Today, this early bird caught the worm.
I was able to spend some quiet time with my thoughts every morning last week. It was a really good way to start each day. I usually roll out of bed and head down to the kitchen giving myself just twenty minutes to get the kids breakfast and lunches ready. I am rushing, they are rushed and it is a stressful way to begin every day.
But I am not a morning person, and that has been the best I can do for a couple of years now.
After I get them off to school, if I don’t have to take my youngest to preschool I usually sit down with my computer. And before I know it, an hour or more has gone by. Once in awhile, the whole morning has gone by.
Not exactly the most productive way to start the day.
This morning, I did things a little differently. A thunderstorm woke me up about 2 hours before the kids needed to catch their bus. Normally, I would have tried to go back to sleep, or just be content to lay there if I could not.
This morning, I got up. I sleepily walked downstairs, and spent a few quiet minutes sitting. I opened my laptop, read a few blogs and the news and of course Peopledotcom. (Lookin’ good, JLo.) Then I unloaded the dishwasher and started a load of laundry before I went upstairs to shower.
By then, the kids were all up. They were sleepy and quiet and I made them a hot breakfast and put snacks in their backpacks. Things were more relaxed and there was no rushing or yelling. I actually will dare to say that there was not even any fighting.
It was really nice.
I will do this again tomorrow. And hopefully the day after that.
The biggest key will be getting to bed at night so that I can get up in the morning. This will be hard, I am a night owl.
But more mornings like this one would be worth it.
I am wondering; what is your morning routine like? I would love to know.
Posted: March 31st, 2008 under Pondering.
Comments: 29
Comments
Comment from Heidi
Time: March 31, 2008, 1:12 pm
I do this, too! Not quite two hours, but I try to give myself at least 40 minutes to get my head clear and be ready and cheerful when the kids get up. That way, I can smoothe out any tension, and prevent all the yelling and fighting. Also, I am able to prepare their bags and lay out their outerwear (which I shouldn’t have to do, but do anyway, because otherwise mayhem ensues).
Good going, girl! Hope you have an equally successful morning tomorrow!
Hugs - Heidi
Comment from sheila
Time: March 31, 2008, 1:18 pm
that is the way a morning should go and as you have proved, it is possible and so much nicer.
my mornings are rushed- i could do better- i normally work out very early getting home a bit before 7:00am- if I stay off the computer this is enough time for things to run smoothly,as far as getting kids off to school, but this blogging thing has interrupted my routine and i have got to fix this little issue-i rarely make a hot breakfast for the kids during the week days, but big daddy does sometimes.
this is an area i need to improve
i think you have just reminded and motivated me to improve!
Comment from Jen on the Edge
Time: March 31, 2008, 1:33 pm
I usually wake up before everyone else and lie in bed for a few minutes to collect my thoughts before facing the day. We have about an hour to get the girls out then door and then we walk them to school. The walk home is longer, as I loop through the neighborhood. Exercise, plus more opportunity for me to think.
Comment from Thea @ I’m a Drama Mama
Time: March 31, 2008, 1:50 pm
We are really struggling with our morning routine right now. It takes me 14 times of asking the kids to do stuff before it actually gets done. My kids are youunger, though, so I’m hoping that this will improve over time…
Comment from staciesmadness
Time: March 31, 2008, 1:58 pm
from one non morning person to another my mornings are quite chaotic. They start with me hitting snooze a million times (just ask my kids). I have trained the oldest to snooze her own alarm clock…only to be woken by mommy yelling…OK, WE ARE LATE AGAIN THS MORNING.
they eat while I shower, not time to shave, ever. I get out of shower hoping both kids have moved on to getting dressed in the clothes I so nicely laid out. That usually is the abnormal thing that has happened….they are usually still bickering at the table with bowls of COLD cereal still half full. More pushing from me to hurry up, we are going to be late….
all morning long I hear myself motivating and then getting angry…and out the door we run.
every morning.
why can’t I just get up?
terrible.
