Sharing Morning Routines

This was supposed to go up this morning, but my morning routine consisted of my bathtub clogging during my shower, and then my dropping my kids at school and then taking two flights and a drive on a work trip. Not normal for me, but not abnormal, either, unfortuntely.

Anyway, here's the yearly post in which we share out morning routines from the time we wake up until the time when everyone's "settled," whether that means you're at your desk, or your day is officially under way.

I'll start. I have two radically different morning routines, because I have my kids three mornings a week and they're with their dad three days (we swing Sunday mornings). Remember that my kids are 8 and 5, therefore awesomely self-sufficient and both in school all day.

On days my kids are NOT with me: I either a) wake up at 6 and do the T-Tapp Total Workout or b) wake up at 6:30ish and lie there thinking about all the stuff I should be doing. I hop in the shower and tell myself I'll be out of the apartment by 7:45, but then somehow I seem to disappear into a time warp and I end up stumbling out of the my building with wet hair and smudged eyeliner not having eaten breakfast (but probably with my lunch packed) at 8:15. If the subway runs decently I take one train, switch to another, stop at the Korean bodega to get a cup of coffee, and am at my desk a little after 9.

On days my kids ARE with me: My alarm goes off at 6:20. I start prodding the kids to get dressed, after assigning my older son the job of checking the weather on tv or my phone. (If I did my job the night before then all three of us have chosen and laid out our clothes already.) I hop into the shower quickly, then get out, assess the clothes progress, ask the little one again to put on his clothes, ask the older one to put on his socks, and start breakfast. The little one needs more time to eat because he dawdles, but the big one needs way more food since his lunchtime isn't until 1 pm, and there's a very limited subset of breakfast foods they both like that will actually stick with them (no, you can't have nothing but cinnamon toast), so breakfast is an attainable victory every day.

I've filled their water bottles the night before and have them in the fridge, as well as portioning out the vegetables and side for their lunches, so all I have to do is put together sandwiches and their lunches are packed. Assess clothing progress and prod some more. Make sure breakfast is being eaten. Do one more check of backpacks (packed the ngiht before by the kids) and my purse and work bag. Get dressed myself. Run a brush through my wet hair. Eyeliner, mascara, lipstick. (During all of this I've also sent and received anywhere between 5 and 25 texts to/from my mom, my brother, my best friend, or any of three or four other friends.)

Give the 5 minute warning. Kids start really getting moving. We walk out of the apartment 10 minutes later, just before 8. The subway ride takes about 40 minutes, then a 4 minute walk to school. After they're both dropped off, I get back on the subway and then switch to another, stop at the Korean bodega for coffee, and get to my desk at about 9:30.

My mornings are wacky and full, but not particularly stressful anymore (except when my tub drain clogs and I almost overflow it).

Now you go.

Comments

[BlueBirdMama]

We have a fairly flexible routine since my husband works from home and I'm a a PhD student. No one having to do a long commute is a luxury we fully appreciate and revel in--we know our mornings would be a lot less leisurely if either of us had to travel 45 min to be to work by 8:00 or 9:00! Anyway, everything has slowed down a lot since I got pregnant w/ baby #2, and I'm sure this routine will be entirely upended once she arrives (in 3 mos).

6:15-6:30: Our 3.5 y.o. son wakes up, comes into our room and requests that we (A) get up and play, (B) give him some item he needs for playing or (C) asks if he can play in his room now. His 'good nite light' doesn't turn into a sun until 7 am, so we tell him to go play in his room (or if it's before 6 am to go back to bed). He sometimes occupies himself and sometimes doesn't.

7:00: DH gets up to play w/ son & get himself and DS dressed and make tea and coffee while I snooze some more (this is the part of our 'routine' that didn't exist before I was pregnant, but gestational lethargy has taken over).

7:45 or 8:00: DH, the saint, brings me tea in bed. I slowly get going, washing my face, getting dressed, making the bed while DH and DS start breakfast. I join them and we eat breakfast and make lunches together. This sometimes varies if DH has a conference call (his company has its HQ on the east coast, so there are sometimes early morning calls), in which case, I skip the extra snoozing and DS and I do breakfast on our own.

8:30-8:45: Final bag packing, lunch packing, playing, dawdling and finally putting on shoes.

8:45-ish: Drive to preschool (20 min walk vs 5 min drive), drop off DS. If my husband has time, he drives me to campus, otherwise I come back home, park the car and take the bus. Depending on the logistics, I'm at my desk by 9:30 or 10:00 ready to start working.

The only major variation is when DH is gone on a biz trip-- then i don't get my morning snooze, but DS and I get to enjoy morning happy time together. In any case, this whole routine will be altered when the new baby comes along. No snoozing for Mama and a lot more chaos, I'm sure.

@Flea: your morning routine is my fantasy. I *wish* I was a morning person, because I know when I get up early, everything in the whole day goes better.

[ada]

A one year old and a three year old. Both my husband and I work full-time outside of the house. But I feel our morning routine is pretty easy. Our daycare does all meals and diapers for the kids. Lifesaver!!!

I usually do drop-off and my husband usually does pick-up, so we have a nice balance. I realized that having him do pick-up makes him come home from work. Otherwise he gets sucked in and would not get home until 7ish. This way he's home by 5, getting dinner started. Of course, this routine means he usually works from home after the kids go to bed, but thats ok with me.

I pack up their bag with extra clothes the night before, usually.

Alarm goes off at 6am. Press snooze button at least twice, so really getting up around 6:20. Usually my husband gets up first to shower. When he is done, I hop in.

Baby wakes up around 6:30 most days. Sometimes the 3 -year wakes up too, due to hearing everyone else awake. Sometimes I have to wake him up around 7. Give the baby a sippy cup of milk while she lounges on our bed. Kids play on our bed while we get dressed.

