Elementary School Morning Routine - Please tell me yours

[Anonymous]

I need to make a change. Every morning ends in screaming, crying and barely getting them to the bus on time. I know this is mostly my fault.
And there is nothing worse for everyone than starting the day off like this. Please share your routines with me.
Please include what gets done the night before, wake up times, when the kids get dressed, eat breakfast, etc.... I'm changing things up starting tomorrow.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Clothes laid out the night before, lunches packed the night before, breakfast chosen the night before and backpack mostly packed the night before.

Morning: up at 6:45, shower and dress followed by breakfast. Then feed the cats and the fish. At that point, I leave, which is 7:20 am, and mine do their daily reading and reading logs. Then, finish packing backpack, let the dog out, turn the lights out and leave for school at 8:20 am. They ride their bikes.

I find that your routine doesn't really matter - you just have to have one. But, getting ready and making all decisions the night before are key to a good morning.

[Anonymous]

Kids (4th and K) Wake up:6:45am, kids get dressed, brush teeth head downstairs for breakfast, and are eating by 7:05ish. Breakfast is done around 7:20/25 am and the kids (if shoes are one) get some TV time. Walk to bus at 7:30ish, always early for bus by a couple of minutes.

I(mom) wake up at 5:00 some mornings to work out, otherwise 6:30am. Some mornings I come home and shower/get kids up, if I shower at the gym, H handles everything. I head into shower while H goes downstairs, lets dog out, makes kids lunches and breakfasts. After I shower I take over making sure breakfast is finished, shoes are on, etc.

Backpacks are checked in the evenings, so no morning scrambling. The little one's clothes are laid out the night before, 4th grader chooses his own in the mornings, but I make an effort at keeping up with their laundry so there is no panic in the mornings.

[Anonymous]

This is 9:09, Also H does bus stop in the AM and I head to work at 7:30am. I do pick up from aftercare and beat H home, most days and get dinner started, let dog out, look through backpacks, etc.

[Anonymous]

Second making lunch and laying out clothes & shoes the night before. And make sure the backpacks have all the homework, forms, and other things that need to be taken to school.

Our kids get up anywhere between 6:30 and 7, get cleaned, get dressed (including shoes -- we used to have a big problem with them not finding shoes at the last minute), eat breakfast, then out the door at 8:15.

Also, when they are at breakfast, set an alarm clock to go off 5 minutes before you need to go out the door. Every once in a while look at it and let the kids know how many minutes are left.

[Anonymous]

pp -- forgot to mention brushing teeth after eating breakfast. We're still working in this (my kids protest) but we tie it to weekend screen time.

[Anonymous]

Wake up 5:40am, wake up DC2, freshman. 5:45am DC1 wakes up with watch alarm,junior.
I make lunches for everyone and have a cup of decaf coffee (I wish I could have Caf coffee again)
Both eat first, then get dressed, than pack the rest of their stuff.
Freshman packs his backpack the night before, but packs his laptop in the am.
Junior packs his backpack in the am.
Both use the bathroom at some point in all of this.
They pick up their lunch as they are walking out the door at 6:25am.

Both take their showers before bed, but reapply deodorant in the AM.

DH gets up ~6:00am, takes a shower and meanders out about 5-10 minutes before they leave.
He eats breakfast and read the paper and leaves for work ~7AM.

Then the dog gets up and we go for a walk. We each eat breakfast after the walk. I take a shower after breakfast and it is 8:15-8:30am.

[Anonymous]

This is our routine for our kindergartener.

Night before:
~7:00/7:30P - Bath
~8:00P - Read a book
~8:30P - Lights out

Morning of:
6:30/7:00A - I prepare his lunch, get dressed, drink my coffee in peace
7:30A - DS wakes up (since school started I've had to wake him up)
7:45A - Eat breakfast (while watching TV. I know, flame away)
8:15A - Get dressed, brush teeth
8:30A - Walk to school (5 minute walk)

The goal is for DS to be asleep by 8:30 so he gets at least 11 hours but often it's not until 9:00. I find he needs the 11 hours since he no longer gets a nap during the day. I find getting plenty of rest makes a HUGE difference in our morning routine.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

1. Backpack with homework inside is ready by the door the night before.

2. 8 year old DC1 gets up, pees, dresses and goes down to breakfast, prepared by DH, while I get ready and prepare DC2. Clothes are picked out ad hoc in 2 minutes.
3. When I get down, DC1 is having breakfast (slow eater!), and I pack the lunchbox. I have tea and maybe a quick bite, and DC2 wolfs down breakfast.
4. Then DC1 goes upstairs to brush his teeth. DC2 and I brush our teeth.
5. Everyone puts on shoes, carries their bags and goes out of the door at the same time.
5. DH leaves for work, I take the children to school.

[Anonymous]

We need to leave the house at 8:30.

I prep lunches the night before, meaning I get everything ready for the lunch box, but leave the stuff that needs to be refrigerated in the fridge. I don't make sandwiches until the morning because my kids don't like "old" sandwiches. I also pack their snacks the night before.

I get up at 6:00, work out at home, get dressed, drink my coffee, finish lunches and set out their clothes (yes, my 9yo still wants me to pick out his clothes).

I wake the kids at 7:30 (if they're not already up). Their breakfast is ready by 7:50. We are generally a "no-shoes household," but I make them put on their shoes before they eat. They eat and watch a little TV and we're out by 7:30.

