what is your morning routine or "before work" routine?

Monique - posted on 09/15/2012

I do everything the night before bathe my son (1year old) get my daughters lunch ready i put in fridge put her bag coat etc in truck along with my sons bag full with clothes and everything he needs for daycare, in the morning i wake at 6am have my shower by 7am im ready and fed, then i get my kids up shower my oldest whilst i feed and get my son changed, 7.30 daughter has breakfast 8am where gone.

Elay - posted on 09/15/2012

I have 5 kids, 12,8,7 and 2 year old twins. At night ill bath my twins and my 7 year old. Get all 5 of there bags ready for school lunches homework etc get my big kids uniforms ready to go, then i get my stuff ready generally we are all in bed by 9pm twins 7pm.6am i wake up shower get ready for work and have breakfast, 6.45 twins generally wake up i get them changed and fed, my older two wake at 7 shower eating breakfast by 7.30am between that my 7 year old is up and having breakfast aswell, i do a quick tidy up of kitchen and we are out the door by 8am. to clean my house i usually go home on my lunch break but most times i finish work a hour before they finish school so i go home and clean.

Carly - posted on 02/18/2011

My morning routine is preety simple sincde my son is 2 and I have to wake him up of a morning to go to work. I get his daycare lunch and my lunch ready teh njight before and I dress him n his clothes that hes wearing to daycare the next day when he goes to bed. I wake up in the morning, have breakfast and put the bags in the car, I then go in and wake lucas up and change his nappy\, carry him to the car and he eats his toast in teh car on the way to daycare. And I have a bowl of fruit he eats whehn he gets there. Its alot easier if you can organise most of it the night before then you just have to wake up get dressed and go preety much.

Tierah Marie♥ - posted on 09/28/2010

i dnt work in the mornings i work the night shift however i still have a routine for my son and i he wakes up at about 9:00 sometimes 9:30 am he watches cartoons while i fix him breakfast and after hes done he'll play with his toys watch cartoons and then he'll tired him self out so by 12 noon hes ready for a nap!

Tashanti - posted on 04/14/2010

It's best to get all you can ready the night before.....include lunches, uniforms. Or else the morning will consist of a lot of running around and yelling...I put her favorite cartoon on blast to get her to wake up but that is after I am ready

Lorna - posted on 04/08/2010

hia i am a single mum of a 3yr old boy, defo hav everything ready the nite b 4 is a must. Then in the morn i get up 1st get a shower while he still asleep then get him up get him ready, sit him downstairs eatin breakfast while i do hair make up and all bags to door coats shoes ready haha its crazy, but writing it all down like this makes it sound easy but no am dealing with him not wanting to go to childminders which makes the whole routine harder its never easy but you will find your own routine xxxx good luck ive been on my own since he was 10 mths old xx

Karey - posted on 04/06/2010

Do everything the night before....right down to lunches, and choosing our clothing...all ready at the front door...sometimes I even put my kids stuff in the car the night before......then just a matter of getting myself ready , and them dressed/groomed in the am.....less frustration, and less yelling for them to hurry up......still tough getting out the door....but not as bad, ad not being organized!! Hopes this helps!

Louise - posted on 04/06/2010

Ok i am a fulltime working mom of two whos husband works shift so either way is never there in the morning. I start work at 8:30 and need to leave my house by 7:30 to drop kids at creche. My secret is that i get everything ready the night before including shower and leave all bags beside front door and all clothing items including coats shoes etc for us all including myself laid out in 3 piles in my bedroom. My alarm goes off at 6:30 so i get up and dressed before the kids wake at 6:45. I get the 4 year old dressed totally including coat and then the baby. Straight down the stairs and out the door. Any day i don't do this I am always late. They are in the creche before 8 and have breakfast immediately on arrival and i get to work at 8:15 where i have cereal and milk kept so i can have my breakfast before i start work.

Pamela - posted on 04/06/2010

Wow thanks for the tips ladies. These are great!!

Lorri - posted on 04/06/2010

I use my cell phone to set several alarms in order to keep on track. I also allow a cushion of time with my last alarm so that even if my kids continue to drag their feet, I can still get out of the house on time. Checklists are also helpful, even for everyday things.