Hubby usually takes them into kitchen for breaskfast (a small one since they get their big breakfast at daycare at 8:45) while I blow-dry, do make up etc. And hubby is in charge of making coffee!!!!!

Hubby leaves. I get the kids dressed. Although lately, the 3 year has been resisting, so we have gone to daycare pretty naked some days. I don't engage in that power struggle. Its up to him if he wants to put his clothes on or not.

I usually have time to eat a piece of toast and drink a cup of coffee at home, while the kids play a little. Then we're out the door by 7:30-7:40. Drive five minutes to daycare, drop off the kids, chat with our daycare provider, then hop back in the car and drive to the bus stop. Catch the first bus that comes by, in my seat at desk between 8:20-8:30.

[monicapmarino@yahoo.com]

I am jealous that so many of you get so much help in the mornings! Our mornings:
5.45- alarm goes off, Hubby gets in the shower. I snooze.
6.00- hubby out of the shower, and I get in.
6.15- I am getting ready while kids are (hopefully) still sleeping. Hubby leaves.
6.35- 6 month old (Baby) wakes up. I nurse her.
6.45- 4.75 yr old (Big) wakes up. She visits with us while I am nursing baby. Then gets dressed.
7.15 am- we all head downstairs (nursing is finished, everyone is dressed, books read) and the girls play while I finish packing lunches (mostly packed the night before) unload dishwasher, set out shoes, coat, and backpack for Big.
7.30 am- I get Big's breakfast (usually cereal and fruit), Baby's breakfast (baby food or mashed banana) and mine (cereal to be eaten with one hand).
7.45 am- we all head back upstairs for the production of Hair and Teeth. Baby watches with interest as Big resists hairbrush.
8.00 am- Dear Grandmother arrives to pick up Big and take her to preschool. Baby and I play, snuggle, read.
8.25 am- Grandmother returns to babysit Baby.
8.30 am- I leave, drive to work (incidentally, same school where Hubby is the boss).
8.45 am- I meet with my first student.

[SarcastiCarrie]

@grrrr - A couple of things about division of labor in two-parent families: I dropped my son off at day care for almost 5 years. I saw a ton of moms in the morning and only a handful of dads. But occasionally, I would pick up in the evening (usually my husband did). There were a lot more dads (and grandparents) in the afternoon. I don't know if the nature of the jobs just lent themselves to women doing the later shift or what. Just something I noticed. Could be that moms who were up in teh night with kids wanted to be the morning parent. Not sure.
I actually thought I heard a lot of dads getting the baby and bringing him/her to mom, etc in these stories, plus it's mostly moms writing about their part in the morning routine. If we heard men tell about their morning routines, the mothers might sound more like supporting cast. Perhaps it's reporting bias.

[Cloud]

@grrr- I think you have to look at the whole day. In my house, my husband takes more of the work in the morning, because he does day care drop off and I try to get in to work earlier. But I do pick up and get dinner ready. Then we split the bedtime routines and evening chores. I think it is pretty equitable.

@SarcastiCarrie- I don't get why moms would pick drop off over pick up! Drop off SUCKS during the clingy phases (leaving a crying baby is never fun). Pick up is my favorite time of the day! Pumpkin runs up to me yelling "Mooooommmmmeeeeeee!" and Petunia starts bouncing with joy as soon as shes see me. Guaranteed to cure a bad mood.

[Mary-Christine]

Love to hear about other people's households as well...hilarious the kids don't even realise how much work goes into getting everyone out the door!

DS is 3.5, at PS with fulltime before & after school daycare. Both DH and I work outside the home.

5am DH's alarm goes off - out of bed he jumps (no prevarication in this man!), works out for 30 mins, showers, makes his b/fast, and he's out the door by 5.50am.

My radio switches on at 5.30am...listen to headlines and up by 5:40 (ahem, on an ideal day!). Get showered, dressed, made up & hair done by 6.10am. Put all the stuff prepped from night before into the car (or bike trailer if the weather is nice) - that's his lunch & mine, coffee mug, handbag, etc.

Get DS up (takes @5 mins, and I always feel cruel for waking him up!) Down to the kitchen where we have b/fast (cold cereal, toast, oatmeal, or boiled eggs on a fancy morning). Chat over breakfast while encouraging him to eat. Get DS dressed, have him pee & wash teeth by 6.45am. Then onto the bike or into the car - at ps by 7.00am, and if all goes smoothly, on my way to work at 7.10am. Stop to get coffee on way, and am at desk by 7.30-7.45am.

Believe it or not, our mornings go so much more smoothly when it's just me & DS...not sure why, but there you go!

[ramy]

I haven't read the all the comments yet b/c i'm at work. Will do so later.

We are on a new schedule b/c Girl has started kindergarten. Which is really really really early in the morning (for me, I am not a morning person).

Husband wakes me up as he leaves the house at 6:15am (can you tell who the a.m. person is?). Sometimes I (and sometimes the kids) are up already. I try to shower the night before so i get up, start the coffee machine and stare out the window in a daze for a few minutes. If all goes well, then I get dressed and wake the kids. They get dressed. Girl has to be prodded, Boy needs me to dress him still (he's 2). He tries to play or nurse the whole time. We eat, I finish Girl's lunch and try to remember mine. Boy insist in turning off NPR and turning on Gypsy music. We dance briefly.

By 7:30, if all goes well, we walk out the door. This week is wet so we are driving, but so far we have mostly been walking to school. Drop the Girl off by the 7:50 bell to her school.

Then its just me and my son. Boy and I snuggle outside her school and watch the stragglers come in. sometimes we read a book. His daycare is right next door to the elementary school so we walk over there and he gets started playing. I chat with caregiver a few minutes and realize he doesn't care if I'm still there or not. so I head out for the bus. The bus drops me 2 blocks from my office, I walk to office and sit at my desk by 8:30ish. Sometimes I stop a the diner on the way and go over the day's lecture notes or read an article over eggs and coffee (good days).