I think that they key is that I get up way before they do so that I can devote my attention to them once they're up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1. Backpack with homework inside is ready by the door the night before.

2. 8 year old DC1 gets up, pees, dresses and goes down to breakfast, prepared by DH, while I get ready and prepare DC2. Clothes are picked out ad hoc in 2 minutes.
3. When I get down, DC1 is having breakfast (slow eater!), and I pack the lunchbox. I have tea and maybe a quick bite, and DC2 wolfs down breakfast.
4. Then DC1 goes upstairs to brush his teeth. DC2 and I brush our teeth.
5. Everyone puts on shoes, carries their bags and goes out of the door at the same time.
5. DH leaves for work, I take the children to school.

09:16 here. We also make sure homework, backpack and anything else we're supposed to bring (forms, extra clothes, etc.) are packed and by the door the night before.

[Anonymous]

Four kids 6th, 3rd, K and pre K4 all at the same school

Like everyone else has said th key is doing stuff the night before. I pack the kids lunches in plastic containers and have them in the fridge before I go to bed. Their lunch boxes are on the counter with any snacks already in them. Water bottles on the counter ready to be filled. Back packs packed and on their hook before bed. We are doing better this year about checking for school shoes and belts the night before as well. The three older kids wear a uniform so their is no choice there. The youngest gets himself dressed. We keep "school" clothes in the closet where his big brother keeps his uniform so he can pick anything from there and I don't have to worry about holes in clothes or crazy combos.

Each kid now has a pocket shoe organizer hanging on a door or just nailed to the wall. Shoes get hung up on the right and we keep their socks in the left side pockets. This small thing has made a big difference for us. It is easy for me to spot if someone is out of socks and their is no argument about what sock to wear. If they are in the pocket next to the white PE sneaker then that is what you wear.

DH is up at 5 and leaves quick
I get up at 6:15 and get dressed.
Kids up by 6:30am. Brush teeth then get dressed all the way to the shoes
Breakfast is cereal/bagels and usually scrambled eggs
While they eat I assemble the lunches that were prepped the night before.

We are out the door at 7:20 so I can drive them to school.

[Anonymous]

I am jealous of everyone who doesn't have to leave till 8am+

Like other PPs, the night before I lay out clothes, assemble lunches, have backpacks by the door. (kids are 1st and 2nd grade)

6:15am - the kids and I get up. I put them in front of the tv to watch 1 show while I get ready for work (I shower the night before.) Having this transition time from waking to dressing is essential in our house.

6:40 - show is over and I prod everyone to the bathroom (where I have already put toothpaste on toothbrushes) and into clothes.

6:55 - Downstairs and kids get on shoes while I throw the lunches into lunch boxes and grab breakfast.

7am - out the door and the kids eat in the car.

[Anonymous]

everyone will have a different routine, just build in enough time for unforeseen circumstances, and know that it will take a month or so to make the routine work well.

things that have worked for us:
-white board with checklist of things to do for littler kids
-iphone alarm goes off at regular intervals to indicate moving to the next thing
- built in time to snuggle right after they wake up.

[Anonymous]

I have one middle schooler and one in elementary. I drive both to school and their day starts at 8:45am. I then drive myself to work, my goal is to be there by 9am.

The night before I have my older kid get his lunch started (I tell him to get everything assembled except his PB&J sandwich. I personally dont like leaving it in the fridge over night to eat the next day). I pack my younger kids lunch - sometimes I do the same prep the night before or sometimes I do it all in the morning. I have my younger kid pick out his outfit for the next day, this was a huge timesuck in the mornings and also sometimes the cause of a meltdown. Much easier to deal with the night before. Plus, if something needs to be ironed I can do it the night before. Older kid wears uniforms so he doesent need to worry about his clothes the night before. Unless he wants his stuff ironed, I tell him it needs to be done the night before.

My alarm goes off at 6:45am. I jump in the shower right away and I wake up the older kid starting at 6:55 with the hope that he is in the bathroom by 7am. He washes up, brushes his teeth, etc. He is usually in there 20 minutes or so.

At about 7:20 I start waking up my younger kid so that as soon as the older kid is out he can go in. My goal is to get the younger kid in the bathroom by 7:30am.

By 7:30ish my older kid usually comes downstairs with his backpack and gets himself some breakfast, my younger kid usually folllows about 10 minutes later. My older kid gets his own breakfast, I get the younger kid his. He usually wants waffles or cereal so it's quick and easy.

At about 7:45 they are usually both eating and I start saying "alright guys 15 minutes and we are out the door". As soon as the younger son is finished eating I have him get his backpack together and get his shoes on. I have to keep a constant countdown going for my older kid to keep him on track - he is sooooo slow!

Once it gets to be 7:55 I start running around like a mad woman telling them to hurry it up, 5 more minutes and we need to be out the door!

We leave at 8am, I usually get my younger kid to his school by 8:15am and the older kid to his school at 8:25am. I then bust my ass to get myself to work by 9am. I usually make it, barely though.

It's not perfect by any means but it's going well so far. I made the decision 2 years ago to not allow TV in the mornings, that was slowing them up soooo much. Last year they complained all the time but this year they haven't even mentioned it. I do watch GMA in the kitchen in the mornings when I'm making lunches and stuff so they will sit in there and eat their breakfast and watch too. And that's fine, but no cartoons because they become zombies.