Ondene - posted on 04/06/2010

You are not alone. I have a 12 year old son and our week mornings consist of nagging, nagging and more nagging. Also some shouting and threatening to leave him behind if he doesnt hurry up.

CANDICE - posted on 04/05/2010

When it comes to my kids it feels like Im single lol, I have a 3 year old girl and a 7 month old boy, and I get up at 5:45 I get ready then wake my daughter up around 6:20 get her dressed and let her watch cartoon and have breakfast while I get my son ready then he has his bottle on the way to the sitters, and I have to be at work at 7:45am, while my husband gets up like at 7:30am and gets ready and gets to work at 8am, to have it that easy....

Krystal - posted on 04/05/2010

I try to get everything ready the night before. I put everything in a pile, so all i have to do is pick everything up. My alarm goes off at 5am. I usually bathe my little one in the morn, it's easy right now, he's only 19 months, so i just put him in the shower with me. I brush his teeth and hand him his toothbrush to brush a little more while i brush mine. Then off we go to get dressed. We usually wake dad up for this, he will dress JD while I get ready. There are occasions where dad is not there, and on those mornings, I dress JD first, then I dress. Diaper bag is ready to go from the night before and it sits right by my purse so we don't forget it. We're usually out the door by 6am. I have to be at work for 630. JD gets dropped off at g-ma's and I fix his "coggey" (coffee) and off to work I go.

Tina - posted on 04/05/2010

The best thing that I have found out is to pack whatever you can the night before. This way the only thing you should have to do is get her dressed yourself dressed make a quick lunch and head out the door.

Autumn - posted on 04/05/2010

I have three to get out the door in the morning. 13, 4 and 17 months. To make mornings smoother I lay out everyone's clothes including mine at night. Book bags out shoes by the door. Put medicine and vitamin bottles on the counter the night before. Pack diaper bag and have it ready. Things like this make it much better. All morning arent great but this makes them smoother.

Kate - posted on 04/04/2010

I pack the basics for the next day the night before. Get up 1/2 hr before my son and make both our lunches (I eat what he eats for lunch) whilst I have a cup of coffee and breakfast. Wake Noah up, breakfast, shower together. dressed. Grab the bags and go. This takes 1 and 1/2 hrs to get out the door. I have made a game of trying to beat the bus that goes past, so Noah always wants to be out the door to wave to the bus. It helps.

Tammy - posted on 04/03/2010

As soon as I am up the cloths are getting ready & getting Launchers at the same time we do home work in the mornings .. so the kids are doing home work & I am getting that days reports done for work at the same time.. then its time for breaky.. teeth... cloths .. bags packed.. & they get 30min TV while I have shower & get ready for work & then we fly out the door for pair assembly at the school & time for me to hit the road as I am a rep..

Christine - posted on 04/03/2010

Thats a tough one!
I ALWAYS bath the kids before they go to bed. This way I do not have to worry about that in the morning. I try very hard to get up before my children do, this way I can get myself ready without worrying about the kids. I try to make sure everyone's stuff is packed the night before, wether it be my school books or the diaper bag. I tell the older child to get up and get dressed and while he is doing that I get the baby dressed. Maybe you can let your 3 yr old dress herself? I also lay out the clothes the night before so I know that the kids will be properly dressed in the morning and I don't have to worry if I have folded their clean underwear yet. Then I sit them down for breakfast snack. They get a real breakfast at school, so I just give them something quick to tide them over until breakfast time at school. Sometimes its fruit, sometimes it ceral, and sometimes its yogurt. While they are eating I get anything else I need ready, like packing the car and getting shoes on. I actually put everyone's shoes on while they are eating breakfast. Then its clean up and time to leave. There is no tv or toys. Strictly business.

ALEXIA - posted on 04/02/2010

my fiance is gone by 6..im up at 715 alone if i can help it..i get myself ready first, if my 11 month has woken up by then i get him ready and then we wake my daughter who is 2..they eat at preschool so we have a snack in a.m. and off we are by 830!