Comment from Traceytreasure
Time: March 31, 2008, 2:23 pm
Since my youngest is almost six y.o. I’ve been getting up at 6:00am and making my hubby breakfast this year. I’m not sleep deprived(just from his snoring, I’m not up all night with babies anymore) like in years past. I go back to bed after he leaves only because my allergies are killing me but when I get better (couple of weeks at the most) I want to do yoga after he leaves. I’m just not motivated now. My perfect day would be to read Blogs and Blog all day in my pj’s. I’m not joking, I’m hooked and I might need rehab! Your vacation looked wonderful. Have a great week! Hugs!
Comment from JanMary, N Ireland
Time: March 31, 2008, 2:35 pm
My morning in my world - up at 6.50. Make kids lunches and check email. DH dresses our son and empties dishwasher before he leaves for work.
My older 2 kids must be dressed, shoes, toilet, hair, piano and packed school bags…then they can watch tv! We leave house at 8.40, and I drop them off at school at 8.50am.
Comment from Jen M
Time: March 31, 2008, 2:57 pm
Me too! I got up a little after 5 this morning, had mile 2 mile walk done and scriptures read by 6:15. It was heaven. I kept thinking, “why don’t I do this more?”
Comment from Lisa
Time: March 31, 2008, 3:59 pm
Hi- I do so love your blog, BTW..
Im up usually about 5,Make the coffee and @ 5:20 my dear old daddy picks me up and we head down to the gym. Ususally about 20 minutes on the treadmill, do some nautilus for about 10 more minutes, then its back home by 6. By then BobVilla is up and getting showered and shaven for his day. Iron his clothes, maybe start a load of wash and wait for all hell to break loose. This usually happens from anywhere around 6:10 to 6:20. By this time I have gulped down 2 cups of coffee, read a few blogs and pretty much got the day started. Seems as though, how early I get up, there is not any quiet time for me. @ around 7 ,7:20 make breakfast for the hell raisers (and lunch) and let them play around till about 8:15. Then the mini van gets hauled out of the garage, and we are off to school….
I love EVERY minute of it..except maybe the workout part. But I need to do it.
Lisa
coastal nest
Comment from Christie
Time: March 31, 2008, 5:58 pm
I get up about an hour before they have to walk out the door. We eat Eggo waffles usually, and then they are sent up to get dressed and pick up their rooms. It is my biggest struggle to not head for the computer off our kitchen during this time. I do, and then I look up and it’s time to get them out the door and I start yelling and it’s chaotic. It is so hard to not! I wish I could be all calm and prepared and actually cook them a real breakfast, but like you, I hate getting out of bed in the morning, and can’t fall asleep early at night. Sigh.
Comment from Soliloquy
Time: March 31, 2008, 7:07 pm
Girl…… I feel you. It really is an idealistic experience - getting up early and being ahead of the game. But for this night-owl, idealistic is a FAR CRY from realistic.
Maybe I should start by repenting of my “I hate morning” routine every day. I try to rationalize the extra time in bed by snuggling my Lover Boy. Ahhhh, the beauty of home schooling.
But, if I’m being honest….. the notion that maybe I’m just lazy haunts me.
Will keep reading your blog to see how it goes for you. Good luck!
Comment from Jan
Time: March 31, 2008, 8:38 pm
Since I no longer have kids at home, my day is different. I AM a morning person, always have been. I work part-time at B&N. On the mornings I’m assigned to start at 6AM, I get up at 4AM. Why, so I don’t have to rush. Hate rushing. I feed the dogs, bring in the newspapers, and our neighbor’s newspaper for her, make a hot breakfast, usually tea and oatmeal, read the whole LA Times. Then I shower, dress and go to work. If I don’t work early, I get up sometime between 5 & 6 AM, and do about the same things, except I get the computer turned on so after I read the newspaper, I can blog.
