What is your school morning routine?

[Ladybug]

Right now the kids wake up at different times (one early riser and one sleeper). DH usually feeds them first and then they get dressed afterwards. I originally had them getting dressed before coming downstairs to eat and maybe we should get back to that. Maybe a little hunger will help them focus on getting dressed more quickly to get downstairs...?

What's your routine? Do you set things out the night before? I always forget. Any ideas that have made your mornings run more smoothly?
When do you wake them up and how much time does that give them to eat/dress?

Our mornings are super easy ... I'm fully prepared for that to change drastically when M gets into the mix.

The boys wake up at 7:15 (usually on their own w/their alarm), get dressed/washed, go downstairs, make their own breakfast. I make their lunches. They walk to school, leaving the house at 8:00. That timing allows for cuddling in the morning, and sometimes I may or may not actually get up with them if M hasn't woken up yet and they happen to be buying lunch (they choose 1 day/week).

[Sheherezade]

I knock on doors at 6 am with a garbled "You awake?" to each kid. Then we all stumble around until 7 am when everyone leaves - except Dad who leaves at 6:30. Everyone takes care of their own stuff. So despite the early hour, teenagers are better for mornings, I guess.

[Ladybug]

Our mornings are super easy ... I'm fully prepared for that to change drastically when M gets into the mix.

The boys wake up at 7:15 (usually on their own w/their alarm), get dressed/washed, go downstairs, make their own breakfast. I make their lunches. They walk to school, leaving the house at 8:00. That timing allows for cuddling in the morning, and sometimes I may or may not actually get up with them if M hasn't woken up yet and they happen to be buying lunch (they choose 1 day/week).

I want your mornings!

forgot to include that J feeds the dogs every morning, too (Q does evenings ... I'm all about assigning tasks).

All of this is made exponentially easier by the fact that I don't have to leave the house, too. If I had to drive them somewhere or ... egads! ... be presentable at a place of employment ... it would all fall off the rails!

[Ladybug]

I think the girls need to be more independent with their breakfast/clean up. DH is currently cooking them a hot breakfast before he leaves, but it's not encouraging independence.

[oceanchild]

We laughed about this for years, but I'm starting to think my mom was onto something with her breakfast routine. We had cereal Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays were eggs (soft boiled) and toast. Dad made hot breakfast on weekends - pancakes or french toast on Saturdays, and eggs to order on Sundays after church. Always knew what to expect!

[v-girl]

When my girls did go to school (instead of going to our dining room), they wore uniforms so getting dressed was easy. They would get up at 6 or 6:30. We had to be in the car on the way by 7. Breakfast was handheld and eaten in the car.

[diggitydot]

DD1 gets up at 4:45am to begin her daily beauty regimen, DD2 rises at about 5:45am, and I wake up DS at 6am. They're all old enough to get themselves ready. I'm really only the nag/reminder/alert system. DH gets up around 6:15am and gets himself ready and out the door by 6:30ish. He takes DD1 to school while I make sure DD2 gets on her bus and DS finished getting ready. I then walk the dude to the bus stop at the end of our cul-de-sac. Everyone gets their own clothes ready the night before and makes their own lunches in the morning.

[Ladybug]

We laughed about this for years, but I'm starting to think my mom was onto something with her breakfast routine. We had cereal Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays were eggs (soft boiled) and toast. Dad made hot breakfast on weekends - pancakes or french toast on Saturdays, and eggs to order on Sundays after church. Always knew what to expect!

I really like this! It would simplify our mornings and DH would still get to enjoy making hot breakfast for the kids on the weekend.

[Pollyanna]

I think the girls need to be more independent with their breakfast/clean up. DH is currently cooking them a hot breakfast before he leaves, but it's not encouraging independence.

I think it is really sweet that your dh makes them a hot breakfast in the morning. That is a time they will always treasure and appreciate (even if they don't show it now). I don't think I would stop that just for a more efficient morning. We've tried a variety of things but not every routine works with every child. Some of our kiddos like to be ready and dressed before breakfast. Others want breakfast the minute they wake up. I let them know when we have to be out the door and they usually get there. I will note that it is much easier once they hit middle school because being a few minutes late really isn't an option and for high school they are there most days before the sun is up. Hang in there, try to enjoy the mornings, and know that in a very short time they will be handling all of this on their own.