[note: on wet days that we don't want to walk the deer trail/hop the creek to school, I park my car at the daycare and walk Girl to Kindy. she refuses to let me drop her off in the Kiss and Go lane]

[note 2: this ALL goes smoother if we have set up everything the night before]

[note 3: I really miss our lazy mornings when I didn't have to take them to pre-school until 8:30-9pm and we could dance more in the morning!]

[Brigid Keely]

I'm a stay at home parent with an 18 month old. I wake up when he does, feed him breakfast/watch him eat breakfast and then... what do you do with an 18 month old? Are there things I should be doing? Scheduled activities? I don't even know. Advice? I should write in, I guess.

We don't really have a schedule is what I'm trying to say.

[ARC]

We start our new morning routine with hubby's new job next week. Here's how I'd like it to go but the best laid plans...

6am (ugh) - I get out of bed, get dressed, eat breakfast, feed dogs, and head to work
6:45am - At my desk (my commute is v. short)

6:45am-ish - babyT wakes up, hubby gets her changed, dressed, and feeds her breakfast
9:15am - they leave the house
9:30am - DH drops off BabyT at daycare, then goes to work.

Lucky for me this is only 2 days a week, and I get to do pickup (woo hoo!). But I'm still wigged out about the whole daycare thing (new for us). BabyT has been sick twice already just from doing a handful of "transition days" and I've got the ick now too. Sigh.

[flea]

@grrr - my husband is not a morning person. He does a lot more in the evenings, when I am just not up to dealing.

@BlueBirdMama - just don't emulate my evening routine. Bedtime for my 4 year old, in particular, is a serious disaster right now.

[Julesag]

Data points: 1 DS who is 3, DH, me, dog & cat; DH and I both WOH full-time, M-F and DS is in full-time daycare.

DH gets up at 5:15 and goes downstairs for coffee (I concur with the PP who recommends setting up the coffee the night before!). M-W-F I'm up at 5:20 to go to the gym at 5:30. DH feeds both animals, packs his lunch, and gets ready while I'm at the gym, then I'm back home at 6:15 to shower (the schedule for non-gym days starts here). I'm out, dressed and downstairs at about 6:35 as DH leaves to walk the dog (thankfully, DH has reset the coffee pot for me ... I'm a lucky gal!). I make my lunch and pour a cup of milk for DS. DH, dog and I wake DS up at 6:55a and let him watch Disney to ease the transition; if we don't we'll have an angry bear on our hands. We brush teeth, sunscreen (that will stop as the weather gets cooler) and get DS dressed. DH leaves at 7:15. DS and I leave home at about 7:25 for the 10-minute drive to daycare. I leave him at around 7:50, then drive downtown and am usually at my desk at 8:25a (unless a stinkin' light is out on the way, like this morning:-)).

Thankfully, we've had the same routine for about 2.5 years and it works well for us, with minor adjustments as needed.

[Jenizie]

Ok, I'll play. Two parents, one child, age 2-and-a-half.

5:30 -- DH's alarm goes off. He gets up, herds the cats downstairs so they don't wake me or the kid, and gets into the shower. I keep sleeping, unless DH took too long to turn off his alarm or the cats started yowling before he got them downstairs.

6:00 -- DH is out of the shower and dressed, and heads downstairs to have his breakfast.

6:30 -- Daughter wakes up, and DH gets her dressed. If I'm caught up on sleep, I also wake up and do yoga or help with getting Daughter dressed. If I'm not caught up on sleep, I sleep until they wake me around 7.

7:00 -- I make breakfast for me and daughter, while DH finishes getting ready to leave. We have a family hug, then DH heads out around 7:15 and we have breakfast.

7:30 -- If it's been a smooth morning, Daughter and I just need to use the potty and gather lunch (made the night before) and backpack, to be ready to leave for preschool by 7:45. When this happens, we get to walk to school.

8:15 -- If it hasn't been a smooth morning, Daughter and I leave for preschool and drive. (Also, if it's a Grandma day instead of a preschool day then she arrives to take Daughter between 7:45 and 8:15.)

8:30 -- Drop off daughter at preschool. If I walked there, I run home. If not, I try to make myself go for a run after I drive home. Sometimes it works.

9:15 -- Hop in the shower after my run, get dressed, and make a cup of tea.

9:30 -- At my desk to work from home.

Thursdays, I work on site, while DH works from home. In that case, our roles are almost exactly reversed. Though he usually wakes up at 5:30 with me and gets an earlier start since I'm actually out the door by 6:45 that day.

[Jac]

@grrr - am also in the "need to look at the whole day camp". When my husband is home (i.e. not travelling for work), he does ALL shopping, meal planning, evening cooking, and evening clean up. I come home and play with DS, get fed, and play with DS more. I think getting DS out the door in the morning is waaaaay easier than dealing with the evening stuff when I'm exhausted from working all day. I suspect more of this will come out if Moxie posts an evening routine post.

[Hera]

We have a 2.5 year old and an almost 4 month old. DH travels a lot and is out of the house by 5:20a when he isn't traveling so the only morning he helps are the saturdays that I work. He does this in order to be home for the evening routine, which I find much harder.

Ideally I sleep until 6 but the baby seems to be a morning person too and we have been getting up more like 5:30. If I make it to 6 I eat breakfast, put lunches and pump and bag into car, then wake and nurse baby, and little playtime. If we are up together I do all the same things, just a lot more slowly! I get my son up about 6:45 am and we potty (yes, both of us! No one ever told me that when you start potty training it takes so much extra time!) and dress, then play a little. Baby is usually neglected on the floor, amusing herself for this part. My folks arrive to pick both kids up about 7:20 and we all talk for about ten minutes. They feed my son breakfast and drop him off at preschool on those days. Yes, I know I'm lucky. If I don't leave for work by 7:32 I'll be late, and I hate being late.

