Morning routine

[bobbyboboo]

I am having trouble getting organised in a morning. Really finding it hard to get up at all and know I need to make an earlier start so as not to be racing around like an headless chicken every morning. Just wondered what routines you all had in a morning i.e. time to wake up, kids up, breakfast etc. Mine goes something along the lines of: roll out of bed at 7.30 (ish), shower, kids up, downstairs for breakfast at 8 and need to be out the door at 8.25. Its just such a rush!!

How old are your dc's?

Sounds pretty much like my (non working days) routine. Up 745 7.30, Gently scream at wake boys, get myself washed while they eat breakfast, throw together make their pack lunch while they're getting dressed.

Normally all ready for 8.20ish, but don't need to leave till 8.40 so leaves me time for a coffee and they get 15 minutes tv.

Boys are 7 & 9, so able to get themselves ready. Used to have to add another hour onto that when I had to help them.

My boys are 10 and 12 and my dd is 2. Boys do get dressed and get their breakfast themselves so only have dd to sort really. Just never seem to be able to leave house without having to raise my voice a dozen times!! Kids never been late for school though we always manage to get there somehow!!

OK, mine usually goes like this (dds are 6&3):

7.20-ish me get up, make cup of tea
7.30 get girls up and put their breakfast on the table
7.45 set timer for 8 o'clock and I go for shower leaving the dds to eat their breakfast and watch TV.
8.00 When timer beeps dd1 gets dressed, even if breakfast is not finished, she can go back to it after!

Get myself dressed after shower then get 3yr old dressed, girls' hair and teeth brushed and faces wiped etc and leave at about 8.30

TBH I don't know anyone else that has the telly on in the morning but it really works here as it keeps the dds in one place and they don't arse about or get a complicated game going!

I think that if you even had an extra 15 minutes in the morning it would be a bit less frazzled. I imagine that 7.30 ish can easily become 7.45 ish then you only need a couple of minor "incidents" such as lost shoes or similar to really put the pressure on.

I am on similar timescale have to leave by 8.35. Used to get up at 7.30 but now I make it 7.20. (on non work days)

Dh brings me a coffee in bed. school aged dd has to get herself dressed before breakfast. I only do very quick breakfasts on school days unless we are downstairs earlier than 8. (literally cereal and milk) I don't do toast or porridge etc as I don't have the extra 5-10 minutes.

All clothes are laid out the night before. I make sure that the keys etc are in my bag. Packed lunch in fridge ready to go.

LOL at 'Gently scream at wake boys'

Its the feeling of the clock ticking isn't it?

I get everything ready night before (uniforms sponged down and laid out, bags by the door with letters etc in, pack lunch made and in fridge etc).

I get up just after 7 and get dc up to flop on the sofa and watch tv at 7.30ish.

Eat toast sitting on sofa.

TV goes off at 8.15 and dc get dressed (dd needs help, ds needs prompts), brush teeth, wash face put shoes and coats on and are bundled out of the house at 8.35ish.

They need lots of nudging to keep moving but if I allow planty of time it works ok.

The tv time in the morning is what makes my 2 get ready quickly with minimal fighting between them/ muuuuummmsss.

They mess around then no tv. And apparently 'tis a crime not to watch spongebob before school, so they always get ready fast.

Now if only I could sort out the 2 cats racing in at 7.30 running in circles around everone legs and tripping us all up (invariably while holding a hot coffee) miowing pathetically, then I would really feel I had mornings sussed.

I use tv as a bribe as well. DD's are only 2.2 and 3.9 but DD1 has to be at nursery school by 8.45.
Up at 7, I shower, DD1 uses loo (takes fricking hours) and DD2 sorts stuffed toys to come downstairs.
Down by 7.15, DD's have breakfast (cereal/toast/juice/fruit) at table with cbeebies radio on while I get dressed and make coffee.
The rule is breakfast is finished and children changed by 8. DD2 needs me to dress her and DD1 needs help so we all do that in the sitting room and have a race.
Cbeebies goes on at 8 for Timmy Time.

They watch telly dressed and ready while I tidy breakfast and pack any bags for the day/put on washing machine/dry hairetc.
Leave by 8.35 at latest.

If DH is home ( his shifts mean he leaves at half 6 sometimes) then he supervises breakfast and I get a longer shower and to dry my hair properly.

I am up and in the shower for around 7am. DS(3) is normally through around then with dd following soon after although they sometimes (very rarely) sleep a bit later. I wake them by 7.45am if they do sleep longer. Breakfast starts between 7.45am and 8am depending if I have a packed lunch to make. They get dressed after breakfast and once dressed they can have a quick go on the nintendo ds. I dont do kids tv in the morrning - it is 'boring news' for mummy!!

