What does your morning routine with kids and school run look like?

[Chippingbird23]

Just that really? I wake earlier then the kids and some mornings are fab and easy and others are like hectic and that’s before I’ve even started work

Alarm 5:45
Down stairs make coffee for me and DH( we take turns)
5:55-6:15 drink coffee, slowly come round, look at headlines/ check emails/ online banking
6:15- 10 mins of Pilates, 5 minutes shower if not going for a run
6:30 wake kids for first time get dressed, do make up
6:45 wake kids for 2nd time on my way downstairs
6:50 Make Dd's coffee, Dd's smoothie, pack lunch for me, sometimes do pasta for Dd
6:55-7:10 Kids and DH appear downstairs
7:10 Go back upstairs do teeth/ perfume/ pack work bag- go down stairs
7:15 Tell DCs WE ARE LEAVING IN 5 MINUTES, go outside start/ defrost car
7:20 leave either with DCs or for a run
7:45( if run day) clear up the carnage in the kitchen
8am start work

*amterrifiedby all the people getting up before 6am. That's not a time to wake up! That's the middle of the night!

What time do you all get to bed?*

In the bath just now usually in bed by 9-9:30 asleep by 10. Unless being Mum's taxi.

7am - get up, get both DDs dressed and teeth brushed
7.30am - DH takes DD2 to nursery (she has breakfast there). I give DD1 breakfast and go and get ready.
8am - we're all ready and DH is back home so I log onto my work laptop to check emails.
8.30am - I take DD1 to school
9am - am back home and start work

The mornings are so much easier since WFH, DH shares drop offs and we shower in the evenings.

Im back from gym at 6.30, wake the kids whilst I shower.
The only two things I bark at them to do is brush their teeth and get their breakfast.
They grab their own snacks for school and then we’re out the door by 7.15.
Dropped at school by 7.20-7.25 and I’m at the office by 7.30am.

Benefits to living on a very small island is that everything is close by!

Mainly it’s just much easier now they’re older!

Ugh, morning people. You're so weird.

My alarm set for 5, if I've got energy I'll get up and do a workout. If not I reset for half 5. Get myself up showered and dressed ideally before my wee boy who is 4.5 wakes-if he does I put the TV on for him. If he's not awake with my racket (we live in a small flat) I wake him and give him breakfast before I help him get dressed. We leave at 0638 and speak to the lovely lady at the bus stop before getting bus at 0649 into town. Then it's several stops to talk to various dogs on the wee walk to nursery and hang around until nursery doors open at 0730 then I walk along road to get another bus to work ready to start at 8!

Ooh these all sound v early and efficient compared to ours.

7.30 get up, get washed and dressed
7.45 wake kids and get their breakfast
Generally get ready in no order

8.30 walk kids to school
8.50 get home, make coffee
9 start work

Try and organise clothes etc the night before then up at 5.45 and jump in shower. DH gets them both up at 6 and plonks them at the table with breakfast. He showers while they’re eating and I’m getting ready. He’s out by 6.45 then mad rush to get everyone dressed, teeth cleaned etc. out the door by 7.45 latest, drop at childminders at 8.00 then I leg it to the tube to get to work!

Mostly involves me shouting because they don’t listen. At least I’ve item of clothing will be missing despite getting everything ready the night before. This morning Dd was about to get in the car and I said “why are you in pe kit?!” she replied “because it’s Friday!” … obviously today is not Friday so the calm morning we were having went out the window and I was helping my Year 6 Dd do up shirt buttons 2 minutes before we left for school.

6:15 alarm
6:25 go for a run, back just before 7
Kids will get themselves up as I'm leaving and sort their own breakfasts.
7:00 shower for me, check kids have or are about to shower
7:15 porridge & coffee
7:30 chivvy kids a bit and check they have remembered masks, bus pass etc - but they are basically in charge of sorting themselves.
7:35 walk with kids to bus stop, carry on either to work or round the park back to wfh

Kids are 12 & 14. Unbelievably (to me) other parents tell me they are still organising water bottles, snacks, kit for their DC at this age!!

DH will tidy up kitchen & put washing on before he leaves for work.

@SarahAndQuack

I am terrified by all the people getting up before 6am. That's not a time to wake up! That's the middle of the night!

What time do you all get to bed?

This. I would love to be the sort of person who gets up at 530 to exercise before everyone else is up, but I just am not.

Alarm goes at 06:40, DH makes tea and gets the paper from the front step, then I spend an hour drinking tea in bed and reading the paper. DD1 gets up about the same time and gets herself breakfast, ready and leaves at 0745, which is generally about the time I get in the shower.

0745 - 0815 - I have a shower, get dressed, make bed, put a wash on, general tidy and lay out DCs clothes while DH does DS and DD2s breakfast and makes DS's lunch.

0815 - 0845 - nag DS to do piano practice. Get DD2 to do spellings/ TT. Do DD2s hair.

