Mornings at your house?

[SewingMom2many]

I'd love to hear how the mornings at your house go.  Do the kids get up and dressed before leaving their rooms? Are you up first? Do you start school at a certain time or just whenever the kids get up?  Do you have all the kids get up at by a certain time?
 

In our family, the kids used to just bounce out of bed and were ready to begin the day but I've noticed over the past 6 months or so it's gotten to where they just shuffle into the living room and plop on the couch.  Somehow our dynamic has changed and I want to fix that.  I'm thinking maybe if they got up and get dressed right away that would help.  Maybe we need to set an alarm and get up like we did years ago when I had kids in public school? I'm not sure what it is but something needs to change.  Any advice? 

 

 

[The Girls' Mom]

Every single person in this house has a different morning routine..lol.  

 

Dh is up before the crack of dawn most mornings.  (He doesn't sleep well)  He works from home, so he just wears whatever.  

 

I usually sleep for another hour or so after he gets up.  I usually get dressed (kind of...whatever is laying around) and have a cup of coffee before I even want to speak to anyone.  I'm up and showered by 6:30 on days I have school at college though.

 

One daughter sets an alarm to be up by 7 or 7:30.  She just doesn't like to start the day any later.  She often reads in bed for a bit, but stays in her PJs all day unless we are going somewhere.  She often has schoolwork done before lunch.  

 

One daughter usually wakes up on her own by 8 or 9.  She also reads in bed for a short while and then eats something.  She starts slower though, and often waits until 10 or so to begin schoolwork.  Also a PJ wearing kid.

My oldest would frequently sleep until someone woke her up, whether that was at 8AM or 2PM.  I usually would make her get up by 9:30 on school days.  However, with college and work, she now keeps her own schedule.  She the only one of us that has to leave the house regularly right now, so she is usually dressed before leaving her room.

As you may guess, we aren't breakfast eaters.  

[Mergath]

I'm a night owl, so dd usually wakes up first and drags me out of bed around 8:30 or so. (Dh gets up and leaves for work by six.) I stagger into the kitchen and poke buttons on the keurig until coffee comes out, then drink it while dd has her allotted two cartoons. Neither of us are huge breakfast eaters, so we'll usually nibble on some toast or fruit during this time, otherwise I'll make a bigger breakfast after I finish caffeinating. Then we do showering/dressing/etc., and after that we start school.

[Rivka]

We're a one-car family, so I get up in the mornings and drive my husband to work. Usually, while I'm gone the kids get up and settle on the couch with their electronic devices. I come home around 7:45 and drink a gigantic mug of tea while staring at my own computer. Once I've finished my tea, I get in the shower and send the kids to get dressed. Then they eat their breakfast while I read aloud to start the "morning time" portion of our school day.

 

If someone is sleeping in, I wake them up when I head for the shower.

[TracyP]

I wake up somewhere between 5:00-5:45. If I'm not up on my own by 5:45 dh will wake me before he leaves for work. I like to get dressed right away but it doesn't always happen. My oldest dd likes to wake up and do math early, so I wake her up around 6 and we do math together.

 

My kids wake up starving. :001_rolleyes: So typically by 7, everyone is up and breakfast is on the table. One of my kids dresses himself before leaving the bedroom. The others stay in jammies until after breakfast. After breakfast, I direct the little kids to get dressed, brush teeth, etc. My oldest 2 know the routine, so they go off and do their own thing. After getting dressed, we get right into school.

 

As we get into summer, these mornings will creep later and later, but the routine (minus school) will stay the same. When we get back to fall, I will wake any sleepers at breakfast time so that we can get back in the same routine. It may sound a bit drill-sergeantish, but a good morning routine sets the stage for the day and keeps me sane.

[Ellie]

I'd love to hear how the mornings at your house go.  Do the kids get up and dressed before leaving their rooms? Are you up first? Do you start school at a certain time or just whenever the kids get up?  Do you have all the kids get up at by a certain time?

 

In our family, the kids used to just bounce out of bed and were ready to begin the day but I've noticed over the past 6 months or so it's gotten to where they just shuffle into the living room and plop on the couch.  Somehow our dynamic has changed and I want to fix that.  I'm thinking maybe if they got up and get dressed right away that would help.  Maybe we need to set an alarm and get up like we did years ago when I had kids in public school? I'm not sure what it is but something needs to change.  Any advice? 

