But it just doesn't seem natural, so far we are slow to get up & get going but it may be "summer - lag/jet lag" We only started last week after many, many late nights and late mornings ( due to moving ). I love our school schedule, I love our goals, but I love the rhythms of "life" as irregular as they may be, and we roll with them...So this week we went gung-ho after last week being our "first" week. Gung-ho Monday, then suddenly, Tuesday, we spent all day moving, no "school" assignments, then back to "school" on wednesday. My point I guess is, having a goal is good, but I'm also flexible for those days we can't plan...and either way I know that learning is happening... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 Well... he's just turned 12. Puberty things are happening. He wants to sleep a LOT more. Getting him out of bed is more of a challenge, but once he's up and dressed, he's okay. He'll go and do barn chores with no problem. Once he's had something to eat, he's usually good to go for lessons. We're just 2 weeks into our year, though. It's been remarkably good. His attitude toward school has made it pleasant for all of us (him included). I probably just totally jinxed it by typing it out loud, but it's been so nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted September 17, 2011 Share Posted September 17, 2011 My son gets ready in about 15 minutes. If he doesn't get ready and start on time, he may lose privileges (cell phone, internet and/or Xbox time, eating lunch out, etc.) or have to do double the amount of time he's late after school hours.... It has not happened within my memory.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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