Marketta - posted on 04/02/2010

My daughter is only 3 months so its a little easier for me. I wake up at 0400 and get her bottles and her diaper bag ready for school. I pick her out something to wear and fix her a bottle. I feed her that bottle and then dress her for day care. She is asleep the ENTIRE TIME - except on a few occasions when she wakes up trying to play with me. I lay her back in the bed, shower, get dressed and I am usually out of the door at least by 0515 because I have to be at work by 0600. The only days I have a hard time is when I hit SNOOZE on my alarm clock 1 2 3 4 5 times.... LOL!!!

Callie - posted on 04/02/2010

I am the mother of two. My children are 10 and 8 now, but when they were your childs age i was just starting college to obtain my chemical engineering degree. What i found helpful was i always woke up an hour before they had to get up to get to daycare for my 8 class. I got myself ready, gathered all the things they would need for the day, and then woke them up. that gave them time to procrastinate some, and me time to chase them around and force them to get ready. Most people don't like the idea of waking up any earlier than they have to, and being a single mom of a 3 yr old, i know you probably don't get much sleep as it is, but once you get used to it...it makes you entire day go smoother.

Kerri - posted on 04/02/2010

My morning routine actually starts the night before: After the little on is in bed - I lay out her clothes/my clothes for the next day. Pack her bag and my work bag. Pack her lunch and my lunch. I get up first before she wakes, get myself totally ready and then wake her and get her ready. It makes the morning so much calmer - if I dont' do all this prep work, the morning is a disaster!

Jennifer - posted on 04/02/2010

Hi Pamela, our routine is also quite hectic in the mornings and it's tough keeping my boys on task. I try to save time by preping lunches and breakfasts on Sunday. Depending on my schedule the boys have to eat at thier care programs. I generally make 10 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and then freeze them. I also buy a big box of waffles and pack 2 each in sandwich bags or mini bagels, which I spread with cream cheese and put them in individual bags and stick them in the fridge. I also make sure all milk or juice boxes are chilled and out of their packaging. I cut up veggies and stick them in sandwich bags or have individual fruit cups separated from their packaing so I can just grab them quickly and throw them in lunch boxes. My 4-year-old has trouble getting out of bed in the morning so I frequently get him dressed at night! In the winter I put him in sweat suits and in the summer, shorts sets with elastic waistbands for comfort. I've been known to pull this sleeping child right out of bed, grab his shoes, and stick him into the car! We have a shoe cubby in the foyer that the kids put their shoes in and their book bags on so no one is running around looking for shoes and bags when we are about to run out the door. We also placed hooks low on the inside of the coat closet so the kids can hang up their own coats and grab them easily. I also agree with the other Moms who stated it's easier to get themselves ready first. Hope this helps!

Nicola - posted on 04/02/2010

I think it just goes to show that it's all about routine - plus training your kids to be a bit more independent!
Our radio comes on at 6, and I usually get up about 6.10. I put lunches together (5 of them), but they tend to be the same thing most days so I don't have to think about them too much. Then I watch the news whilst I'm having my breakfast. Son No 1 is quite often up getting his own breakfast by this time too, he likes to get some early-morning gaming in before he goes to school! Dh is out of the shower by 6.45, which means I can go in after him.
Out of the bathroom, I try to decide what to wear (which shouldn't be hard as I can get away with casual all the time), and by this time it's usually about 7.10. If DD isn't up by then, I stomp around outside her room for a while and then go in and wake her up. I leave her eating breakfast whilst I brush my teeth, make beds, check that my bag and hers are ready and put them by the front door. Then she goes off to make an attempt at getting dressed in her uniform (she's 4) whilst I wash up and tidy the kitchen; I go along and help her once I've finished. Sometimes she's almost fully dressed, and other times she's sitting on her bed in pyjamas!
Son No 2 will stagger out of bed about 7.20am and have his breakfast before getting ready for school. He leaves the house just after 8am to walk to school; on a good day I've got Son No 1 and DD in the car by 8.10am, on a bad day it's 8.20am. Amazing what a difference 10 minutes makes! Plus, this is the result of having three kids in three different schools - what fun...