 

We used to wake up around the same time--7:30-8. I shower at night so that I can get dressed right away, so I'd do that, and make my bed, and go out to start breakfast. Dc were not allowed to watch TV until they were dressed and had breakfast, and then it had to be off by 9, so not much TV in the morning. :-)  I was lazy in teaching them to make their beds. ::heavy sigh:: I cleaned the kitchen as soon as we finished eating, while dc were getting dressed. We were usually ready for the day by 9ish.

 

A friend who had six children required them to get up, get dressed (including shoes), and make their beds before coming out for breakfast. I think she woke them all at the same time.

[wendyroo]

My kids are all little and need a lot of help with morning tasks, so I keep us on a pretty tight schedule so the process does not drag on all day.

 

I get up around 5 or 5:30.  I use the time before the kids are up to shower, dress, tidy my bedroom/bathroom, start a load of laundry and make breakfast.

 

My kids all wake up between 6 and 7am and read books in bed until 7am.  They tidy their beds, pick out (but don't put on) clothes for the day and do their morning chores.  Breakfast is served around 7:15.

 

After breakfast the kids do their after-meal chores, brush their teeth and get dressed.  Clean pajamas are tucked under their pillows and pajamas covered in breakfast are put in the hamper.  Our goal (which we normally manage) is to all be ready to start the day by 8am.

 

The kids have an hour of play time and then we start together school (and have a small snack) at 9am.  Since my oldest is only going into first grade, this chunk of school work only takes about an hour and then the kids get back to playing or we leave the house for an errand or outing.

 

Right after lunch the kids all have two hours of rest/quiet time and I spend 10ish minutes during that time doing math with my preschooler and 30ish minutes doing math and writing/spelling with my K/1st grader.

 

Wendy

 

 

[Ethel Mertz]

Our ideal morning: I get up around 7 or 7:30, drink a big mug of coffee, and check the boards. DS wakes up on his own usually, staggers downstairs, and sits and stares for 30 seconds before taking a breath and jabbering away. At 8:45, we start making our breakfasts and by 9:00 we are starting Morning Time (which usually takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, depending on whether or not we have to be out of the house that day). After MT, we start on either Latin or Spanish, then Math, and so on. Math is never first. We have to ease into it.

 

This morning: I got up at 8:00. DS got up at 8:30, fed the birds, and is sitting at the DR table drawing a map of Wom-Wom land (his imaginary kingdom). He has a voice lesson at 3:30 this afternoon and he has not practiced. He'll have to practice for at least half an hour before we can start our day. He has 15 minutes left to draw Wom-Wom land before we grab breakfast and he starts practicing. We are slip-sliding away these last couple of weeks of our regular schedule before we ease into a lighter summer schedule.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Everyone has their own routine.  That works just fine for us because there are only 4 of us.  I imagine if we had a large family that would have to be different. 

 

 

[3 ladybugs]

During the week, DH is up first and gets ready for work at 6:30, then comes downstairs and starts breakfast. If baby has had a hard night I linger upstairs longer. If baby is good then I go downstairs and help him. Sometimes I get dressed before going down, sometimes I don't. Then the kids come down when they are ready. Older one always has to be dressed to leave his room. It is sort of his thing. Younger one doesn't mind. At 7:45 I call my mom in Florida. It is our thing. :)

 

School start happens after breakfast hopefully before 9am.

 

Weekends are a different animal. Normally we pile in our room and then go down together. Saturday I Skype with my mom at 8:00 am, Sunday we have to leave the house by 7:30 to get to church on time. Sometimes that means that we wake at 7:00 though sadly. 

[Bambam]

I get up at 6:30 or earlier. I immediately take a shower and get dressed for the day. Often I will start a load of laundry immediately. Since the kids do their own laundry now, I don't always have to start a load, so sometimes I forget!

 

I wake kids up at 7 am. One is always awake and usually reading. 

 

You must be dressed and breakfast completed by 8 when school starts. Even in the summer, we do this. This summer we are only doing math and a couple of other light subjects.

 

And, yes, this is the schedule on the weekends too (but no school). One of mine does *so* much better with a regular routine. *So* *very* *much* better.  

[Spryte]

We all have different routines here, but we come together around 9 - 9:30 to start doing school and working on the day's projects.

 

My routine consists of inserting the pretend IV of caffeine and trying to become semi-human once the kids wake me.  DD(4) sleeps in till 8:30 or so.  DS(11) wakes between 5 - 6, and does projects or works on his coding class.  Sometimes he'll watch TV or make films.  DH gets up around 7, runs, and heads to work.  We eat separately, obviously, except for DD - she eats with me.