I feel like our mornings are reasonably stress free but everything that can possibly be done the night before is; lunches packed, clothes,including mine, set out, pump bag packed, I shower at night, etc. We would never get it all done otherwise.

[Libby]

7:30 -- up and in shower
7:45 -- help kids get their breakfast, cook eggs for toddler
8:15 kids do morning chores, I clean up kitchen
8:30 kids play outside
9:00 homeschool starts
12:00 school is finished time for lunch

[Torrey]

SAHM, daughter that turns 2 in a couple of weeks. Pretty easy and straightforward.

7-9am Wake Up. It really is that broad of a range, but she tends to be consistent for chunks of time. We finally broke a long spell of 7am to get back to 8am which I think of as her "real" wake up time. Hubby is almost always out the door before she wakes up.

I go in and we get out of PJ's and onto the potty. I get her dressed after checking the weather. Then it's up to how we both feel whether we eat first or I shower first (I definitely prefer the latter).

After all of the prep stuff is done we clean up the house as necessary from the day before (our condo is currently on the market and I leave it ready to view each morning).

9-10am Head out the Door! I like to try and get out of the house until lunch time. This is usually managed with playdates, a trip to the local children's museum, shopping, or playing at a local park or coffee shop.

No real struggles inherent in the system except for getting her to agree to get off of the potty and keeping her happy while I clean (which is usual simply done by getting her to help).

[Ami]

Alarm goes off around 6:20, when hubby lurches off to the bathroom. The sound of the fan or the shower will usually wake our 20-month-old daughter. She's content to noodle along by herself for a bit, but oftentimes I will go lie down next to her in her big girl bed for a few minutes. When hubby is FINALLY out of the bathroom (because he invariably takes foreverrrrr) I whip in to shower/brush teeth/comb hair in 10 minutes flat. If I'm really on the ball I pick out an outfit for the baby. I give her a hug goodbye and shortly after 7:00 am on my way to the bus stop. I snap up a pastry and a cup of tea from a bakery on my way to work and am at my desk between 8 and 8:30.

Hubby meanwhile gets the baby breakfast, changes her bum, gets her dressed, feeds the cats (which is a production in and of itself, with 4 kitties each on different prescription diets). He takes her to daycare (5 minutes drive away) for 8:00. The stroller goes in the trunk the night before so he can drop it off there too; I do the evening pick-up and we use the stroller to walk home.

[Bonnie]

I'm a part-time SAHM and part-time grad student (i.e. I go to school on the days my kid is at daycare):

7:40 alarm goes off. Snooze till 8:10. (Piddo wakes up between 7:45 and 8:15 and talks to himself in bed until we fetch him.)

8:00 Husband showers, me snooze :)

8:10 Me shower, husband gets coffee/breakfast going.

8:15 Get the piddo, who insists on a story first thing in the morning.

8:25 attempt to get piddo dress while I'm still in my dressing gown. If it's a "bad" morning then his dad dresses him while I try to get dressed myself.

8:40 everyone down to the kitchen for breakfast, me still half dressed and attempting to put on make up.

8:55 I take piddo to day care, which is literally just next door (AWESOME!)

9:00 I return home to pack my own lunch, brush hair, get my computer and books, etc.

9:10 leave the house for school - I cycle, and get there around 9:25.

[Jan]

Hubby's alarm goes off around 5:45/6:00 (so I'm told -- I sleep through this). He gets up, lets the dogs outside, watches the news for a few minutes. Around 6:15, he gets the Little Dude (almost 5) up (sometimes has to wake him, sometimes not) and brings him into our bed to snuggle (which wakes me up -- so much nicer than an alarm clock, btw). Hubby goes to get ready while I cuddle my boy, usually with the TV on, and we wake up. After about 10 minutes, I get LD dressed (he's only sorta awake), then he watches "Between The Lions" while I make his lunch and get his 'breakfast' (a banana and a hard-boiled egg; they serve breakfast at daycare, but it's just cold cereal and it's not enough food for him AND it isn't served until 7:30). When hubby gets out of the shower, he brings LD downstairs. LD does his shoes while I pack his backpack up. He gets a vitamin and a last huggle (our word for hug/snuggle) and they're out the door around 6:30. Hubby drops him off at daycare and gets to work around 7:15.

I head for my home office and log into work (I telecommute). Usually check and send some email and do my calendar, prioritize the day. If I've planned well the day before, I have something very specific to work on (I'm not at my best first thing, so actually getting started on the hard stuff is ... well, hard.) Around 7, the Munchkin (6) gets up and comes in. I take a break at 7:15 or so to have breakfast with her. Back to work by 7:45. She does homework on my work table for a bit (1st grade -- not a ton of homework, thank goodness) then plays on her own for a bit (sometimes TV, it's her choice). At 8:30 she gets herself ready for school (dress, brush teeth, pack backpack). 8:50 I stop work again, help her with her hair, throw on some clothes, get her lunch together if she's taking it. 9:00 we walk to the school bus stop up the hill. By 9:10 she's off, I'm back at my desk "for the day".

I work out my telecommuting gig thusly: I start work at 6:30 and end just before 4 (when the Munchkin gets off the bus). During that time I take a 30 minute break to have breakfast with the Munchkin and another 15 minute break to get her to the bus. That gives me an 8 3/4 hour work day to play with. Some days I go to the school to volunteer in her class, some days I work straight through. I figure it evens out at around 8 hours a day, give or take, which is what's expected of me.