Comment from Drama Mama
Time: March 31, 2008, 9:08 pm
I admire you- I’ve tried it- and I just like to sleep- I know what my days are like and it’s best if I get all the sleep possible- I go to bed sometime around 10- get up at 6:45- Take one child to school at 7:35 and then come home and get dressed for work- that way I can focus on my child instead of trying to rush and get myself dressed too-
Comment from chickadee
Time: March 31, 2008, 9:57 pm
my son wakes me up. i get to my feet, dress, brush my teeth and stumble to the kitchen. i turn on the phone ringer to welcome civilization back. i make my children eat breakfast and get dressed then i make them come back to the table and began their hard labor of education. it’s a tough life.
Comment from Nicole@OnTheRun
Time: March 31, 2008, 10:09 pm
I’m a morning person, so I do the whole “get up early” routine. The auto timer on the coffee is like a tractor-beam that pulls me against my will to the kitchen.
However, I am not exactly a party animal after about 3 p.m…we all pay in different ways!
Comment from Kelly @ Love Well
Time: March 31, 2008, 10:37 pm
I’m not a morning person AND I’m a recovering late-o-holic. So I’ve learned I have to get up almost 2 hours before we need to leave the house for school if we’re going to have a relaxing, fun morning. (Versus a psychotic Mommy who is always yelling “go, go, hurry, hurry” to the young minions under her charge.) If I don’t allow that extra time, I’m grumpy (because I’m not fully awake), the kids are grumpy (because Mom is grumpy) and the whole morning is frustrating.
Comment from Suzy
Time: March 31, 2008, 10:41 pm
I’m the same way; a night owl and not a morning person. You’re inspiring me. I get out of bed and it’s nonstop rushing to get everyone to school. I want to get up before the kids do, but it’s SO HARD.
Comment from Org Junkie
Time: April 1, 2008, 12:26 am
This winter has been so long for me that I’ve had trouble getting my butt out of bed these days but normally I do like to get up about an hour before the kids to give myself time to slowly wake up.
Comment from Becky @ Boys Rule My Life
Time: April 1, 2008, 8:38 am
Well, if I get a good night’s sleep, I will wake about 20-30 minutes before the kids. I’ll get the coffee going, read a chapter from the Bible and pray OR I’ll get the coffee going and have some conversation with Jeff if he’s not left for work yet.. Generally that takes my whole time. If I have extra time, I’ll get the boys’ chocolate milks ready and place them by their doors so they have them as soon as they wake up and then go to the computer until everyone emerges. Then let the rush begin. However, I find that when I have those few minutes to myself in the morning, I am more centered and better able to deal with the morning grouchies.
If I don’t get a good night sleep (or I just don’t get up), the boys pile in bed with me/us one by one. Many times, like this morning, we stayed in bed until the baby woke up (he can’t get out of his crib so we have to go get him). Jeff or I will at some point get out of bed to get the coffee and milks. We’ll sit in bed as a family drinking (and eating cookies this morning!).
Early mornings are a good thing at my house. It’s not until the 30 minutes before we walk out the door that things get rushed and hurried. I should change the morning routine around so that it’s not rushed, I just haven’t gotten to it yet! 
Comment from ValleyGirl
Time: April 1, 2008, 10:54 am
I absolutely can’t STAND not having at least an hour to myself before everyone else gets up. At least the girls. I like to be able to go for a 2-mile walk, spend half an hour reading my Bible and talking to God, and then, ideally, another hour in the blogosphere before I have to face the day. This year, I only have one kid to get off to school and she goes full days every other day, so there’s a maximum of three mornings a week where the girls need to be up by 7:30, and I need to pack lunches and whatnot. I try to get that all ready the night before so that all I have to do is take it out of the fridge and throw it in her backpack.
Comment from Jennifer
Time: April 1, 2008, 12:21 pm
I was doing good with a morning routine getting up at least one hour before everyone else but last week blew it for me. I tried starting over this week but my alarm clock unbeknownst to me was set for a different time. Oh well, try again tomorrow.
