None of my family are morning people. We love waking up surrounded by a warm duvet and don't ever want to leave. But one of us has to get up first so everyone else can and get where they need to be on time. School buses and work trains wait for no one.
As the person who has to get up first is me, here are a few things I do to try and make mornings bearable. Some of them are working a treat. Others not so much.
As the person who has to get up first is me, here are a few things I do to try and make mornings bearable. Some of them are working a treat. Others not so much.
- Get those forty winks. Orinoco Womble is right. You feel much better after forty winks so I try to get to bed on time.
- Set it all up the night before. I pack my bag for the next day, get my clothes out, pack my lunch (usually left overs from last night's dinner) etc. I can get straight out of bed, wash and get myself dressed before getting the Tubblet up and making breakfast.
- Set the alarm. I need to wake up slowly so the alarm goes twenty minutes before I drag myself out of bed. You may be one of those people who can get up straight away and get on. (How?! Seriously, I need to know). We start the day with Radio Two. Chris Evan's relentless cheerfulness is just the thing. He also has landmarks to help us keep to time. I need to be out of the shower and the Tubblet needs to be in when they're doing the sport at 6:55am otherwise it's a rush. We need to be leaving as the kids start talking about their first times at 7:30am.
- A cup of tea and toast. Eat something. I've never understood the whole not having breakfast thing. I wait until work to grab a coffee.
And here's how it works in practice. The reality:
- 5:55am. The alarm goes off. Wakey, wakey. Hold to duvet and snuggle down for one last snooze. Muffy may, depending on his mood, arrive upstairs before the alarm goes off to let me know he's hungry and ready for breakfast now. Like now. He has a loud meow and gets right in my face.
- 6:15am. Now for it, up and at them. Unless I have caved already and fed the cat. Grab clothes, stick feet in slippers and go to bathroom for shower. Bang on Tubblet's door. Wash, dress and bang on Tubblet's door again. Apply skincare, dry hair if washed, put make up on. Bang on Tubblet's door. Depending on the response, I may have to go in there ...
- 6:45am. Tubblet emerges, goes to bathroom and has shower. Comes out and goes to get dressed.
- 7:00am. Make breakfast for me and the Tubblet. Do yoga while waiting for the kettle to boil and the toaster to pop. I have a five minute routine. I try and do more when Rev T is safely out of the house and at weekends.
- 7:05am. Wonder what the Tubblet is doing. Ask. Loudly. Tubblet appears, turns TV on and we eat breakfast.
- 7:20am. Run upstairs, clean teeth, apply lipstick and rush downstairs again. Grab coat, handbag and lunch-bag. Shout for Tubblet. We don't want to miss the bus.
- 7:30am. Phone alarm goes off. Blooming tweeting birds. Shout for Tubblet, we really must leave now. Say goodbye to Rev T. As he works from home, he doesn't have to get up yet. (Not jealous. Not at all). Emerge from house. Complain about weather. After leaving the house, the Tubblet does not know who I am.
- 7:31am. Walk very quickly to bus stop. Arrive feeling slightly sweaty, but fortunately, not out of breath. Yoga and lunch-time walks are obviously working. If we've timed it right, the bus will arrive shortly afterwards. If we're unlucky, the bus will sail past us when we're too far down the road to run and catch it. We'll have to wait until the next one.
- 7:40am. Get on bus. Hopefully get a seat. Tubblet heads upstairs. I won't see her now until I get home after work.
- 7:50am - 8am. Arrive at station. The length of the bus journey depends on the traffic. Get off bus and walk to station. Get on fast or semi-fast train. No chance of getting a seat on the fast train but almost a certainty on the semi-fast.
- 8:30am-ish. Get off train and walk to office. Grab coffee. Bask in awesomeness and feeling of accomplishment. Log onto PC. Look at emails. Drink coffee. Let the day begin ... Drink more coffee.
What's your morning routine?
I used to be that person who hates waking up early. But now, I wake up before everyone in the house does.
ReplyDeleteThese tips are real life-savers though. I vouch for them. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure. Good to know they're working for others as well :)
DeleteFab tips! I never used to eat breakfast before I had the kids and now I've no idea how, it completely sets you up for the day. I love waking early and getting up usually but since my non-sleeper came along, I'm always shattered. Thanks for linking up to #toadventure. xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting each week. All the best with the new linky
DeleteI am the same I must eat breakfast, I eat weetbix every morning. I usually have my first coffee between 10 am and 11 depending what I am doing. April is a morning person (like her dad) so she is up before me most days. Steve leaves before any of us wake up. April goes out and visits all the animals and then comes to me for a cuddle. We force Aspen out of bed. I shower, get dressed, hair, makeup if I am going out or to work. Make bed, then get Adam up as he gets ready really quickly. Tidy up, do morning dishes. Kids in the car time for school drop off. I am not a morning person at all, so lunches are always packed the night before! #globalblogging
ReplyDeleteIt gets really ugly if I haven't had breakfast. Coffee I can survive without, but I must have food! Congratulations on managing it all! I have enough problems with just one small!
Deletepopping back over from #toadventure
ReplyDeleteGood to see you again!
DeleteI am the only non-morning person in the house so being outnumbered, I am effectively bullied out of bed. The thing is- if I can extract myself from the duvet, I actually like being up earlier in the morning before other people. I really enjoy the quietness. But then quietness can be enjoyed from the bed too right? #TweensTeensBeyond
ReplyDeleteBed is the best place to enjoy quietness. Don't let anyone tell you different ;)
DeleteFunny how we're all so different with our circadian rhythms. I guess we have to make the best of it, because we're all going to be stretched to function in our less-than-ideal time sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving us the real deal here.