0845 - leave house for school run.

0855 - back from school run. Coffee and breakfast while switching computer on.

Life has become a lot easier since DH has been working from home!

you lot are making me feel like I need to sort my shit out

• plan to get up early but wake up and stay too long in bed scrolling
• don’t have time to have the shower I planned
• run around the house like a maniac trying to get uniforms and underwear together
• ask the kids to turn the 5’tv off x 10
• search for bobbles
• try and get ready with youngest DC follows me everywhere crying inisiting it’s not a school day / he’s too hot or cold to get dressed / school is boring
• get water bottles out of the car
• get in the car and run back in x 5 for forgotten phone, work laptop, reading folder coat

Please tell me I’m not on my own

My DH leaves for work at silly o'clock so it's just me and my 2 primary aged DC's

I make sure I have all 3 sets of clothes ready. All lunches made and bags packed the night before.

7.20 alarm and snooze
7.30 get up and wake up the kids, they don't like mornings.
7.40 we all have breakfast
8.00 get dressed, teeth brushed and hair done.
8.30 leave
8.40 arrive at school, leave the older one with her friends by her entrance
8.45 school doors open, have to have clingy crying child dragged off me.
8.50 head to work.

There can be a lot of shouting and crying and I find myself so stressed most days.

@Neurodiversitydoctor

*amterrifiedby all the people getting up before 6am. That's not a time to wake up! That's the middle of the night!

What time do you all get to bed?*

In the bath just now usually in bed by 9-9:30 asleep by 10. Unless being Mum's taxi.

Ooh, that sounds like bliss.

I'm one of the precision planners due to being on my own, although we're currently staying with my parents while waiting for our new house to complete. I lay out our clothes and bags the night before because I wake up too early to do it in the morning!

My mornings go like this, as I'm working from home:

5.45am Sneak out of bed so as not to wake DD4 (we currently co-sleep as she has SEN), and have blissful solo shower and get dressed

6.10 Warm milk for DD4 and DS5, and make two cups of tea for my parents in bed

6.30 DD and DS have a joint shower and get dressed

7.05 Give children their vitamins and DS his banana

7.10 DC watch IPad for 10 minutes

7.20 Coats and shoes on, then leave house

7.35 Drop DD at pre-school which is in one direction

7.45 Drop DS at breakfast club before reception which is in the other direction

7.50 If it's Friday, treat myself and parents to bacon and egg rolls and hot drinks

8.10 Back home to scoff said roll and throw drink down my neck, and give my parents breakfast in bed

8.20 Log on to laptop to start reading all the work emails I didn't get through yesterday, or catch up on work I didn't finish yesterday.

I'm absolutely dreading going back to working in the office as it's going to mean the DC days won't finish until close to 6pm, and they start so early.

@HardbackWriter yours has really made me chuckle

The ideal:

6:25: DH alarm. He gets himself ready in a leisurely manner, hops in the shower just before 7, has breakfast, sets off for work at 7:30.
6:55: my alarm goes off. I get up, get myself ready, wake the toddler at 7:30, get him dressed, set off to nursery at 8, then either get the train or head home to WFH at 8:15

The more-often-than-not reality:
Toddler wakes up before my alarm, having had a nappy leak / nose bleed / something else requiring unscheduled cleaning and washing. We then juggle looking after him while getting ourselves ready, while DH gets increasingly stressed about being late. He heads off about 7:45 and we make it out of the door to nursery about 8:15, meaning I then need to sprint to wherever I'm going for the day.

And we're having #2 soon. That won't make it harder at all, will it??

@Nostrings457 - that's more like me. I honestly don't know how I can forget something every morning!

7.53 - eventually get out of bed. Even though I knew I should have done 20 mins ago. Shower, dress, make up, teeth done in the next 10 mins
8.03 - wake DS. Forget we should be rushing, cuddle and chat for 10
Mins
8.15 - realise we now have 15 mins for everything else. Teeth, breakfast, lunch box all done at lightening speed
8.35 - because I never make it out for the easy 8.30 I had hoped run to the car. Arrive into school 45 seconds before the school door opens

Try to keep my cool, mostly end up a bit moany...

It depends on whether my husband is working away or not. When he's home:
Night before: lunch box and water bottle prepared and in fridge. DS showers before bed as no time in the morning.
6:00- alarm goes off. Snooze for 15 mins.
6:15 - I wake up our son, husband walks the dog for 45 minutes.
Son has to eat breakfast (usually cheerios or toast or Greek yoghurt with honey) by 6:45, then it's time for him to brush teeth, wash face, get uniform on. The school bus WhatsApp usually pings around this time to say it's starting its route and showing a location so I know roughly how much time I have left.
6:55 - I quickly change out of my pjs into whatever is lying around.
7:00 - husband back from dog walk, ds plays with dog for couple of minutes then hugs DH and says goodbye.
7:05- grab his backpack and lunch box, walk the 5 minutes to the bus stop.
7:10-7:20 - school bus arrives.
7:30 - back home, husband and I have a coffee together and eat some breakfast.
8:00 - husband heads off to work, I jump in the shower, brush teeth, fresh clothes, etc and then I'm ready for the day.