Comment from Holly
Time: April 1, 2008, 12:27 pm
Morning Sunshine! If I get myself to bed at a decent time, then I am much more willing to get up earlier and start my day off right. Things just go more smoothly–it all hinges on me being less impatient because we aren’t rushed. I don’t always pull it off, but am happier when I do.
Good for you!
Comment from Jenny
Time: April 1, 2008, 1:21 pm
Mornings like you described are so wonderful! The day always seems to flow better and be much more enjoyable if it isn’t started in a hurried way.
My kids are little, so we don’t have anywhere to rush off to. The morning begins with them babbling and talking in their beds and then I roll out of bed and we get the day started!
Comment from Jdude
Time: April 1, 2008, 6:39 pm
I love it when I can get my fat lazy self out of bed before the kiddies! I actually get up when my daughter and husband leave for work and her early morning religion class that starts at 6:00!!!! I am way to lazy and she is way to good to get up by herself for me to get up before then.
Once she is gone I lay in bed, sometimes awake, until I hear the rumblings of my middle schooler. Then I get up because I feel bad - him all by himself down in the kitchen eating cereal all by himself. That is usually when I check my blogs or start a post.
Once he’s gone I ususally have about 45 minutes before the little ones start getting up and by then I’ve either showered or whiled away at the computer. I’ll let you guess which happens most often. No matter - I’m still in a mad dash every morning with those little kids trying to get them out the door.
In my next life I will be a morning person - I promise!
Comment from Jen
Time: April 1, 2008, 7:26 pm
I’d much rather hit the snooze button 4 or 5 times and still not get up! I’m not a morning person, and can never get to bed at a decent hour. My husband and I only have time alone after 9 pm when the kids are in bed, so I really want to stay up and talk to him.
I should get up at 6 am and have 30 minutes to read and do devotions, then wake my daughter up at 6:30. We should leave the house around 7:10 for her to have ample time at her locker in the morning.
What happens in reality is I get up at 6:40, rush in to wake dd up and tell her to hurry because we’re gonna be late, leave the house around 7:20 and she barely has time to get to her locker. I then come back home and wake my son up, rush him like crazy too, and then get him off to school around 8:30. Then I have time to sit and wile away with blogs all morning! Ha, don’t I wish. I’m so addicted, and love your blog. The vacation photos are great!
Comment from Suzanne Bastien
Time: April 1, 2008, 9:26 pm
It’s huge when you can get up early and have some alone time. Mine is at night, I stay up late to blog, do laundry and just be alone while everyone else is sleeping.
Glad you had a relaxing time!
Comment from Deb - Mom of 3 Girls
Time: April 2, 2008, 1:23 pm
I’m the same way - I never get to bed on time, so rarely get up on time. But when I do, everything works just so much more smoothly and I’m not rushing about at the last minute trying to do 3432 things at once.
On the other hand, I so love having the house to myself at night that it’s hard to go to bed, even when I know I need to.
Comment from Jill
Time: April 2, 2008, 2:06 pm
I’m up at 5:30 to workout. Shower at 6:30, wake toddler, wrestle toddler to the floor to dress him, comb hair, brush teeth, find shoes and backpack. Hubby leaves for work and takes toddler to school at 7:30-ish. I’m out the door by 8:00 for work. I’m not a morning person, so do not attempt to do anything except get myself and the toddler ready. He gets all meals at school and I don’t eat breakfast. I get coffee on the way to the office and really don’t **wake up** until about 10am! ha!
Comment from Christy
Time: April 2, 2008, 9:16 pm
Hi,
I am new to commenting on your blog but have read it lots.
In September I decided to commit to getting up at 6am every morning to shower and get ready before waking my oldest up for school at 6:45am. Even though I don’t like the alarm going off that early, as I am a night owl too, I love being ready for the day before I am submerged in kids.
I wake my daughter up, get her dressed and then head downstairs and she eats breakfast while I pack her lunch.
At some point the other two kiddos wake and we load the car at 7:35am to bring my daughter to school.
I love not being rushed and my daughter starts her day off relaxed with a good breakfast in her tummy!
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