Working parents: how do you have the energy to do it all?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait what time are you actually going to sleep? 9pm? that’s too early for an adult! We sleep 11-7. Sometimes 10:30. (I wake at 7:30)

We definitely clean and work for 2 hours after kids go to sleep. But yeah, life is hard and not easy. I’m dying to come home to a cooked meal. Neither of us telework.

I don't know any adult with children who sleeps in until 7:30 unless it's summer, they don't work, and their kids are in high school.

Me! I'm the working mom of three from up-thread (kids are 6, 4, and 1).

I wake up at 7:30am every day year round, and so does my husband (unless one of us is sleeping in on a weekend). All three kids get up at that time, too (we do not mess around about sleep training, and the oldest two have okay-to-wake clocks that turn green at 7:30). Both my husband and I can get ready in 10-15 mins in the morning. He takes a quick shower (like 2 mins), and we throw clothes on, brush teeth and hair, and that's about it.

We have super-simplified our morning routines (see - "things I don't do" from my initial post). One of us handles the big kids first thing, the other the baby, and we alternate. Baby person gets baby up and dressed, and then makes a simple breakfast for the kids. Big kid person makes sure the big kids are up, tells them the weather and any special clothing requirements, assists if they need help (they generally don't) and simultaneously gets themselves ready. We all converge in the kitchen by 8am. Three kids eat, big kid person assists/monitors as needed and also does our daughter's hair. Baby person goes to get ready. By 8:15, breakfast is done, everyone's ready, and we've got about 5 minutes for final stuff (pack backpacks and work bags, get shoes/coats on) and we're all out the door at 8:20.

We both work hybrid with an alternating schedule - one person is always WFH and one is always at the office each day. The office person heads to the office, the home person does drop off. Both our work days start at 9am.

I think this is a good demonstration of my larger point - prioritize (sleep is basically our #1 priority, for everyone) and streamline (it is possible to get a family of five out the door in 50 mins if you keep it to the basics). Yea, my hair hasn't been styled in a way that takes more than 60 seconds in the past 6 years. But I'm well rested!

Ok... Our bus comes at 7:20 during the school year so we can't all wake up at 7:30 and neither can the parents of all the kids at our private school (some buses come earlier, we are one of the last stops on our route).

PP here. 7:20?!?! That SUCKS. Makes me glad to be in DC where all schools start at a reasonable hour, and we just take city buses or walk. That is terrible, especially for teens who should absolutely be asleep then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was just like you. It’s okay. You’re in an exhausting stage of life and most parents are in the same boat with very young children. It was just kids, work, kids, household tasks and then pass out from exhaustion.

Fast forward to all my kids being school age…6, 9 & 12. I up at 5 am to swim laps 2-3 x a week, yoga also a few times a week, decided to learn a new instrument.

You will eventually hit your stride with parenting, have older and more independent children, and sleep better without night time wake ups, and night time potty training. It will eventually happen for you.

It really does not get better. I think ages 0-5 are the easiest years. My kids are 11 and 14–almost 12 and 15. It is harder than the years before school started. School stuff, activities, social plans with their friends—it never ends. Exhausted is an understatement.

Yes! I could have written this. Today I drove one kid to camp, one to an orthodontist appointment and dropped off the third to the mall because they wanted to go see a movie with their friends. All while trying to manage a full time WFH job. Needless to say I gave my husband a hard time when he came home from work because I am exhausted!

Look, I know that different things are hard for different people, and I can understand that some people may find the emotional and logistical labor of teens stressful. Plus, you're obviously older when you have teens than you were when you had babies and toddlers. But you took a max of three car trips and did work at a computer, all of which are... just sitting there. To compare that to chasing a 2 and 3 year old around or getting up four times a night with an infant and say that this is more exhausting is absurd.

