|
I Didn't Change My Name When I Got Married
47 comments
Shrapnel from another "Mommy Drive-By"
45 comments
Aggressive + Competent = Bitch?
37 comments
When Am I Supposed to Work In a Work Out?
33 comments
The real secret to success? Multitasking
23 comments |
       |
My morning routine is usually pretty easy. I try to get up before my toddler and preschooler, fail to do so about 95 percent of the time and, instead, wake up to whining and crying, get them washed and dressed, get myself washed and dressed before they destroy my room and/or OD on Dora the Explorer, feed them while chugging coffee and packing up their two lunches and their bag-o’-stuff-for-school, and load them into the car for drop off at preschool and daycare before heading into the office.
OK, that doesn’t sound very easy, but really, it is. Comparatively speaking.
Summers are trickier. Five kids instead of two. Extra curricular activities to coordinate. New parents to meet before agreeing to sleepovers with new friends. Camp, karate, and horseback riding drop offs and pick ups in addition to preschool and daycare. More errands. More housework. Way more laundry. And less time in which to do it all, because I’m more than willing to stay up late watching “Camp Rock” with my big kids when I should be doing my freelance work instead. (Hey, they’re only young once. And life is short. Got to have priorities, right?)
So last night, after I finished coaxing my 12-year-old’s tight curls into a zillion sleek, two-strand twists, after The Jonas Brothers struck their last chord and I cajoled the big kids into bed, after the toddler woke up for no good reason and was soothed back to sleep, I started trying to get ahead of my morning juggle.
Fives sets of clothes laid out and ready to wear. (I didn’t get around to doing mine yet). Six lunches packed. (Five for the kids, one for me. My husband is on his own with the lunches, since he keeps forgetting to bring them to work.) Seven loads of laundry washed, sorted, folded and put away. Bag-o-stuff-to-take-to-school packed and by the door.
All organized and neat and ready to go, and yet… I am dreading the morning.
I’m cranky first thing in the morning, but that’s nothing compared to five kids who don’t want to look at sunlight at 7 a.m., let alone venture out into it. I just remembered that I didn’t remind the big kids to pack their bathing suits and towels and whatnot into their camp bags — another thing to while pressed for time. And I’m sure that’s not the only thing I’ve forgotten.
Working moms, what do you do to make your mornings go more smoothly? Share them with me, please!
This entry was posted on Sunday, June 22nd, 2008 at 10:42 pm and is filed under Making Time, Parenting, The Juggle.
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:28 am
Lylah — I commiserate! Summers are bittersweet aren’t they? It’s wonderful not to have to worry about homework, school projects, etc., but the lunches, prepping for the next day, laundry, etc. just continue! Sounds like you’re doing everything possible to keep it going smoothly! Trying to get the kids out the door in the morning is quite a challenge…. and I only have three! Sounds like you’re doing a great job!
June 23rd, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Mornings are supposed to go smoothly? Eeks.
Actually, mine’s not nearly as bad as yours since I’ve only got two little kids, neither is in school/daycare and I work from home. Ok, maybe it is as bad but in a different way but that’s a comment for a different post.
My girls can’t eat when they first wake up and they aren’t all about running around so we’ve settled into a routine of one of them waking me up (why bother beating myself up or tricking myself into thinking I’ll get up before them since they get up by 6:30?) and we head downstairs for warm milk and coffee. I admit to plopping them on the couch in the library so they can drink their milk and watch something while I sit with them and check email and drink coffee. Then the day starts with breakfast, dressing (shower for me) and well, it varies from there. It’s a sluggish routine, happily so, and it gives me the in-my-head time I’ve always needed in the morning. I know it will have to change soon as the oldest will hit preschool but for now I like it.
June 24th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Sorry - I’m hopeless in this department, so no good advice to share. Just want to say I *so* feel your pain re. constantly waking to whining and crying. Ugh. Today I was up before my toddler for once and - ooooh - it made me feel so super-efficient. Alas, it was the exception, not the rule!
June 24th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
Well, my mornings most times start with attempting to get my son out the bed to eat breakfast before camp. He usually gets up too late and then he decides to pout on the way to camp because he has to eat camp food. Same goes for school time. He will be going to the fourth grade this fall and I have to find a new system for this fella.
June 25th, 2008 at 8:18 am
One word: Nanny.