True! You just have to get on with it. Thank you for commenting :)
DeleteSince having a child, I've never been happier that I'm a morning person - such a necessity! Prepping the night before and also having breakfast are two things I rely on to get going. #TwinklyTuesday
ReplyDeleteCouldn't cope without breakfast. Don't know how people manage it! Thank you for commenting and have a great week
DeleteI am an early riser! Always have been. And my Mrs., and my girls, not so much! I get up at 5am to drink coffee, read and write. Then I do some Tai Chi, shower. By now, kids are brewing and I give them all a peck before I leave for work. Love me some morning tin=me! #toadventure xo
ReplyDeleteMe time is so important. You've got to do whatever it takes - even if it is getting up early!
DeleteWhen I'm at home in Dubai I'm in a pattern of sleeping in the afternoon in the heat of the day, then going to bed a couple of hours after sunset around 9pm, which means i wake naturally around 4.30-5am and start my daily routine of walking the dog, doing the washing and getting all the house work down befor 10am and it gets too hot. I'm in the Uk now for summer and going to bed a couple of hours after sunset which means 11pm at the earliest and with no cat, dog or husband to wake me I'm naturally sleeping until 8am. #triumphanttales
ReplyDeleteThat sounds really sensible. I've work colleagues in Dubai and they find the heat hard to deal with as well. Hope you're enjoying your UK holiday :)
DeleteBreakfast is key! Our usual routine is get up when Pops wakes which lately has been 5.45 every sodding day but today was 6.50 (boom). Get dressed and then cup of tea and bottle of milk for her and then breakfast for all once I've yelled up the stairs 50 times to madam! Nursery run, school run, work, gym, work! #bestandworst
ReplyDeleteSounds familiar! And you're doing all that while having building work done. RESPECT!
DeleteYou've obviously got it down to a fine art. I am definitely not a morning person either, neither is Mr S.H.I.T. but our second daughter is so she's always up first and in our room trying to wake us up. Then I usually have to wake the littlest up as he isn't good in the mornings either and then finally my eldest will emerge. It's never ever easy no matter how much sleep I've had! #HumpDayLinky
ReplyDeleteAs long as we make the bus and are washed, dressed and have all the things we need for the day, we're winning at life. The cat has helped because he makes me get up.
DeleteI can't live without breakfast. It's good that you are managing a strict schedule. It's good. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteThere are days when it all goes to pot and we're lucky to be out the door on time. It really depends, ... But most days we make it
DeleteI'm so bad at getting up but these are really handy tips that I might try - loving the yoga while waiting for breakfast, great idea! #dreamteam
ReplyDeleteMulti-tasking at it's finest!
DeleteErr a little hectic, especially on days when one is in school and the other at nursery opposite ends to where we live, ha, usually works out ok though with each of us taking one. Thanks for linking up to this weeks #bestandworst
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how, somehow, we all get where we need to be when we need to be there. Thank you for hosting
DeleteI have factored a lot of play time into our morning routine so that can be cut as much as required to get the essential tasks done #bestandworst
ReplyDeleteGood plan! It's always best to allow plenty of wiggle room when going anywhere
DeleteMr MoT is the only morning person in our house and has invariably left before anyone else has moved a muscle. My routing generally involves a lot of cajoling ie shouting at the two teens like an army commander to get them a) to have a quick shower not a long one and b) to get out of the door in time to catch their buses. Once they have gone I deal with the debris that has been left behind and myself and my routine will vary depending on what the day holds. I am much more of an evening person then a morning one. #TweensTeensBeyond
ReplyDeleteSounds very familiar! Glad I'm not the only one :) Thank you for hosting each week
DeleteOh man I am dreading the school routine next year. I will have a middle schooler ho needs to catch the bus early, an elementary schooler who makes a sloth look like an Olympic runner and toddler twins who start preschool. Pray for me.
ReplyDelete#globalblogging
I will! Good luck!
DeleteI also need a routine in the mornings otherwise I feel adrift in a sea semi-consciousness. I used to try and make packed lunches the night before but that soon fell apart! I love that you could fit some yoga in! Thanks so much for sharing your fab post at #TweensTeensBeyond
ReplyDeleteWhilst waiting for the kettle to boil and making the toast. It's a five minute routine that you can do while standing. Lynn Marshall is genius!
DeleteI'm up at 5.50am too! What a way to start the day, but it's nice that you get the bus together. Our mornings are scheduled within an inch of their life during the week. I wonder if that's a parent thing? #DreamTeam x
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't actually talk to me whilst we're on the bus. That would be weird. But it's nice having that morning time :) The scheduling is definitely a parenting thing.
DeleteThere is nothing quite like a morning that goes smoothly. I also find that being up that little bit earlier makes things go so much more smoothly. Like a head start on the day. And if there is time for a coffee - well, that just makes things a whole lot better. #tweensteensbeyond
ReplyDeleteCoffee is essential! Thank you for commenting and for hosting each week :)
DeleteMornings when I was working were just a nightmare! Now I am at home they can be a little more relaxed if need be although I do like to be up and showered before the other half goes to work! We need to implement a new routine for September though when Zach starts school! Thanks for linking up with #TwinklyTuesday
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the transition. I can't believe Zach is starting school this September! Wow!
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