Messy Mornings

Random weekday morning.

6:20-6:30 am: my husband gets up and gets breakfast and coffee started. 

6:30-6:40 am: my husband gets frustrated because no one is coming down to help him

6:40-6:45 am: Husband: WHERE ARE YOU????? ANYONE COMING TO EAT OR AM MY EATING ALONE??????

6:50 am: Me: “Ugh! Got to get up and get going. KIDS!!!! RISE AND SHINE!!!!”

[Brushing my teeth, making the bed, and sometimes sort of wondering around aimlessly because still half-asleep]

6:55 am: Me: “KIDS!!! GOT TO GET GOING!!!! YOU ARE GOING TO BE LATE!!!!”

7 am: kids getting dressed, stumbling downstairs to get their breakfast. We all sit down to eat. I feel like I need to hurry everyone up to eat faster because we are running late. Everyone is experiencing at least some degree of frustration.

7:15 am: Me: “AAAH!!!!!!! OMG, OMG, OMG!!!!! LOOK AT THE TIME!!!!  KIDS, ARE YOU READY? TEETH BRUSHED? ALL PACKED????” 

[Husband is getting ready to go to work]

7:16 am: Me: “AAAAAAAAH!!!! YOU ARE GOING TO MISS THE BUS!!!! FINISH YOU FOOD FAST!!!!!!!!!!! GO BRUSH TEETH!!!!!!!! DID YOU MAKE YOUR BEDS? NO? GO DO THAT NOW!”

7:18 am: kids are meandering around, brushing their teeth, chatting happily, and in no way appearing to hurry.

7:20 am: Me, barking: “Water bottles? Masks? Computers? Gym clothing? Snacks? Computers? Shoes? Violin? Shoulder rest? Snacks? Water? Masks?”

7:25 am: the kids finally start moving around at a slightly faster pace, packing up, and getting their shoes on.

7:28 am: the kids are out of the door, we walk to the bus stop together and talk.

7:33 am: school bus comes, I walk back home.

I am not happy with how this is going. The getting-out-of-bed is getting harder and harder. The kids don’t have any sense of urgency in the morning. Somehow, I assumed the responsibility for getting them to school on time. I really want to shift that responsibility to the kids – they should be the ones worried they miss the bus or forget their stuff, not me!

Ideal morning (I can dream, right?):

6:20 am: husband gets up and gets breakfast and coffee going

6:30 am: kids get up

6: 40 am: I get up

6:45 am: we all sit down for breakfast (kids already unloaded the dishwasher and set the table; husband made his famous eggs and a fruit salad)

We eat breakfast while discussing world events, books, and laughing at each other’s jokes. [Actually, this does happen on occasion in real-life….]

7:10 am: kids run around packing up their snacks, water bottles, school stuff, etc. They brush their teeth. Husband and I enjoy our 2nd cups of coffee outside, taking in the view and waving good-morning to the neighbors.

7:20 am: kids are ready with their backpacks at the door, shoes on, masks on, and do a final check to make sure they haven’t forgotten anything. They ask me to walk them to the bus stop because it’s so much fun to talk to me.

7:25 am: we walk to the bus stop, talk, laugh, maybe do a quick review of whatever they were studying the night before, maybe bring a book to read aloud while waiting to the bus.

7:33 am: school bus comes, I walk back home.

[no yelling, no barking, no nagging from me about computers/snack/water/shoes]

Ugh…. How do I get there????

Dear readers, and how are your mornings? What’s your reality vs dreamworld?