[marci]

mine is pretty easy, but you have to remember -

1) i work 3p-11p, 2) the boy (3 3/4) doesn't care yet what he wears, and 3) he is an omnivore.

i get up sometime in the 6:30-7:30 range, depending on if he woke up first & is singing or if i'm the one starting us off. put on some clothes, brush my teeth, go fetch him. change his diaper (we're potty training next week - pray for us) and put some clothes on him. go downstairs. he runs around a few minutes while i put together breakfast. it might be toast or eggs or something he didn't finish off his supper plate or a cheese tortilla, and milk.

if it's a preschool day (m,t,w), we're in the car to go by 8 or so, with his tote bag & two diapers. if not, we're done. i play on the computer & drink coffee during blue's clues.

sorry. combo of easy boy in many respects (though he's pdd-nos he isn't one that loves rigid routine) and working evenings makes for laid-back mornings.

[mom2boy]

@brigid keely - If a lack of a concrete schedule or set activity list doesn't bother you, then I wouldn't say you *need* one. Our morning routine is fairly loosey goosey and we do have to get out of the house to be somewhere four days of the week. The other three days, we do basically the same things just with even less of a sense of urgency about any of it. :)

[Anne]

Funny, I was just reassessing my morning routine because it's not working well...

I have two morning routines because I co-parent my son with his father.

The days I have 4.5 yo Monkey - I try to get up between 6:30 and 7:00, which often ends up being 7:15 (or later, yikes!) because my sleep has been disrupted usually twice during the night, once by Monkey who is wanting me to sleep with him and then by geriatric dog who wants out at 4:30 am. Put the dog out while I put coffee on. Sometimes I shower, sometimes I don't (awful isn't but I don't really care), get both of our breakfasts ready, get dressed, my lunch packed, Monkey's clothes ready, etc.
Have to wake Monkey, always. Difficult. He is not a morning person (genes on both sides). Once he's up, it's a constant prodding to get dressed, to eat, to stop bothering the dog, get teeth brushed, and then to the back door for shoes and jacket (been using check marks for "going with the program" as incentive). Aim to be in the car at 8:30 (lately it's been 9, hence the reassessment this morning). If we leave at 8:30, we get to daycare at 8:50/55. Drop off Monkey and park car. 20 minute walk to work. At desk 9:20/9:30 (today 10 - another reason for the reassessment).

The days Monkey is with his dad - I get up between 6:30 and 7, put dog out while make coffee. shower and dress. eat a quick breakfast or pack it to take. Pack lunch/etc. Take dog for a quick walk around the block. Days I don't do pick-ups (our transitions are pickups from daycare), I walk to the ferry, catch the 8:15 or 8:30 ferry. At my desk by 8:30 or 8:45. Days I do a pick up, I take the car, leaving before 8, park and walk to work. At my desk by 8:45.

Next year when Monkey starts Grade Primary (which is public school kindergarten), it's a 5 minute walk to school which starts at 8:50. I don't want to wish time away, but it will hopefully mean a less hectic morning. I will adjust my work hours (go in later and work later as school has after school care until 6 pm).

[Carolyn]

After reading all these posts I have to admit that I've got it easy...
Wake up between 645 and 7. Wait for hot water heater to refill after hubs' shower. Spend 10 glorious minutes in the steamy solitude. Get dressed. Fetch Little Man (26m) from his crib. He insists on playing before eating, so I begin with the first of many two minute warnings. Make coffee. Set out breakfast for Little Man. Two minutes till breakfast. He refuses. Tell him it's time to get changed and dressed. He yells "Two minutes!!" Bribe him with the promise of more play time after we get dressed. Tickle him mercilessly while changing and helping him dress. Laugh with child. Five minutes of free play for him while I scramble around doing last-minute getting ready stuff. Give a two-minute-until-departure warning. Pour coffee into travel mug. Force the cat outside. Start the car and buckle in the child. Five minute drive to daycare (where, thankfully, Little Man is fed a proper breakfast). Five minute drive to office. At desk by 835.

[Melba]

@Cloud - Rosie used to cry at pick-up, not at drop-off. WTF??? The daycare teachers used to go on and on about how delightful she was all day long, never sad that we weren't there, until the moment she saw us she would burst into tears and come running to my arms. I think that my sudden presence at the end of the day reminded her that I was gone ALL DAY and it would upset her. She never cried at drop-off, just ran happily into her classroom. Weird kid.

My routine is different right now due to maternity leave. But FWIW, here it is:

6:45-7:15 (ish): Annie (8 mos) wakes up and I feed her a morning bottle.
Around the same time Rosie (3 yrs) wakes up and stumbles into Annie's room while I'm feeding her.
7:30: I shower and get dressed while the two kids play on the bathroom floor.
8:00: Breakfast for all three of us
8:30: Get both kids dressed / teeth brushed / hair done etc.
9:00: start our day. Annie's first nap is usually at about 9:30 or 10:00 so we rarely go out at this point. Usually Rosie and I will do something together while Annie naps, like games, crafts, laundry, other chores, etc.

This morning routine is so laughably easy I can't even believe it. But I'm not working and have no other major commitments right now. Next year when I'm back at work, I suspect my morning will start at 6:00 and be jam packed until we bust out of the house at 7:15 for daycare drop-off. Right now my husband is taking advantage of having kid-free mornings by going to the gym at 6:00, so he's absent for mornings now. That will likely change next year.

[Stephanie]

I love these posts too.

I want to chime in for 2 reasons: (1) Having a night owl child with 2 night owl parents, makes for an atypical morning routine and (2) I feel heartened to know that TV watching in the morning is more common that I'd like to admit.

Background: 2 WOH parents, DS 3y6m, another due in January. DS in 3-day afternoon preschool. Nanny and grandparents for childcare.