[BlsdMama]

I vote that this is an unfair question during summer break.  :P :D

 

Usually we are up (everyone by 7:00, mom by 6:00ish) and dressed (by 8:00) and doing breakfast and moving.  We are morning people, by choice and habit, not by nature.  It makes us very functional in the mornings.  I lag in the afternoon, but that's read quietly or nap time around here anyway.  We plan schooling accordingly.

[Loowit]

DH has to be up and out of the door by 7 am, so he is usually the first on up in the morning, although sometimes our youngest is up and plays on his computer.  Kids have to be up and ready for school by 9.  I have defined ready for school as being dressed (unless they ask permission to stay in jammies), breakfast eaten, and ready to get to work.  DD usually rolls out of bed about 10 minutes to 9 except on days she needs a morning shower.  My sons really vary on the time they get up.  I am usually up by 7 to do my morning workout, shower, and get breakfast.  I find I need the regular start time for school, otherwise I am a procrastinator and nothing will get done that day.  During the summer I still expect kids to be up at a reasonable time, typical days by 9 because I don't like them staying up all night.

[Mrs.Wilson]

Mornings are my favorite.  If we don't do a good morning then the whole day is shot.

 

Husband wakes up 7-7:30.  Usually the 6 yr old daughter is up by then or shortly after.  They both wake up the 7 yr old daughter and the three of them get started on doing the morning chores.  This involves feeding various animals and letting them out to free range.  By then the 3 yr old is awake.  She'll feed her animal (the cats) and either snuggle up with me in bed or try to help the others.  I'm either in bed or I might be up helping.  It depends on how well I slept since I'm expecting #5.  I'll usually get up right before Husband leaves for work and help finish up the chores.  By then our son is up and he's directed to feed his animals.  When all of them are fed then we will make our beds, get dressed, and start breakfast.  Right after breakfast we start school.  This is usually by 10-10:30.  Each child has a list of work to do so they do it and kinda check it off.  I've learned that if we don't do our mornings like this then the rest of the day is very unproductive. 

On Saturday it's all the same, except started about an hour later and after breakfast everyone does their own thing.  On Sundays we have church in the middle of the afternoon so mornings are very much like Saturday mornings.

[MrsMommy]

I can guarantee you that I'm not up first. My oldest dd is a morning person...where she got that from, I'm sure I don't know. But she's up as early as five in the summer, and I just can't do that.

 

I'm usually up between 6-6:15. For the most part, the rest of my children are up by 6:30. Middle dd will sleep in longer if you let her, but her siblings usually wake her. Younger ds would also prefer to sleep in a bit later, but he's the one that goes to public school, so he HAS to be up early enough to get ready. He's happy to be on summer vacation...he may sleep as late as 7:30!

 

During the school year, since I have to drop him off, and everyone is up, anyway, we start school around 8:20. Our summer school schedule is more relaxed, though...sometimes that's because we're going someplace fun in the morning, and sometimes because we're just lazy. :)

 

DH...well, he's on his own. He works from home, and has a pretty flexible schedule, so he gets to sleep in some. I try not to let it annoy me. ;)

[fairfarmhand]

I'm supposed to be up by 6:30.  I quietly read my Bible and pray for about 30 minutes. The kids are not supposed to leave their rooms till 7. I need that time alone.

 

Usually by 7 my youngest is up. His mouth starts talking before I even see him.

 

He needs to eat right away, so I usually feed him.

 

While he's eating, my third daughter wakes up. She eats next.

 

Then my older two daughters get up and eat.

 

(We usually do cereal, so they can fix their own)

 

Oldest checks her email while she eats and then heads to the shower.

 

Hubby's usually up and showering about 7:30

I shower at night. After dh leaves, usually around 8, I make my bed and get dressed.

 

Kids don't make their beds. I don't care.

 

I just don't; too many other things to fuss at my kids about for bed making to be a thing.

 

After breakfast, they feed the critters and then get dressed. If I remember to tell them to get dressed.

 

We start school around nine. I like an easy, relaxed morning. I hate mornings when we have to get ready to leave the house early. It's too hectic and crazy.

 

My kids stayed with my sister in law while we were helping my ill father in law. Her kids are in school and she works, so my kids had to be ready to leave by 7:15. Every morning my 7 yo son cried about something. She told me that on the way to school, she and the kids decided that homeschooling was way better than that.

[SewingMom2many]

Thanks for all the info! I didn't realize people had their kids read in bed until 7.  I absolutely love that idea! I try and get a few moments to myself in the morning but I've got one and sometimes two kids that get up especially early and talk my ear off while asking for breakfast.  I would love to have a designated time that is just mine where I could focus on what I'm doing and that no one wants anything. 