Patricia - posted on 04/01/2010

This is a hard one for me. My little girl is a night owl. Wakes up naturally at around 830 or 9 am! And if she gets awakened too early - you just signed your own death cert! Or you'll wish you had anyway.
I try getting myself, her lunch, her clothes everything possible ready before waking her up, dressing her and feeding her. Then wisking her out the door to be at school by 10 am.
As a personal trainer this has impacted my earning potential, so I just stay later for a few clients, instead of being one of the first kids at school in the morning, she's the 2nd to last kid left at the end of the day.
Good luck to you!
Patty

Sierra - posted on 04/01/2010

I'm really sorry for you moms that are up at 5:00 in the morning, I'd die if I had to do that everyday. This is my typical Mon-Fri morning schedule.

7:30am - wake up my daughter, change her, feed her, clean her up, dress her, get her last minute things

8:00am - walk across the street and take her to daycare

8:10am - go home, brush teeth, do hair, put on makeup, get dressed.

8:30am - eat breakfast, clean house, watch t.v. or whatever

10:00am - go to work

sometimes me and my husband use the time after we drop off my daughter and before I go to work as intimate time. actually 99% of the time we use it to be intimate. we don't get a lot of house work done when we're together.



I'm really lucky to have a husband that likes getting up early because sometimes he takes care of my daughter w/o even getting me up. He lets me sleep in and does it all himself.

Hazel - posted on 04/01/2010

When it comes to mornings i am also a single mum as my husband leaves at 6:30 eash morning. IH have to leave the house by 7:30 to get to nursery and work on time. I make sure that the night before have my daughters bag and clothes and my work bag and clothes ready for the next day. I get up at 6 am with my husband make a jug of coffee the have my shower once my husband has finished then dress i have to make sure that i am dressed hair and make up every thing done by 7 am then i wake up my daughter before i wake her i get her cup of tea and her toast made so that as soon as she is down stairs she can have her breakfast. By 7:15 i start dressing my daughter. She sits on her potty whilst i dress her and do her hair. She brushes her teeth between breakfast and dressing. Once she is dressed she has her shoes on and coat on then goes straight in her push chair. Whilst i finish my coffee put on my coat and then leave. I have the push chaire ready the night before as wellvwith the bags on it so once she is in the puch air i can walk out of the door by 7:30 hope this helps. I think the most important thing is it is the same routine that i have used since i went back to work so there has been a strong consistancy and my daughter always knows what is happening

Lanie - posted on 04/01/2010

5.45 Alarm goes off SNOOZE
5.50 SNOOZE if i DARE
5.50 Get up ,bathroom duties including getting dressed
Then i spend the next 40 Min's waking up feed me the pets 9walk the dog ) and check out the news
7am make sure the hubby & kids get up then i leave for work ASAP LOL & leave hubby to it.
In the earlier years ,i made sure everything was ready the night before , i have always made sure BD came down dressed for the day breakfast & of to CM . now at age 11 she comes downstairs fully dressed for school,bag ready bed made etc , so if you train the kids early they have better life skills later ,thus helping you the 16 year old SS still has to have everything done LOL
My advice is get yourself up half hour early get dressed have a cuppa & breakfast then get the kids up XXXXXXXXXX

Rebecca - posted on 04/01/2010

I have always been an early riser, so for me it's easier to get out the door. First thing you should do is get everyone's clothes picked out the night before and have them ready and you could also have a meal plan in place-that way when you get home, you can start on that. You might even try getting up ealier in the mornings. It will be difficult in the beginning, but once you get used to doing it, it will be like clock-work. The next thing you will want to try is getting your daughter up and having her eat breakfast, maybe help her get her teeth brushed afterwards, then getting dressed. While she's eating you could be getting your lunch ready for work and her bag or whatever she needs for the day ready. Have it all waiting by the door, so all you have to do is grab and go. Maybe try setting a timer and letter her know you have "x" amount of time to get ready and when the timer goes off, we need to be out the door. It's all baby steps to begin with, but once you have established the routine, it will go much smoother. Good Luck!!

