I Am SO Not A Morning Person....
I am so not a morning person. One of the things I hated most about working was the necessity for me to wake up at the crack of dawn and be on the road by 6:15am. Apparently I never grew out of that teenage need for sleep.
This morning, I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth after my alarm woke me up - because I never wake up voluntarily on school days (wow, I really do sound like a teenager, don't I?). As I stared sightlessly ahead, the rhythmic brushing tempting me to close my eyes and go back to sleep standing there, I heard the middle school bus drive past my house, as it always does at 7:06am.
For the first time, it dawned on me that the middle school bus picks kids up - and it doesn't stop to wait for stragglers - at 7:06am. And I know from experience that the high school bus comes by at 6:12am. Considering we wake up almost an hour before we need to be out the door, I started calculating what time the wee ones would need to wake up in middle and high school to be on time, recognizing that they will likely require more time for showers in the morning and makeup and other tasks.
I'm pretty sure I groaned audibly.
As a mom, I think it's my responsibility to ensure that I'm up when the wee ones are. And that they get to school safely, with backpacks and lunches. Yikes. I have a feeling I'm going to start looking forward to the college years once we hit middle school, and that's just wrong. If only I were a mom who knew how to nap, as I don't function well on less than nine hours of sleep. I don't see an 8pm or earlier bedtime as happening for me.
So parents who do have children who wake up at these ungodly hours already (maybe if I'm lucky by then the schools will have switched the high school and elementary start times?), how do you do it? Do you wake up with your kids or do you let them get up and moving before you? Do you take a nap after everyone is off to school?
Because... you know I needed something to to start thinking about this morning, four years in advance.
14 comments:
High school where I live starts around 7am. The bus picks up at the end of our street around 6:30. That meant a 5:30 wake up. It wasn't pretty.
I knew neither of them would get up on their own, so I was up that early too, gently encouraging them. HA~
I have to get up at 6, dress the kids and be out of the house around 7. Struggle every single day!!
First my mom never woke up to get me to school from middle school on. Secondly 9 hours??? Wow! I think more than 7 and I'm in worse shape than if I don't get 5.
And last, why not just drive them to school when it comes that time?
Our High School bus picks up at 6:50am to get the kids to school by 7:30 start time. I wake the boys up at 6:00, make breakfast and pack lunches. (Luckily we have two showers.) I get a shower soon after because the kids I watch begin to show up at 7:30am. I've been sleep devoid for many years, so I don't have any suggestions for you - sorry!
We don't have a bus where we live because the kids go to school in a different district, so we have to leave the house by 7 in order to get them all to school by 8. Luckily, I am an early riser, I routinely get up at 5, so it isn't an issue for me. BUT: I do nap, most days, when the baby naps.
I'm not thinking about it yet :)
As of right now we all usually get up before 7am without alarms (all, except for my husband.)
I think it's cool to wake up and be with your kids and get them off to sleep. Time is precious and they will be out of the house before you know it.
When my daughter was in hs she would get up and get in the shower, etc., on her own but I was always at least up with her. Coherent? not usually, but I was at least up. I also had little ones that were usually getting up around the same time so I kinda had no choice.
You've sounded the alarm: three more years until middle school waking hours for me, and I'm NOT an early riser either. I do make it a point to get up for kids' school because I don't remember my mom waking up for me. I'm sure when the time comes, we do it. We'll gripe, but we WILL do it. We can commiserate together, too.
gah! I'm with you! So NOT a morning person! I get up before my kids, I don't want them up and bout and around alone. (Same as bedtime, I never go to sleep unless everyone is sleeping). My kids went to private school up until this school year (I have everyone home now. I had to get up at 6 AM to gt ready to get them ready and out the door at 7AM - school started at 7:30. Now I only have to get up early twice a week for co-op. It's still slowly killing me!
My kids were awesome about waking up and getting ready on their own. I was always up, but they were pretty self sufficient. You'll do it just fine. Stop worrying and go bake something yummy.
Tara - You sound almost... mean. And gleeful about it. I didn't know you had it in you ;)
Lena - Oh wow. I'll stop complaining about my wakeup time now.
Lisa - Your mom didn't? Mine did. And yeah... I'm a sleep person. So are the wee ones. They (and I) don't do well when we don't get enough sleep!
Tami - I'm thinking we may need to split up who uses what shower. I remember that being a major point of contention between my sister and I in high school. Hmmm.
Kori - If I were able to nap, I think I'd be much better off. Unfortunately, when I do nap, that means I'm probably very ill.
Paula - Oh the wee ones get up before 7 with no alarms. Me, however? Mmmmmm no.
Hope - I agree with you. I'm up when they're up, and I do need to focus on the fact that I have them here with me now. Bigger picture!
Kendra - Yeah, mine are close enough in age that I *will* have a choice. Good to know that being coherent isn't a requirement though ;)
Sandra - Oops, sorry! I didn't mean to alarm you either. We can go get Starbucks to really wake ourselves up once the children are off to school!
Teresa - I gave up on the idea of waking up before the wee ones. They get up too early for me, but they're good about getting a book and reading in bed until it's time to wake up. Glad you've gotten a bit of a reprieve with your sleep now!
Rita - Oh self-sufficiency. That is the magic word. At 6 and 8, I suppose I shouldn't expect it though, should I?
Our Jr. and Sr. High's begin class at 8:45am! Lucky dogs! Elementary and Middle School start at 8:00 and 8:15. We live in a neighborhood in which we can see the elementary, middle and high schools - so we don't have to get up too early! And I don't wake my older ones up either - better to learn than lesson sooner rather than later....like me :) And - I work - so no naps for me!
I've always been a morning person and my last 6 years of teaching h.s. I awoke at 4:45 to be able to leave by 6. But by then the boys got themselves up and ready. My middle son was the one my hubby or I had to wake up by 6:30 or 7 in elementary school and middle school. For most of their school years they left by 7:30 with Jerry and they got on the bus at Jerry's h.s. Some took showers at night, some took a.m. showers. It's all kind of a blur now that they are 29, 31 and 33. I still wake up early, but now it's more like 5:30 or 6. I seem to do fine with 7 1/2 hours of sleep, but occasionally I take a nap.
TMI, eh?
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