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The Dreaded Morning Routine
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:09 pm
by BrandiMcD
(first post on new board - occassional poster on old board)
My children are 2, 4.5, and 7. I almost have morning routine worked out.
I have one dilemma I can't figure out.
When I am doing my final morning clean up before we leave for school, what the heck can I have the children do for ten minutes that doesn't make MORE mess.
I am trying to think of things that are not the TV. They already watch some in the van on the way there. The youngest does not deal well with the transition from TV on to TV off, so it would probably just add another ten minutes of freak out when I turned it back off again.
Re: The Dreaded Morning Routine
Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:24 pm
by Harriet
Hi, Brandy!
Yes, it's better to avoid tv in the mornings because little kids get too "into it" and older kids get distracted and let prep time slip away (and make you crazy). But if you ever find yourself having to compromise and have tv anyway - a DVD of a half-hour program series that is divided on its menu will have program segments that are as short as 20 minutes. If you started one of those 20-25 minutes before time to leave the house it would finish and stop by itself on your chosen timing, returning to the boring menu screen. So it wouldn't be like, "Mommy turned it off!" at the worst possible moment. Choose a calm show, though!
If it were me, I might figure out some simple chores that involve nothing breakable, like making the kid's beds, folding everyone's pjs, - whatever seems right for your household. Then divide into teams of the 4 and 5 yr old together and the 7 yr old helping the 2 yr old and have 10 minutes of chore time. You could give little ones a damp paper towel and tell them to clean fronts of appliances while you worked in kitchen. How ambitious is that? Am I dreaming? LOL!
Re: The Dreaded Morning Routine
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 1:46 pm
by Harmony
Hi Brandy! Would they sit and read a book seperately or together? No kids here any more, but thinking of my DGSons, mostly they like to sit and go back to sleep and have to be prodded to get into mama's car for the trip to school! They're not morning kids for sure. Two is pretty young to do almost anything by themself without making a mess, don't ya think?
Re: The Dreaded Morning Routine
Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 5:45 pm
by Indiana
Brandi I can't help with what to do in the morning since I don't have kids. I do want to say hi and I look forward to your posts.
Re: The Dreaded Morning Routine
Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 12:22 am
by lucylee
Hello! Like Indiana, I just wanted to say WELCOME. I'm no help here, b/c ds is 25 years old now, LOL...
Mercifully, I've kinda forgotten the days of the morning get-to-school routine w/him.
I do remember it was bad, and I could deal w/nervousness when he started driving b/c suddenly it was so much easier for ME to get to school, LOL. That's not what you want to hear, is it? Maybe you won't have to wait till your dkids are 16 to find a solution!
Re: The Dreaded Morning Routine
Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 10:11 am
by blessedw2
hi brandy
Re: The Dreaded Morning Routine
Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 1:00 pm
by bmwharvey
Hey, Brandi,
I'm Brandi, also!
I'm curious what your morning routine is. I have 3 girls (5, 7, and 10) so getting started on a routine is a MUST for me.
-B
Re: The Dreaded Morning Routine
Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 7:27 pm
by Nancy
Yes we had a no TV in the mornings rule when the kids were young as well.
After morning grooming routine.
They would make lunches.
Load home work in book bag.
But because like you said the mess we did that in the evenings eventually.
They make their beds.
Pick up rooms.
Put toys away hot spot pick up.
Take clothes to laundry area.
Re: The Dreaded Morning Routine
Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 4:12 pm
by Harriet
Have ya'll ever tried the gridded index cards for little charts? ("graphed" would be another word - like graph paper). These make great disposable chart (checklist) cards for kids (or me!). I like the 4x6 size best, so that you really have some room to write. I've found them everywhere from groceries to drug stores, but they are at all office supply places.
My dd13 can make a chart of things on one of these and not have to rely on memory. For instance, if she and I can come up with 10 things she wants to do before leaving for school (or before bed), from feeding a pet to brushing her teeth, she can have them on this card and if the words on the left take up about an inch of space she'll have 15 or 16 spaces for days going out to the right side. So each one lasts half a month. The card has about 14 lines from top to bottom so it would hold as many as 14 chores. This is the way I use the idea for my healthy habits, too.
The parent doesn't have to explain every morning (or evening) chore group when the card is the one "telling" what needs to be done!
They can be taped on a mirror or at a door frame, or they can be magneted to a fridge or filing cabinet. When they've filled up, make a new one in a minute, and toss the old one out. This is a very low-tech, cheap way of prompting memory at times there is a lot going on. Checking off is kind of pleasant when the grid is already there - you don't have to re-invent a graph every time you change routine.
Btw, don't ever let kid's grab permanent or Sharpie markers to use on their charts!
Another tip I would have is don't wake a child in the morning until your own personal routine (like grooming, dressing, morning meds, etc) is complete. You can do household chores while children are getting ready but you can't have any privacy!!! 