April - posted on 04/01/2010

I get up at 5:30 in the morning, take my shower, blowdry my hair get my self dressed get all ready for work. I then get my son up at 6 am get him dressed put his shoes on let him eat a bowl of cereal then we brush his teeth and we are out the door by 6:30. allow yourself ample time to get ready then get your kids ready. since I get myself ready before I even wake my son up it allows me plenty of time to devote to my son and I get to catch a little of the news before I leave the house. I hope this helps

Mary - posted on 04/01/2010

hi pamela I would say organize yourself the night before make sure your little ones clothes and yours are set out for the morning Plan breakfast and have house tidied round Give yourself half hour extra time when setting the alarm to enjoy breakfast and chat with your little girl.relax you will get into routine good luck

Zoanne - posted on 03/31/2010

I am a newly single mom is well my son is 13 my advice to you is get ready yourself first then if your daughter needs a snack for wherever she goes during the day maybe get that ready the night before to save u time in the morning. And after u have had your breakfast and your ready for the day then wake your daughter get her dressed have your breakfast and head out the door.

Michelle - posted on 03/31/2010

I am up a good 20 minutes before my kids that way I am ready to go before they are even out of bed now I have a 10,9 and 11 mo old to get out the door by 7:30 so not always easy. I start by waking the 2 older ones and they get dressed and do their hair, while I make their lunches for school. When they are done getting dressed they sit down and eat their breakfast. Usually by the time they are sitting down to eat my little one is awake and ready to get up we get her dressed and put her in her high chair she eats then we head out the door to put the kids on the bus for school....this whole process from the time the kids get up to the time we walk out the door takes 30 min

Melinda - posted on 03/31/2010

I do as much as I can the night before. My son is 9 months on Friday. Prepping the bottles, food, packing the diaperbag. I lay my clothes out the night before, make my lunch. Decide on your daughter's outfit the night before. Good Luck!

Shannon - posted on 03/31/2010

Our bedtime routines set the way for easy mornings. Clothes are laid out the night before and back packs are checked and homework signed all before going to bed. FlyLady on the internet is most awesome in helping establish routines.

Melissa - posted on 03/31/2010

I get as much ready as possible the night before. my on is only 4 months so he eats at 6 then he goes back to his crib until we leave giving me time to shower and get ready by 7:30. i have my lunch done the night before. and his diaper bag packed and I make all his bottles the night before...otherwise i would never get out of the house lol!
good luck

Maggie - posted on 03/31/2010

We try to get everything ready the night before. Kids clothes, lunch bags and everything the kids will need the next day that way I only have my self to worry about. But most important COFFEE!! It keeps you going.

Mizu - posted on 03/31/2010

well, we have no problem for the time being. woke up in 5.45 am and my son would wake up at the same time and he will be playing all the toys he have. then i just have to change his diaper and we can easily get out of the house at 6.30am. it's kind of quick. maybe you sholud train her to sleep early and wake up early. get her something she like to do, such as snacks or toys to play with. maybe it could help.

Kathie - posted on 03/31/2010

I do alot of my stuff at night after my 7 year old goes to bed. (which is 8). she helps me pick out her clothes for the next day. I will get my lunch ready if it's leftovers. i usually go to bed around 11:30. i get up an hour before her so i have time to myself - coffee, feed the dogs, make-up. then i get her up. she is adhd so she goes goes goes!. it's a rhythm you find for yourself and you really have to stick to it. i like the hour to myself, so i make a point of getting up for it.

Lisa - posted on 03/31/2010

Most nights I make sure the diaper bag is packed. My husband usually stays in bed the next morning until he has enough time to get himself ready & feed the dog. That leaves me with getting myself & the baby ready (who is 6 months old). We work for his parents so our daughter comes with us to work. Here's how a typical morning is for me: the baby wakes me up at 7-7:30am. I go into her room to put her plug back in her mouth & turn on the mobile to keep her occupied while I take the dog outside & go take a shower. I quickly get dressed, do my hair, & brush my teeth. Then I make the baby a bottle, change her diaper, feed her, & change her clothes. I buckle the baby in her carseat (sometimes my husband is available & he does it). My husband lets the dog in, gives her fresh food & water, and takes the baby out to the car while I grab my purse & the diaper bag. Then, we are out the door & headed to work (by this time, it's about 9am). We eat breakfast when we get to work.

April - posted on 03/31/2010

I know how you feel Pamela. I am a single mother too and have been since my son was born in 2003. To save time in the morning, I have always gotten things ready the night before and if I am able, I will put some of the items in the car as well. I get up, get my shower and get ready for work, then I get him up, get him dressed and take him to the babysitter. There he eats breakfast before he heads off to school. I get his lunch ready the night before and have it waiting in the fridge for me in the morning. I put my briefcase and his back pack in the car the night before so I am sure not to forget them.

