Do you remember the care-free days before you had kids??
Nope, me neither.
I do vaguely remember that my morning routine, pre-kids, went something like this -
9.00am Alarm goes off - press snooze
9.10am Alarm goes off again.
Get out of bed and get dressed.
9.20am Have a coffee and maybe even some breakfast.
9.35am Fix hair and make-up.
9.50 Set off for work.
That was before.
Now, I am MUM.
Now, my mornings go more like this-
Image:blogger's own
7.15am Alarm goes off - not sure why I bother setting it, as mostly I am woken up an hour earlier, by 4 year old's demands to play on my phone.
7.16am Switch alarm off.
7.17am Reset alarm as four year old MUST be the one to turn it off. (Stupid mummy forgot again).
7.18am Alarm goes off - again... Child turns it off. Result! The first tantrum of the day has been averted. I can snuggle back down under duvet.
7.25am Okay, I really can't delay any longer - head to bathroom to check how big the bags under my eyes are this morning. Groan. Also, have a quick peek to see whether any more grey hairs have grown over night. Cry a little bit inside at sight of more greys and wrinkles.
7.30am Carry four year old downstairs, even though he is perfectly capable of walking himself, and now weighs a ton.
7.35am Grab uniforms and put them in tumble dryer. (Here, you should know, their clothes are not wet, and it is 20C outside, but the children both insist on having warm clothes to put on when it is time to get dressed - another tantrum is thus averted).
7.40am Ask both children what they would like for breakfast.
Repeat every minute until they answer or make a choice for them - obviously I will make the wrong choice, even if I select the same breakfast they have insisted on having for the last 100 days.
7.50am Make breakfast for the children and, most importantly of the whole morning routine, make caffeine for self. Yay, in about fifteen minutes I will feel semi-human!! There is a downside to coffee though - if not timed correctly, I will suddenly be desperate to pee whilst doing the school run. Timing is key people!!
7.52am Remake the correct breakfast. Sigh.
8.00am Start repeating at thirty second intervals - "eat your breakfast".
8.15am Give up with breakfast and try to get children dressed in *warmed* clothes.
8.25am Ask seven year old to brush her hair - and then repeat every 10 seconds until she actually chooses to hear.
8.30am Grab shoes, coats, school bags, handbag, and run to door, shouting that we are late
8.35am Strap everyone in car - after the children have stopped arguing over who is going in the front. Sigh again.
8.45am Deliver four year old to nursery and start to slowly relax. One down, one to go.
8.55am Bell rings and seven year old runs into school.
Cheer and high five all the other parents in the playground.
Mission complete - well sort of, now I have to run back to the car to sort myself out, brush my hair, do my make-up and get to work.
Image:blogger's own
Yes, work. That now cherished place, known from here on as the closest thing to a place of rest for me, somewhere I can usually neck some more caffeine and sugar to get me through the rest of the day!
How much did your mornings change after having kids?
Or is it just mine??! (oh god, I hope not)
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Or check out our blog over at 101thingstodowithkids