We dont actually need to be out the door until 8.35/8.40am so it is not too manic unless ds decides he needs a poo just after getting his shoes and jacket on!!

p.s. dd is 6

Oh we find the opposite - if the tv was on we'd never get out the door.

I think the key things are to have clothes and breakfast set up for everyone the night before and to make sure children take as much responsibility for themselves as they are able.

dd wakes me up at 7.30am. then i get dressed while she chats to me.
7.45am down to her room, she gets dressed and washed.
8am down to the living room to watch 15 mins fifi on c5.
8.15am in the car and off to nursery for 8.30.

easy peasy! yes i know, one child, nursery not school, plus am on maternity so not trying to get ready for work as well etc etc. and she has breakfast when she gets there. i have it all to come

I find the tv very helpful in a 'do your bit and you can watch it and I can do my stuff without you badgering me or be having to worry about you being ready' kind of way!

If I lie in until half 7 I have no chance and DD2 normally ends up finishing breakfast in teh buggy.

Mine are only 21mo and 3.6, but the 3yo has to be at pre-school for 9am 4 days out of 5.

Routine here is:

Up by 6.30 (they're always awake by then anyway).
6.30-7.15ish I walk dog, they play whilst dh showers and dresses, dh gives them breakfast.
7.15-8 they play whilst I have breakfast and shower.
8-8.45 is the hell that is getting children dressed, making packed lunch for ds1, finding shoes and coats and things for show and tell time. IF this is done in reasonable time they then watch a bit of tv and I have a quick cup of coffee.
8.45 into car and off to pre-school

Book bag packed the night before, school shoes polished as soon as ds takes them off the day before, both put by front door.
6.45am get up, hoover downstairs and wash floors (smelly labrador)
7.05 ds in bath, me in shower
7.20 get me dressed, dry hair etc while ds plays
7.40 ds breakfast, clean teeth and get dressed
8.00 both my mindees arrive. feed them both(both under 2yrs) while doing lunchbox for ds
8.30 leave for school.
God i sound so organised I'm really not.

Mine are 5.10yrs, 26mths and 7mths.

We get up between 6.30 and 7am. They younger 2 who are in nappies are changed and dressed before we go downstairs.
Baby's milk and other drinks first then i get washed/dressed while they watch a little bit telly.
Breakfast by 7.30 7.45am.

DD1 dressed by 8.15am or she will go in her knickers .

Out of the house by 8.30/35 for the 5 min walk to school.

Clothes out the night before also school bag ready to go the night before.

1. I get up. Make breakfast for me and DH. Put washing in Tumble Dryer. Make bottle for DS (8mo) and drink for DD (3).

7.15. We have breakfast and DD gets up (DS wakes up but is ignored! ). 7.30 I get showered and dressed. 7.40 DS has bottle.

1. Dress DD and DS.

8.20 DD and DS have breakfast. 8.30 DD (and DS) watch TV whilst I rush around like a lunatic collecting school bag, coats etc. 8.40 Leave house, whilst screaming at telling DD not to 'dawdle' as we are always running late.

Mine are older now ( 12 and 14) but we have a twenty minute drive in mornings so need to be out door by 7.40. So I get up at 6.30 and wake them up, let out dogs, have shower.Everyone gets own breakfast although we end up round table together at 7.00ish. Kids load bags/kit/dogs into car by 7.30.

Top tips are lay breakfast table the night before, school bags to be packed and left by door night before, same for any forms needing to be signed/extra stuff needing to be taken in.
Sound dull, but on the occaisions it doesn't get done, its chaos!

Bobbyboboo, we have to leave the house at 8.20 and I get up at 6.30 (ish) !

This gives me time to wake up in peace, get completely ready (have to be reasonably presentable in my job) before waking DCs at 7.15 if they are not already up and playing.

But we do usually spend 30 minutes eating breakfast. And I do odd chores like unload dishwasher and usually make myself a packed lunch. DCs have school dinners.

bobbyboboo - we find that dealing with this problem has to start by looking at what happens the night before.

Basically we shower the kids and put out their clothes, and get all their book bags andsports kit packed the night before. Get the kids in bed by 7.30 p.m (age 7 and 9).

Then set the alarm for 6.45 am. The kids have nothing to do but get dressed, have breakfast, clean teeth, pick up their bags and put on their shoes. Me and DW have a coffee, watch the news, shower and out by 8.00 am.

Thank for all your replies. I definitely need to make an earlier start!! Problem is hubby usually wakes me up with a cup of tea and its getting later and later!! Need to get up earlier and make my own I think, cant keep blaming him for making me late lol!! Will aim for 6.45 start in morning xx