7:30 - I wake up. Try not to wake co-sleeping DS. Go to kitchen, tidy up living room and DS rooms if not done the night before. Check email. Leave notes for the day for nanny. (If DS wakes, all is delayed for 15-20 min as DS tries to nurse - we're still working on it and although there's no milk, DS doesn't seem to care. At least, this makes him fall back asleep. And if he doesn't fall asleep, this is where TV comes back in the picture becasue DH is still fast asleep.)

8:00 - 8:45: Shower, get dressed, make my lunch, try to rouse DH (yes, we are really NOT morning people.)

8:30 - Nanny arrives.

8:45 - Debrief nanny on the day. Some time between 8:30 - 9:30, DS wakes up.

9:00-9:15 - Out the door. At my desk b/w 9:45 and 10:00.

Seeing this really drives home the fact that our routine really needs to shift. But as a 2-working parent household, it's really hard. DH and I often don't get home til 6:45 or 7:00, when most people are doing baths and think of kid's bedtimes. And we're lucky if we have dinner by 8:00. So, DS, I'm embarrassed to say goes to bed often at 11:30 or 12:00. Part of me really wants to be on the same "morning lark" schedule as everyone else with kids (even other working parents) seems to have. But at the same time, my kid clocks 10-12 hours of sleep every day (including his big nap) and is generally happy. Getting into the afternoon session for preschool (as opposed to the morning session we requested) doesn't really help matters.

So is there anyone out there like us? Or we just crazy anomalies? Any tips on how to make the change?

[Charisse]

@Stephanie, much like you all but with a somewhat older kid. And back when she could still (unfortunately) nap at preschool she was often up until 11:30 or midnight. But yes, 2 night-owl parents, one night-owl kid age 6. It works because of a late school start time (9:30) and tech industry jobs which are flexible on start time. It's rare for both of us to have to be in before 9:30 or 10. If it happens, there's a morning program at school starting at 8. I posted my morning routine earlier, but it also involves prying people out of bed after 8. We don't generally get home until 6:30, and Mr. C often isn't home until 8. Mouse is perfectly fine with a 10pm bedtime though, so again, it works.

All I have to say about it is you'll be swimming against the tide of typicalness, and some people will think it must be bad because it's weird...but so what, really, if it works for all of you. :)

[crescentgirl]

6:30: alarm goes off and I vaguely become aware there is talking in the room that isn't family. NPR slowly comes into audio focus. Nudge husband to get moving. MWF, he sleeps in; TR, he goes in early.

7:00 - MWF, I shower. Dress and wake our two boys, 3 and 7, if the little one hasn't awakened and climbed into bed to snuggle with us. TR, he usually makes it to the bed before I get out of it. Various protests from him about not wanting me to get dressed and started.

7:30: we're all downstairs and i put on a tv show for the kids. Their requirement is to eat and dress by 8. I fix hot chocolate for them and breakfast, usually different breakfasts for each. I start my tea, a load of laundry, or empty dishwasher, and pack my older son's lunch.

8: help 3 yo get dressed, remind his brother to get moving, hash out whether they have time to play or another show. If they get themselves fed and dressed and are cooperative, they get another round of Backyardigans or somesuch. I know, awful. Too much tv and we are trying to cut it back. I load backpacks.

8:20: shows over, food eaten, time for shoes/jackets/backpacks.

8:30: MWF, I take older son to school and ponder my two hours of freedom while my husband shepherds the little one to preschool. Errands, groceries, cleaning, napping, hobby pursuing ... there's no time to fit it in. This week it was chiro appt and grocs. TR, the little one and I either do a park, the library, a playdate, or on Thursdays, his speech path. appt.

Wednesdays are different b/c my older son has therapy across the state in the afternoon, so much of our day is preparing and going and recovering from that. Thursdays are often recovery days, ie the kids are wiped and grumpy, but it is worth going to it.

I'm a SAHM but it sure feels like working nonstop. I used to sit at a computer and focus on ONE THING for say, 10-20 minutes. Boy are those days gone ... now I'm trying to figure out what to do when I or the boys grow up a bit more.

[the milliner]

@Stephanie,

We're not in the same boat regarding later mornings. (I used to be a night owl...not sure what happened to that...)

But we are in the same boat regarding dinner. Although I get home with DS by 5:30 or 5:45, DH is not home until 7. After dog walking, putting DS to bed and making dinner, well, we too are lucky if we're eating by 8. 9 is probably more average.

So you're not alone there - even amongst the early risers.

[Mardougrrl]

We're all night owls, and this is our morning routine (Lil used to go to afternoon preschool; this is her kindergarten year) I am a SAHM at the moment; Mr. M leaves for work in the wee hours, before I wake up:

7:45am-alarm goes off. Snooze until 8:00am

8:00am-start coffee brewing while I get dressed, brush teeth, etc.

8:15am-wake Lil up (lately with a bit of a struggle--did I mention we're night owls?)

8:25am-Dress Lil, brush her teeth and make sure she uses the bathroom. Do her hair.

8:35am-Lil eats breakfast while I drink my coffee. She is a VERY pokey eater. She'll pick at her food until she finishes it (sometimes with a little help from me) and then I'll give her her vitamins.

9:15am-gather backpack and coat (this will become more involved as the weather starts to change).

9:22am-walk a block to school.

9:30am-she goes inside to her classroom, I go home and do SAHM-y things. Or I go have coffee and write.

I am aware that it's easy for me. She's in a half day program so I don't pack a lunch for her. We pick out clothes and put together her backpack (with any needed forms from home, etc) the night before.

[anonny]

610 - first alarm goes off. hit snooze until 630
630 - go in dd's room, hit lights & lay out her clothes before i go into the shower
645 - i am showered & dressed & start the laborious process of getting dd out of bed
700 she is hopefully up and getting dressed & i am making my tea & packing her schoolbag.
710-745 - dd eats 5 bites of breakfast, i drink as much caffeine as possible, check e-mail, worry about my day
745 - to school
800 dropoff

[Mom in France]

As kooky as the mornings can be, they pale in comparison with the horror that are the evenings. I live through each daytime dreading 5-9pm.