Maria - posted on 03/31/2010

Well both my husband and i work at retail stores 40 hours a week and our schedules are, lately, been opposite. if i have to be out at a certain time i make sure i set my mark at least 30mins before, for exaple if i have to leave my house at 8am, i try to pretend that i have to be out by 7:30-7:45, so then i know i can make it to work on time. Not always, but most of the time, something comes up as we are walking out... "mommy i need to go potty" "mommy im still hungry" "mommy i spiled juice on my shirt" "mommy i forgot to get my book" etc... i think you get the point? haha =) i just wake up a little earlier then i should, get my son to help me out, and the older he is getting the less of a hussle it is for us to get up and ready in the morning.

Samar - posted on 03/31/2010

Hi... i have 3 kids and i try to get up between 6- 6.30 , prepar my kids to go to school and i try to get most of the things ready the night . this is my advise

Leticia - posted on 03/31/2010

I am in the same boat. I prepare her bag the night before; I get ready before she wakes up. I learn my lesson once I went back to work.

Nichole - posted on 03/31/2010

i usually get all my daughters things together the night before. and i get up and ready before i get her ready. then if i have extra time i usually make her a bottle but she doesnt always eat when she wakes up. and if she does wake up while i am getting ready and wants to eat i will put her in a baby swing and use a blanket to prop up her bottle so that i dont run late.

Kathy - posted on 03/31/2010

Wow lots of great answers! I wont go fully into the routine part ~ BUT I find ROUTINE is the answer (most days!) I'm not single, but DH goes off to work early, so can't rely on him. I have a near 5 year old in school (Oz) and a 10 month old.



What I do is keep all her things in the same place, so the night before I make sure that her uniform, etc is all in its place for her.

So I get up early and get myself sorted, easier without the kids about.

Then attend to making her lunch ready to put by her bag

Then they get up and she HAS to have breakfast/dressed before some TV (it can be a great way to settle/distract IF everything else is done and she knows its a treat)

While she is watching TV I get my son ready, then I tidy the house etc (THIS is the thing that I get annoyed about if I havent done it before I have left the house LOL)

Then we all end up in the bathroom to do hair/teeth etc before heading out the door



Oh and I find its best to be up early... and have time up sleeve for 'incidentals' and then be less stressed...

And even if tired, if most things are done the night before, like everyone has mentioned, then its a lot nicer in the morning too :)



ps I was solo for a while.. and found it a lot easier at times than when DH was around!

Basia - posted on 03/31/2010

It has been a while since I did the single mom thing, but my advise is to get as much prepared the night before... outfits planed out for both of you (laid out and waiting), lunches made if need be and any extras that travel with you and your daughter. Then you just need to get yourselves dressed and fed in the morning... it's a great stress reliever, trust me.

Veronica - posted on 03/31/2010

I always get up when my boyfriend leaves to work at 6:30am so that I don't oversleep. We always get clothes, backpacks & snacks ready the night before. I also have an alarm set for 7:30am so that if we havent left the house yet were running late.. The goal is to be in the car by the time the alarm goes off, 9 out of 10 times we beat it.

Vickie - posted on 03/31/2010

Well I have 5 kids and my husband is off to work before 5 am. My kids have to be on the bus by 715am. I wake the 2 older kids up at 6am they get dressed, put their backpacks by the door and eat breakfast brush their teeth before walking out the door.
The 2 youngest are 2 year old twins, They usually wake about 630am we change diapers, get them a sippy cup of milk and some breakfast. The 3 year old wakes up at 7, takes a bath, gets dressed and eats breakfast. On days that I have things to do, other than work and school I try to get up at least 30mins early and that way I am on time.

Sandy - posted on 03/31/2010

Hi,
I get as much done as possible the evening before - do lunch while makng dinner, pack bag at about the same time, etc. The only thing they need to do is get up, eat, get dressed and brush teeth. Everything else is done and waiting at the door to literally be grabbed on the way out (unless lunch is in fridge in which case put into bag while making breakfast??)