The constant interruptions throughout the workday are no doubt tiring, but at least you don't have to break up fights between your kids or constantly check to make sure they haven't injured themselves or drawn on the walls... I'd tell the older ones that you just can't take them to the mall during the day because you have to work, and their options are to watch a movie at home or go to the theater on the weekend. My mom never took me to the movies during the day, and she was a SAHM. The ortho visit is a little harder to handle, but my dentist offers weekend hours and we always schedule our appointments for weekends so they don't disrupt our workdays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait what time are you actually going to sleep? 9pm? that’s too early for an adult! We sleep 11-7. Sometimes 10:30. (I wake at 7:30)

We definitely clean and work for 2 hours after kids go to sleep. But yeah, life is hard and not easy. I’m dying to come home to a cooked meal. Neither of us telework.

I don't know any adult with children who sleeps in until 7:30 unless it's summer, they don't work, and their kids are in high school.

Me! I'm the working mom of three from up-thread (kids are 6, 4, and 1).

I wake up at 7:30am every day year round, and so does my husband (unless one of us is sleeping in on a weekend). All three kids get up at that time, too (we do not mess around about sleep training, and the oldest two have okay-to-wake clocks that turn green at 7:30). Both my husband and I can get ready in 10-15 mins in the morning. He takes a quick shower (like 2 mins), and we throw clothes on, brush teeth and hair, and that's about it.

We have super-simplified our morning routines (see - "things I don't do" from my initial post). One of us handles the big kids first thing, the other the baby, and we alternate. Baby person gets baby up and dressed, and then makes a simple breakfast for the kids. Big kid person makes sure the big kids are up, tells them the weather and any special clothing requirements, assists if they need help (they generally don't) and simultaneously gets themselves ready. We all converge in the kitchen by 8am. Three kids eat, big kid person assists/monitors as needed and also does our daughter's hair. Baby person goes to get ready. By 8:15, breakfast is done, everyone's ready, and we've got about 5 minutes for final stuff (pack backpacks and work bags, get shoes/coats on) and we're all out the door at 8:20.

We both work hybrid with an alternating schedule - one person is always WFH and one is always at the office each day. The office person heads to the office, the home person does drop off. Both our work days start at 9am.

I think this is a good demonstration of my larger point - prioritize (sleep is basically our #1 priority, for everyone) and streamline (it is possible to get a family of five out the door in 50 mins if you keep it to the basics). Yea, my hair hasn't been styled in a way that takes more than 60 seconds in the past 6 years. But I'm well rested!

Ok... Our bus comes at 7:20 during the school year so we can't all wake up at 7:30 and neither can the parents of all the kids at our private school (some buses come earlier, we are one of the last stops on our route).

PP here. 7:20?!?! That SUCKS. Makes me glad to be in DC where all schools start at a reasonable hour, and we just take city buses or walk. That is terrible, especially for teens who should absolutely be asleep then.

What on earth do you think is a reasonable hour for a bus to come? My private started at 8, as does my kids'. That is very normal...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait what time are you actually going to sleep? 9pm? that’s too early for an adult! We sleep 11-7. Sometimes 10:30. (I wake at 7:30)

We definitely clean and work for 2 hours after kids go to sleep. But yeah, life is hard and not easy. I’m dying to come home to a cooked meal. Neither of us telework.

I don't know any adult with children who sleeps in until 7:30 unless it's summer, they don't work, and their kids are in high school.

Me! I'm the working mom of three from up-thread (kids are 6, 4, and 1).

I wake up at 7:30am every day year round, and so does my husband (unless one of us is sleeping in on a weekend). All three kids get up at that time, too (we do not mess around about sleep training, and the oldest two have okay-to-wake clocks that turn green at 7:30). Both my husband and I can get ready in 10-15 mins in the morning. He takes a quick shower (like 2 mins), and we throw clothes on, brush teeth and hair, and that's about it.