[Mom in France]

@grrrr: You said it! After 4 years I'm going to take my first week-long, long-distance business trip and you know what? I'm thinking about what meals I can make in advance and freeze. then later I think: Hold on - when did DH do that for me when HE went away for a week (or two)? Never. That's when. And yet - the caregiver in my wants to make sure they are taken care of while I'm gone. Guilt-be-gone!

[Nancy]

My alarm goes off at 5:40am (I am generally already awake, either from DH's alarm at 5:10, his shower, or a random early wake up from either 3 year old twin daughter). I'm out of the shower, dressed and done with my limited prep (a little hair product, eyeliner, mascara, moisturizer) by 6. Go in and start getting the girls' clothes ready, turn off their fan, turn on the hallway light and start chatting to them, rubbing backs, etc. We're usually downstairs and bumbling around in the kitchen by 6:25, after various pottying, dressing and goofing around. Breakfast is generally cereal, oatmeal or peanut butter & nutella sandwiches and milk. I grab an english muffin and a glass of OJ, start gathering up shoes and socks for everyone, wiping hands and faces, clearing away dishes, pleading for kids to eat more and stop fiddling -- we wrap things up and have the kids tucked into DH's car by 6:55 to head to daycare. I run in, finish cleaning up, maybe use the bathroom or switch laundry over, grab my things and start my hour commute to work. I usually get to my desk by 8-8:15am. Oh, it's just a frenzy and I'm short with everyone and feeling unprepared and harried. Bleah.

[Maria]

I am a sincle and chose to have kids on my own, so it is just me and my two boys, ages 7 and 11.

Alarm goes off at 6:30. I get up and take a shower. I listen to NPR in the shower, so I get an idea of weather etc, and I think a bit about what I will wear while I am in the shower. I only wash my hiar once every 5-6 days, so my shower usually takes only 3-4 minutes. I put lotion on my legs when I get out and some sun-block lotion on my face.. I generally don‘t wear make up. If I do wash my hair, I don't use a hair dryer unless it is really cold out!

Go back to my room and get dressed. This usually takes around 5 minutes. Then I go to the kitchen and put water on for coffee – I use a french press. While I am waiting for water to boil, I sit at the table and check email and attend to work things. When the water is boiling I make and drink coffee!

Wake kids at 7:10. They have been well trained to get dressed before they leave their rooms. The little one gets up right away. The older on has recently required more prodding, but ususally is out and in the kitchen by 7:20 or so. The kids eat cearal that they get themselves while I make their lunch and we talk about what is going on that day (soccer proactice or whatever…).

They take way to long to eat a couple of bowls of cereal, and I usually have to stop them at around 7:40. Then for then next 20 minutes, I tell them over and over to get their lunch and school stuff in their backpacks and to brush their teeth and put on their shoes etc to get ready to walk to school. The 7 year old is always ready and out the door at early. The 11 year old - well I just can’t figure out WHAT he does and WHY it takes 20 minutes for him to put his stuff in the backpack, brush his teeth and put on his shoes, but it does.

At 8:00 we walk to school. I am back by 8:20. Then I putter in the kitchen and clean up a bit, make my own lunch, finish my coffee and leave for work around 8:45. I live outside of Boston and commute into the city. It is only 8 miles, but it generally takes 30 minutes or so. I am usually in my office around 9:15, but could be a late as 9:30.

[kathleen999]

I am lucky because I work from home and my husband is in charge of mornings. I work early, supposed to be online by 6:15am, although often I don't get on until 7. But I also often log back on in the evening to finish jobs.

My husband is short of temper, especially in the mornings, so I jump in and help the boys get dressed, I organize the backpacks and snacks most days, but mostly I am working away and just stop when needed. My husband takes them to school. I work until 2:15 and then go pick the kids up from the school bus at 3pm. We go and buy chocolate milk somewhere for a snack and do homework, then go to the park. Then home for dinner and the evening routine. So my day starts easy, but I am busy all day long with no breaks. I start back in to work in the evenings, either doing more for my day job or doing freelance, which is necessary because the damn day job pays pitifully and my husband is out of work. My schedule is basically 6am until midnight.

Now that I've whined I feel better. Thanks Moxie!

[Courtney]

6:30 - Alarm goes off (if J hasn't woken up yet).
6:45 - Get up and wish I had done it at 6:30. Shower with husband (T), moisturize.
7:00 - Get J and nurse him. Change diaper and get him dressed. T gets dressed and eats breakfast.
7:15/7:30 - J plays while I eat and put on my makeup. T packs his bag and J's daycare bag.
7:30/7:45 - T and J leave for daycare. I get dressed and blow dry my hair, then pack my bag.
7:45/8:00 - T picks me up and we drive to work; he gets on the metro and I am in the office between 8/8:15.

Granted, this whole thing is thrown when J gets up at 6:30 (or earlier). Then T and I shower separately and have more juggling to do to get ready, and I'm in closer to 8:30.

Yesterday we were waylaid by: J pulling the shower curtain down on his head; J pooping on the carpet; needing to get a parking pass because ours was expired . . . best-laid plans and all that.

The one day I telework, I don't wake up until J does. I nurse him, get him ready, and do the daycare run and then drop T off at the metro and go back to bed for a bit. Bliss!