[Michele]

I get up around 5 or 5:30 with Kai. Park him in front of the TV after changing him because he almost always wakes up covered in pee (out the side or top of his diaper). If Phedre is still asleep, I try to get a shower. If she's awake I start making breakfast. Usually pancakes, but sometimes chocolate chip muffins or waffles. Daegan usually wakes up about 6. I keep the TV on, and park them at the table to eat breakfast, I try to get Phedre in a highchair, and if I succeed and I haven't had my shower yet, I try now. Then I clean up quickly after breakfast (basically wipe up syrup and move plates so that more doesn't spill everywhere), holler at the boys to dress themselves and feed the dog. I pack lunches for who ever is going to school that day (D 5d, K 3d, P 1d)...make sure Pula actually got fed, walk her to potty, make sure all kids are dressed, make sure I actually got dressed and took the towel off my head. If I have time, which is 50-50, I fix my hair and put on makeup before dropping the kids off at daycare. Load everyone in the car by 7:45 or 8am. Then I come home and finish cleaning up after the morning rush...and while I know it's almost 3 hours, it's still a rush! If I didn't get to fix my hair and put on makeup, I do it now...or shower if that got missed as well, depending on how many kids I have left at home.

[MrsK]

Most mornings, K2 wakes me before 5 (hopefully not much before 5). DrK changes him while I go to the bathroom. Then DrK goes back to bed and I nurse/try to get K2 back to sleep or at least quiet. Then I shower and dress. K1 usually wakes when I'm in the shower, around 6. DrK will wake up then, diaper and dress him, and give him breakfast (milk, cereal, banana). Then I'll take over breakfast supervision while DrK gets ready for work. K1 will gather up his coat, shoes, hat, backpack (in his cubby by the door) and I'll help him bundle up. Then he leaves with daddy since day care is at the hospital.

Non-daycare days are the same except he doesn't bundle up and leave with daddy.

Our evening routines are a lot more elaborate in order to assure that mornings are smooth.

[madeintaiwan]

J's alarm goes off at 6:45. He makes his bed, gets dressed/washed/brushed, gets his backpack together, makes himself breakfast as well as his brother and sister's. He wakes up Mei at 7:00. She gets dressed/washed/brushed,and gets her backpack together. J and Mei pick out their own clothes. Mei looks at her"specials" calendar on the fridge because she has to wear tennis shoes, not boots on PE days. And not white on art days. I lay out Magic's clothes and J's gets him dressed for me. I make their lunches then shower. The kids head out to the car at 7:45. J buckles Magic in his car seat.

ETA: Their rooms must be presentable in the mornings. Clutter at least organized. I go around and confiscate any toys [and sheets] left out of their place, like the floor, after I return from drop off.

[samssugarmomma]

Here is our routine

The night before
- Make lunches while I'm making dinner - that way once the kitchen is cleaned up, it's closed for the night
- N (age 6) picks out her clothes for the next day
- I pick out the clothes for E (age 3) and S (age 20 months). I only pick out E's clothes because her dresser is really old and the drawers stick. She physically can't open the dresser. If she could, she'd do it. But I do have her help me by saying skirt, dress, or pants, etc.

The morning
- DH and I are up at 5:30 - immediately shower and get dressed. One of us will start empyting the dishwasher and making breakfast while the other is in the shower. Then we switch.
- Finish up in the kitchen - empty dishwasher, make breakfast (and mornig snack if we will be on the run that day), take out the meat for dinner or start the crockpot
- N gets up at 6:30. She likes to eat first and then get dressed. She does the dressing part and teeth and we help with her hair since she likes braids. She has to leave for school at 7:15 - so she has 45 minutes to get ready. There is usually a lot of grab butt games and goofing off involved on her end. She is driven to school as part of a car pool and we walk her to the neighbors house at 7:15.
- Whoever is working that day leaves for work (I work on Tues, Wed, and Friday) DH has office hours on Monday (8:30 - 2 - he set this schedule) and Thursday (8:30 - 10 - then lectures till 3:30).
- E gets up at 7:30 - eats - gets dressed. She does the dressing and we help put the toothpaste on the toothbrush and with hair. I try to have her dressed and ready to go by 8 or 8:15.
- S gets up when she gets up - sometimes with us at 5:30 - sometimes at 7. Sometimes she eats with N, sometimes she eats with E depending on when she gets up.
- Spend 30 minutes playing with the kids, or doing a quick chore depending on the day
- We leave for preschool at 8:45 on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday is a home day, Thursday we leave for Speech therapy at 8:30, Friday is a home day.

If DH isn't home, the routine is the same, I just get up at 5 instead of 5:30 since there isn't an extra pair of hands to help in the kitchen. Sometimes I empty the dishwasher and set out breakfast the night before to save myself the 30 minutes in the morning. It doesn't always take 30 minutes - but if S gets up with us - it might since she likes to be held in the morning and doing everything one handed takes longer.

Breakfast during the week is - cereal, frozen waffles (Eggo - mmmm), or pancakes (we make a double batch on Saturdays and then freeze them - put wax paper inbetween them so they don't stick together), or oatmeal.

Somedays it feels rushed and some days we have tons of time. It just depends on everyones mood.