We have super-simplified our morning routines (see - "things I don't do" from my initial post). One of us handles the big kids first thing, the other the baby, and we alternate. Baby person gets baby up and dressed, and then makes a simple breakfast for the kids. Big kid person makes sure the big kids are up, tells them the weather and any special clothing requirements, assists if they need help (they generally don't) and simultaneously gets themselves ready. We all converge in the kitchen by 8am. Three kids eat, big kid person assists/monitors as needed and also does our daughter's hair. Baby person goes to get ready. By 8:15, breakfast is done, everyone's ready, and we've got about 5 minutes for final stuff (pack backpacks and work bags, get shoes/coats on) and we're all out the door at 8:20.

We both work hybrid with an alternating schedule - one person is always WFH and one is always at the office each day. The office person heads to the office, the home person does drop off. Both our work days start at 9am.

I think this is a good demonstration of my larger point - prioritize (sleep is basically our #1 priority, for everyone) and streamline (it is possible to get a family of five out the door in 50 mins if you keep it to the basics). Yea, my hair hasn't been styled in a way that takes more than 60 seconds in the past 6 years. But I'm well rested!

Ok... Our bus comes at 7:20 during the school year so we can't all wake up at 7:30 and neither can the parents of all the kids at our private school (some buses come earlier, we are one of the last stops on our route).

PP here. 7:20?!?! That SUCKS. Makes me glad to be in DC where all schools start at a reasonable hour, and we just take city buses or walk. That is terrible, especially for teens who should absolutely be asleep then.

What on earth do you think is a reasonable hour for a bus to come? My private started at 8, as does my kids'. That is very normal...

PP here. My kid's school starts at 8:45am, as do most elementary schools in DC, and the middle and high schools tend to start at 8:45 or even 9am. So that's my baseline, and is objectively way better for both high schooler's circadian rhythms and aligning with parents work schedules. I know the suburbs have to contend with sharing busses across schools though, and so often start earlier. I feel for you. It explains why someone up thread says that didn't know any parents who could sleep until 7:30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait what time are you actually going to sleep? 9pm? that’s too early for an adult! We sleep 11-7. Sometimes 10:30. (I wake at 7:30)

We definitely clean and work for 2 hours after kids go to sleep. But yeah, life is hard and not easy. I’m dying to come home to a cooked meal. Neither of us telework.

I don't know any adult with children who sleeps in until 7:30 unless it's summer, they don't work, and their kids are in high school.

Me! I'm the working mom of three from up-thread (kids are 6, 4, and 1).

I wake up at 7:30am every day year round, and so does my husband (unless one of us is sleeping in on a weekend). All three kids get up at that time, too (we do not mess around about sleep training, and the oldest two have okay-to-wake clocks that turn green at 7:30). Both my husband and I can get ready in 10-15 mins in the morning. He takes a quick shower (like 2 mins), and we throw clothes on, brush teeth and hair, and that's about it.

We have super-simplified our morning routines (see - "things I don't do" from my initial post). One of us handles the big kids first thing, the other the baby, and we alternate. Baby person gets baby up and dressed, and then makes a simple breakfast for the kids. Big kid person makes sure the big kids are up, tells them the weather and any special clothing requirements, assists if they need help (they generally don't) and simultaneously gets themselves ready. We all converge in the kitchen by 8am. Three kids eat, big kid person assists/monitors as needed and also does our daughter's hair. Baby person goes to get ready. By 8:15, breakfast is done, everyone's ready, and we've got about 5 minutes for final stuff (pack backpacks and work bags, get shoes/coats on) and we're all out the door at 8:20.

We both work hybrid with an alternating schedule - one person is always WFH and one is always at the office each day. The office person heads to the office, the home person does drop off. Both our work days start at 9am.

I think this is a good demonstration of my larger point - prioritize (sleep is basically our #1 priority, for everyone) and streamline (it is possible to get a family of five out the door in 50 mins if you keep it to the basics). Yea, my hair hasn't been styled in a way that takes more than 60 seconds in the past 6 years. But I'm well rested!

Ok... Our bus comes at 7:20 during the school year so we can't all wake up at 7:30 and neither can the parents of all the kids at our private school (some buses come earlier, we are one of the last stops on our route).