[Mizasiwa]

its changed this week but up to now its run like this:
get woken up by a little one climbing into our bed anywere from 2- 4 time from 2-5 during the night. if im lucky though -
get woken up by alarm at 5.30 and husband getting out of bed to make coffee and breakfast for kids. open eyes either to help little one to the toilet or coffee next to my bed. get dressed and do makeup while coralling kids into eating breakfast. help husband to finish kids getting dressed (girl child has an penchant for 'princess' dresses so this can take a long time!) go through to kitchen to put lunch into bags made the night before give kids meds/juice/snacky thing for car and at 6.30 get into car and take kids to school drop kids off at 7.45 begin drive to work. Arrive at work at anywere between 8 and 9 - lots and lots of fun and sore clutch leg!!

[Mizasiwa]

although the helpful husband does almost all the morning routine its all about me in the afternoon. I pick them up and do the bath routine, supper, half hour tv and bed from anywere from 6 to 7 when i get home from work, unless im working late in which case i get home after the kids are asleep im very very grateful that i have a husband that can be so helpful im lucky and apreciative!!

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[geispbilsc]

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[Deledruro]

Zadluzenie istnieje owo uzyczenie uznanej kwoty finansowej przez jednostke cielesna albo organizacje na ujawnione zamysly.
Drugie banki olsniewaja pozyczkami w necie czy tez oklejaja plakatami reklamowymi nieosobistego jednostki.
Wniosek – wiekszosc person, ktore zdolalyby znajdowac sie zainteresowane pozyczkami z wykorzystaniem Internet nie ma dostepu do sieci badz nie wydola sposrod niej skorzystac!
W momencie zawleczenia debetu konsolidacyjnego, pozostajacego dlugi ustaja nas ciekawic.
A nawet jesli aktualnie zaradzi, to boi sie w Internecie zdzialac zakupy, oraz co nie predzej wciac pozyczke za sprawa Internet.

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[NeefBlise]

Gratuluje Panstwu podczas gdy w najwiekszym szczeblu dostatecznych sortymentow natomiast niedostatku szkopulow ze splata zaciagnietych wiazan.
Wierzytelnosci pozabankowe badaja sie w „podbramkowych” kondycjach, w jakich rozlicza sie wszelka godzina.
Niezwykle symptomatyczna intencjonalnoscia istnieje alternatywa odpowiedniego kredytodawcy, na jarmarku Niekrajowym rodzicielki bardzo niebotyczny opcja ofercie.
Ktorego sa sila? Posrodku wspolmalzonkami przypuszczalnie byc zawarta porozumienie o rozlam blasku (w kondycji uczynku notarialnego) czy tez zdziala to sad, czyli zrobi tzw. jurydycznego rozdzialu przepychu.
Tak aby zdolaloby do nierzeczonego dojsc, dziewiczy wspolkredytobiorca musi miec wprawa kredytowa.

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[Deledruro]

Stopien wplywu to tzw. odsetki od momentu wieku kredytu, natomiast ich wielkosc zalezna istnieje od czasu momentu liczby tudziez przejawu splaty kredytu (z maksymy splacanego w traktacie ratalnym).
W istocie w zwiazku z tym indykatywny debet pozabankowy byc moze byc oprocentowany na 20% w rangi roku (oprocentowanie znamionowego, adekwatnego z regulacja), lecz procz nierzeczonego klient musi odwzajemnic sie coraz 5% prowizji, odwzajemnic sie zaplaty poczatkowego w wielkosci 100 zlotych i koszt obslugi pokojowej – 500 niezlocistych.
RRSO w trafie kredytow gotowkowych wynosi skoro 30 – 50%.
Nawet, jesli zrzucimy pelne tygodnie na kolacjonowaniu ofert obszernych instytucyj pozyczkowych, jej wyplata bedzie wielce naruszac cudze uzyski pozyczkowe.
Na ogol acz postulowane jest chociaz owo kluczowe minimum, alias dostatek pieniedzy na wynajem lokalu, na komputerowy akcesoria, czy zurnalistyka proaktywne dane. W wielu poswiadczeniach fascynujacych sie biznesem, azali ulatwiajacych start jest stwierdzone, iz otrzymac pozyczke dla mlodej spolki nie jest swobodnie.

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[mwunnzkjb]

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[NeefBlise]

Jak wierzytelnosci spolecznosciowe pare lat nieniniejszemu „wstepowaly” az do Jezyk polski, media ryczaly od spekulacji.
badany istnieje w infrastruktury Biura Tresci Kredytowej - jezeli w historii stawce odmiennych dlugow splacal z opoznieniem, alias nie istnieje do kranca pewnym klientem, sposrod supertanim dlugiem przypuszczalnie sie rozstac sie.
Com zebysmy nie dokonaliby, kredyt bez BIK a owszem bedzie dlatego sposob.
Wierzytelnosci pozabankowe badaja sie w „podbramkowych” sytuacjach, w jakich numeruje sie niedowolna godzina.
Preferujemy ewidentnie te poprzednie.

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[NeefBlise]

Wierzytelnosci pozabankowe filmuja sie w „podbramkowych” sprawach, w ktorych zlicza sie niedowolna godzina.
Jak obszerne przypadkiem skutkiem tego znajdowac sie nasze zdumienie, jak biorac pozyczke za sprawa Siec po niejakim frazeologizmie okaze sie, iz polska internetowa debet wcale nie istnieje calkiem tansza odkad chwilowki sposrod pierwotnego lepszego parabanku!
Pozyczanie na stale widnialoby w krajowym kwaterowaniu, dojmujaco sie obyc w nowoczesnym ziemio polegajac tylko na polskich pieniadzach.
Wysokosc wplywu to tzw. odsetki od czasu frazeologizmu kredytu, i ich format podrzedna jest od momentu sumce oraz sladu splaty debetu (sposrod maksymy splacanego w ustroju ratalnym).
Jakkolwiek nalezy pamietac, ze acz w Necie ogolnie istnieje tanio, owo na jarmarku tym trzeba ogromnie, atoli to wybitnie, starac sie.

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