When husband isn't here it's basically chaos between waking up and setting off for the bus as the dog runs around with the zoomies while son has breakfast and gets ready. She always goes out for a walk first thing so when she has to wait for a little while she goes a bit nuts (only a year old) and it's tough to keep a close eye on her as well as get ready. Once we're all ready though we grab the backpack, lunch box and get the dog on the lead and walk to the bus stop. The dog can't sit still and wants to sniff everyone that walks past or try to play with any other dogs she sees so that's fun with all the other families waiting for the bus, but once the bus has picked up DS I take her for an hour long walk. Then home, coffee, breakfast, shower etc.... And the dog is usually exhausted after the walk and the hour of waiting for her walk so she snoozes for a a good few hours while I crack on with work.

Our mornings seem very chilled compared to some. We’re v lucky that DH works for himself from home mostly and I have a v flexible job

Kids (4 and 6) wake up usually between 6.45-7.15 and go downstairs to watch tv or play (usually making a ton of noise and waking me up).

My alarm goes off at 7.30. Recently I’ve been snoozing in bed for a while, but usually up by 7.45. DH normally still in bed til 8ish

Make breakfast for kids and myself and then around 8ish they go upstairs and brush teeth and get dressed. Older one doesn’t need any help but 4 year old still does. Both of them need reminding to stay on task. Either me or DH does this.

8.20ish - 8.40 I get myself ready, usually throw in a load of washing, and generally decide what I need for the day, and DH does DD hair, fills water bottles, gets snacks etc and usually unloads dishwasher and tidies kitchen. Kids faff about and can watch tv if they’re completely ready

8.40 start herding them towards door and getting shoes and coats on

8.45 I take them to school and then go on to work for 9.15. DH works from home. I’m pretty sure he eats breakfast as soon as we leave and then showers and is ready by 9

Single working mum of 7 year old here:
Everything sorted the night before for school, snacks, lunch and uniform.
630: coffee maker starts. Sit up, reach out, slowly drink coffee whilst wishing I could go back to sleep
640: feed cats, open curtains
645: drag self to shower, get dressed
700: wake child who always needs a big morning hug to get going (non negotiable)
710: get her dressed
715: downstairs for hair, teeth, shoes, jacket and bags while I empty dishwasher
730: leave the house for breakfast club
We usually have toast, cereal bar, muffin or croissant etc in the car as I’ve never yet worked out how to fit cereal etc with the timings and not messing up uniform 🤔

It’s been interesting reading other mornings. Oh how I dream of a day I have energy to get up and exercise early 😆

Single parent, DS4

Up at 6:30 and online PT 6:45-7:15
7:15 a 8:15 DS has breakfast and watches tv. I work.
8:15-8:40 shower and get ready
8:40-8:50 school run and back same street
Start work (WFH)

School dinners. Homework and uniform sorted the night before

6.30am ideally, but more likely 7am - me and DH get up. DS(7) also up at 7.

I have a shower and get dressed while DH and DS have breakfast.

7.20am I chivvy DS along with getting dressed and brush his teeth while DH has a shower.

7.30-7.45am I try to wake DD(4) up, toilet and get her and myself breakfast. She is not a morning person and generally very resistant.

8am I leave for work. DH gets DD dressed and teeth brushed and sorts out snacks and water for school bags.

8.35am DH and DC leave for school/nursery

In theory there is loads of time in the morning, but in practice the DC drag their feet so much and it can be very stressful.

My alarm goes at 6.30, after not much sleep as dd1 age 14 SN, has amongst other things, sleep issues and meltdowns in the night. I force myself up between 6.50 and 7.
Wake the teens up. Make breakfast for all and empty dishwasher.
Remind dd's to get up.
Eat breakfast
Tell SN dd she needs to get up
Wash etc
Tell SN dd she needs to get up
Do some stretching exercises
Tell SN dd I am losing my patience bc she is not up.
Get dressed
If necessary turn the light on and remove duvet off SN teen. If not necessary tell her to hurry up and eat.
Make sure lunches are in dd's bags.
Tell SN teen to eat.
Get SN dd clothes ready to put on otherwise she will have meltdown and by this time there is not time for one.
Tell sn dd to get dressed
Defrost car if necessary
Tell SN dd to get dressed
Dd 2 and I wait by the door while SN dd decides she needs the loo and screams at us she cant go out until she has been
Tell sn dd to hurry up
Sn dd will tell me to f off and doesnt give an f abt anyone else. (I dont swear I am sure she does this to wind me up).
Run out the door asking the last dd to check it has shut properly.