Photo by Selena N.B.H.
A note from Jamie: We're still on vacation, so I'm not really following this specific routine at the moment, though it's still generally how we operate when we're at home. This post was originally published on October 5, 2010.
I've always been fascinated by how others run their days, especially since I became a mother. It encourages me to see how other moms make life work, and doing so has often given me ideas that I've been able to implement as well.
If you're curious about how we make mornings work around these parts, today I'm giving a snapshot of my current morning routine.
6:45 am - My alarm goes off and I jump eagerly out of bed! (Translation: My alarm goes off and I force myself out of bed, most days. Some days, to my detriment, I push snooze and suffer the consequences later.)
I try to take my showers at night because it saves me time in the morning. So I get dressed after waking--including clothes, hair, makeup, the works. If I'm on top of things, I'll make the bed and make sure the bedroom is tidy too.
7:20 am - This is the earliest my kiddos (ages 8, 7, & 6) begin playing in the morning. If they wake up before this time, they know to rest quietly. They all have clocks in their room and know when the "seven-two" is. Often two out of three will still be asleep at this time.
(Oh, and if you do not have these room darkening shades, you absolutely must purchase them today, because they will change your life! Really--the best $30 I've ever spent to keep littles peacefully sleeping for longer.)
At 7:20, while I continue to get ready for the day, our three can head out of bed and play in their rooms until it's time to start the day (around 8ish). I've been a bit surprised by a couple of readers who've suggested that asking my kids to do this is one step shy of child abuse.
The kids are not in prison at this time--they come out to go potty, go downstairs to grab a toy or book, though they know that this is time to play in their rooms. If this is the worst mistake I ever make as a mother, I'll be okay with that. I feel one of my main jobs is to keep the peace in our home, and this routine is what helps us do so.
While the kids are playing, I head downstairs and put the day's laundry in the washing machine. Then I have my breakfast and a cup of tea while reading my Bible, talking to Steve, or reading another book.
(OR: I make the mistake of turning on the computer, get sucked into email, and have a hard time emerging--so I try to keep the computer off in the morning!)
A little after eight o'clock I head back upstairs and greet little people--and then we're off with a flash!
You can see the rest of my day in this post on Simple Homeschool. As you can see, it's not rocket science. No 5am rises for me (Heavens, no!)--just simple steps to get our day off to a peaceful start.
