What is your before school routine?

valk_scot

I get up at 7am, feed cats, make tea, wake 11 year old DD, wake 16 year old DS, collect tea, sit down at PC to read my email. DD gets up straight away, gets through loo, goes and gets own breakfast. Yell at DS. Yell at DS some more. And again. Finally DS gets up at 7.30, shambles into shower, spends 20 minutes washing his hair. DD has finished her breakfast and has got dressed by now. DS shambles into kitchen to get breakfast then shambles off to his room to eat it. By now it's 8am so I go through to check they have keys, cash and homework in their backpacks (these are laid out on the dining table the night before), fill their water bottles and make their packed lunches. Shout at DS it's time to get dressed. Do DD's hair. Shout at DS. DD is raring to go by 8.20, she walks herself down to school and likes to be there early as she's currently classroom setup assistant in the school nursery, which she loves. Yell at DS, who should leave at the same time. Clean up the kitchen. Yell at DS that he's going to be late. Find other shoe, tie and jacket for DS, who is supposed to lay out all this stuff the night before. Start kicking DS out the door then turn him around to wash face and brush teeth. DS finally leaves at 8.35. Do a quick pick-up round the house, put in load of laundry, have shower & breakfast and I'm gone by 9.30, if I'm working at 10.00.

OH is either up and out by 6.30am or very wisely stays in bed out the way till the kids are gone, on days he's working from home.

I could do with DS not being a shambling zombie in the am but the rest is okay. If the bags and clothes are laid out the night before and I know exactly what I'm giving them for packed lunches it helps a lot.

Xaniwoop

I am seriously not a morning person but have a wonderful husband who lets me sleep a little later and get up able to function with the minimum of zombification.

He gets up with the children at 7.15 ish, gives them cereal and plonks them in front of cbeebies while he has his breakfast and makes the sandwiches. He then goes up for his shower, when he's done in the bathroom he turfs me out of bed to have a shower myself. That's about 7.40. He makes the children some toast and heads out the door.

Now Mummy is in charge so after a speedy shower I find kids clothes and take them downstairs so they can get dressed. They have the whole of Tilly and Friends (8.00) to get dressed while I assemble lunchboxes, bookbags, general kit and drink my coffee on the go. I go back to the lounge, complain that they still aren't dressed, do up buttons, help with tights, discover stain on jumper and go sponge it and brush hair and teeth. If this isn't done by the end of Woolly and Tig then it's all gone to hell in a handbasket and I usually start shouting.

They get to watch half of Mike The Knight while I brush my own teeth and pop on a bit of slap and everyone is out of the door at 8.25. When it works its a slick operation that suits everyone, when it doesn't it's a jog for the mile to school!

I don't work but I think I could still manage to get to work (so long as kids could still start school at normal time) on this schedule as I do have time to make myself presentable, I would have to get all my stuff ready the night before though as there is no slack in the routine!

Frith

I am useless in the mornings so I get as much as possible done the night before. 2 school bags packed, bigger son's high school uniformon a hanger in the boys' room, smaller son's uniform hanging over the bannister rail...

Downstairs their shoes and coats will be set out.

I wake up at 7 and get smaller son up. He goes to a special school 30 miles away and his taxi comes at 7.20. He gets dressed and I make his breakfast (always 2 triangles of toast!) He eats that, I get dressed.

He goes, I wake bigger son up at 7.30. I make his breakfast and usually have mine at the same time. Often porridge. I also make his sandwiches. He gets on the bus at 8.

That's it!

Janepig

Bags and uniforms are put ready the night before in this house so it's not too bad then in the morning. DH is up at sparrow fart and makes the kids sandwiches and fills their bottles with squash and puts them in the fridge, then gets them both up at ten to 7 just before he leaves the house. I haul my harris out of my pit any time between then and 7.15, by which time they are washed and dressed and watching Adventure Time (arrggghhhhh!!!!). I get washed and dressed, fill their lunch bags and it's away to go to breakfast club by about 7.45, then I'm in work by about 8.15-8.30. The only bit I find stressful is actually having to get out of bed.

Jx

z.n

Get up at 6.40, wake kids (12 and 14) at 6.45. Quick shower for me then back to wake kids up at about 6.55 with a lot of cajouling (thought I had already done that!). Dress and back again at 7 to ensure kids are actually on the move and following protocol (ie no fist fights to get into the same bathroom/loo at the same time). Downstairs and feed cats, sling some breakfast together on the table, shouting up to keep kids moving. On a good day they can be down for breakfast by 7.20 cue more moaning from me to get DD to eat something, on a bad day 7.30. Grab packed lunches made the night before and with more shouting of checklist (pe kit, homework, musical instruments etc which were supposed to be ready the night before but which will still be littered all over their bedrooms) and often still carrying my toast, out to the car by 7.35 (5 mins late) for the drive to the bus. We have tried getting up earlier but they just move more slowly as they seem to have the idea I am magic and can make the car fly. The only thing that gets them both up on time is if I stand and shout from the outset which I don't like to do, not being a morning person myself-or get DH involved which we all hate as he would get us all up at 5.55am.

masonsmum

If you are expecting Baby No 2 soon, enjoy your serenity while it lasts, I have a 6 year old and a 20 month old and I like you had a very relaxed morning routine!

But adding another baby to the equation is a different kettle of fish altogether, even though DS2 is a little older now its still bedlam in my house morning noon and night!

pelirocco

fly_dragon_fly wrote: »

currently not working as on maternity leave ( only started two weeks ago) but before then started at 9am, maybe it will all change when i have the little one but I can't see why it should.

Baby decides it needs feeding changing as you are about to leave the house

Why do parents pick you up in the morning?

fly_dragon_fly

pelirocco wrote: »

Baby decides it needs feeding changing as you are about to leave the house

Why do parents pick you up in the morning?

They like to see their grandson in the morning, I have no problem with it at all, then granddad picks him up most days again because he wants too, I don't want to offend and it makes no difference to me, although in the summer we tend to go to the park then get the bus home at least 2 times a week, if i walk we tend to leave 15 minutes earlier but it still has never been crazy, I shall enjoy this for the next 3 weeks then i think my world is going to change forever!

morocha

We get up at 8.00 ( school is 5 min on the car). She is a moaner and hates getting up, takes ages to eat her breakfast, i prepare her lunch box while she eats then i take her to the bathroom to have a wash.
Then i change her, wake OH up at 8.30 and have to keep shouting at him to get up. Then i go and get her dressed and do hair. Even if i have her ready by 8.45, Oh is always so late and i hate being late, it really stresses me up.

Once a week i have Oh to get her ready for school, he gets so stressed and think nothing of taking her to school without brushing her hair.

I am 38 plus pregnant and really do not want to think how he is going to manage to get her ready every day for the first few weeks.

pigpen

Sammie_03 wrote: »

8 kids at home, Wow! I'm trying to persuade OH for number 4!
'Slothlike' describes my 9 year old exactly! Unless it has anything to do with food then he is always 1st to finish.
X

LOL.. Mine eats slowly too. She stays dinner at school and they do lunch on a class rota.. she is first in every day because she sits there the full hour slowly grazing her way through her meal.. she does eat it all but she is hellishly slow!

She gets a certificate if she is not last out of the hall!