 

If you have a rule that school starts at a certain time and you must have breakfast done and be dressed and ready, can you tell me what the consequences are if they aren't ready? We do school downstairs and if one of the kids isn't ready I end up running up and down the stairs a bunch of times, it's really frustrating when I'm trying to work with the other kids.  

[LucyStoner]

I generally get up and out by 5:30 at the latest to exercise (usually trail run or hiking) and/or study (using the Starbucks that is open at 4am as a study spot) and then I come back between 7:00 and 8:00 to shower, wake up the boys and cook breakfast. Then we start our homeschool day. 2x a week they have classes from 9-12noon. So those days we bounce out fast and sometimes get breakfast en route. Other days, we have time at home or go to the library before filed trips and/or various appointments (OT, therapy, SLP). I get more done when I get up early despite not really being a morning person. It just sets the stage for a better day around here. Also, it's nice time for me to be alone. My husband gets up on the days he works via his own alarm and sleeps a bit later on the days he is off. The time I come back usually is determined by his work schedule or if we have class at 9am. If he needs to be to work by 8am, I am sure to get back by 7 since it takes him about an hour for his bike or bus commute. If he's working at 10 and we don't have class, I will study longer and leave them to their own devices for breakfast.

[happypamama]

Most of us are not morning people (some of us are extreme night owls, myself included), but we really, really need to change that. We like getting up at 8:30 or 9, playing and such, eating at 10, and starting work at 11. But it is really not as productive as it needs to be. DH is up at 5, leaving for work at about 5:45, home for the day by 5:15 most days. It would be better if we were more like this:

 

6:45 Mom up

7:30 Kids up, dress, chores

8:00 Breakfast

8:30 Kids head into schoolroom to start work while Mom showers/dresses small people/cleans up the kitchen/switches laundry/etc.

9:00 Mom comes to schoolroom and we gather around the table for Morning Time together

9:30 Mom starts blocks of one-on-one work with children; blocks start at 9:30, 10:30, 11:30, and 12:30.

11:30 (after two blocks): snack

1:30 Blocks are done; lunch break for an hour

2:30 Mom spends some time with older kids, checking and discussing

[Zinnia]

We are working on our morning routine, but for the last year, they have gotten up around 6 (I get up arond 5:30).  Slowly make their way to breakfast; one gets dressed before and three after breakfast. 

Last year, I had one in public school, and it was awful for our schedule.  School didn't start until 9:10, and the homeschooled ones didn't want to start before that one left for school.  It made us feel like we were wasting hours of time.  I finally started dropping him off at 8:30 to play on the playground, just to get our schedule going earlier.

 

Next year, everyone will be homeschooled.  I'm expecting to be starting school by 7:30 or so.

[RKWAcademy]

My kids are different from each other.  One is up with the sun (or before) every day.  The other staggers out around 8 or later if her body just needs the rest.  I don't make them get dressed unless we are heading somewhere.  We somehow manage something for breakfast.  I'm a night owl so mornings are hard for me.  We usually start school by 9.  I am not strict with mornings because I know how it feels to be a night owl.  But I don't allow electronics before school or they'll have bad attitudes for school.

[Pegs]

I'm a single mum of an only child, and we are both extreme night-owls by nature. So, we have lovely slow starts, and rarely make plans for before noon. Not that we actually sleep until then - I just really like my relaxed mornings!

[Ausmumof3]

4.50dh gets up. I engage in some internal mental debate that result in

A) me getting up and making breakfast and lunch for him

B) me going back to bed...

 

For some reason b is the most frequent option

 

6.00. Dds voice starts in my ear... Mum can I play on the iPad

One of two things happens

A I tell her to feed her pets, get dressed and tidy her toys then she can

B. I just say yes but be quiet and let me get some sleep

 

7.00-8.00 I wake up and try to get out of bed. Sometimes ds sabotages this by asking for a cuddle. Sometimes he hears iPad and goes to join his sister.

Then I have breakfast and either play on my phone for way too long or get jobs done

 

8.30. Drag oldest ds out of bed to have breakfast before school

 

9.00. The time when my coffee really starts kicking in and I realise that I haven't done all the jobs I should have and I make the kids start school so I feel productive.

 

I really wish I could run our mornings better but I really only start being properly functional around 9ish. If I get up with dh my whole day is productive but by the end of it I'm exhausted. Even if I get up and really get moving instead of dawdling the day isn't too bad. But my brain really only seems to wake up at 9 or so unless I get to bed before 9.30 consistently which unfortunately just doesn't happen.