PP here. 7:20?!?! That SUCKS. Makes me glad to be in DC where all schools start at a reasonable hour, and we just take city buses or walk. That is terrible, especially for teens who should absolutely be asleep then.

What on earth do you think is a reasonable hour for a bus to come? My private started at 8, as does my kids'. That is very normal...

PP here. My kid's school starts at 8:45am, as do most elementary schools in DC, and the middle and high schools tend to start at 8:45 or even 9am. So that's my baseline, and is objectively way better for both high schooler's circadian rhythms and aligning with parents work schedules. I know the suburbs have to contend with sharing busses across schools though, and so often start earlier. I feel for you. It explains why someone up thread says that didn't know any parents who could sleep until 7:30.

The people sending their kids to private school, that’s a choice and I’m sure they’re happy with it. We’re in the ES starts at 9:25am years here in MCPS and that’s fine but I’m really dreading high school starting at 7:45. The buses in our neighborhood are around 7:15.

[Anonymous]

I hired a lot out. Nanny, house keeper, personal assistant, personal shopper, lawn service and car detailing. We had a personal chef for a while too. I didn't have a "traditional" job per se, but as a SAHM of 5 children with a husband that had a very busy job, that did require a lot of work events, the help was necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait what time are you actually going to sleep? 9pm? that’s too early for an adult! We sleep 11-7. Sometimes 10:30. (I wake at 7:30)

We definitely clean and work for 2 hours after kids go to sleep. But yeah, life is hard and not easy. I’m dying to come home to a cooked meal. Neither of us telework.

I don't know any adult with children who sleeps in until 7:30 unless it's summer, they don't work, and their kids are in high school.

Me! I'm the working mom of three from up-thread (kids are 6, 4, and 1).

I wake up at 7:30am every day year round, and so does my husband (unless one of us is sleeping in on a weekend). All three kids get up at that time, too (we do not mess around about sleep training, and the oldest two have okay-to-wake clocks that turn green at 7:30). Both my husband and I can get ready in 10-15 mins in the morning. He takes a quick shower (like 2 mins), and we throw clothes on, brush teeth and hair, and that's about it.

We have super-simplified our morning routines (see - "things I don't do" from my initial post). One of us handles the big kids first thing, the other the baby, and we alternate. Baby person gets baby up and dressed, and then makes a simple breakfast for the kids. Big kid person makes sure the big kids are up, tells them the weather and any special clothing requirements, assists if they need help (they generally don't) and simultaneously gets themselves ready. We all converge in the kitchen by 8am. Three kids eat, big kid person assists/monitors as needed and also does our daughter's hair. Baby person goes to get ready. By 8:15, breakfast is done, everyone's ready, and we've got about 5 minutes for final stuff (pack backpacks and work bags, get shoes/coats on) and we're all out the door at 8:20.

We both work hybrid with an alternating schedule - one person is always WFH and one is always at the office each day. The office person heads to the office, the home person does drop off. Both our work days start at 9am.

I think this is a good demonstration of my larger point - prioritize (sleep is basically our #1 priority, for everyone) and streamline (it is possible to get a family of five out the door in 50 mins if you keep it to the basics). Yea, my hair hasn't been styled in a way that takes more than 60 seconds in the past 6 years. But I'm well rested!

Ok... Our bus comes at 7:20 during the school year so we can't all wake up at 7:30 and neither can the parents of all the kids at our private school (some buses come earlier, we are one of the last stops on our route).

PP here. 7:20?!?! That SUCKS. Makes me glad to be in DC where all schools start at a reasonable hour, and we just take city buses or walk. That is terrible, especially for teens who should absolutely be asleep then.

What on earth do you think is a reasonable hour for a bus to come? My private started at 8, as does my kids'. That is very normal...

Exactly. My kids had a 45 minute long ride to their private school and often would not return home until 6pm bc of the afters.

[Anonymous]

I mean stop cleaning and organizing. Do the bare minimum. You’re allowed to enjoy your life. Lower the bar man. No one is keeping score except your mother in law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not come home from work on Wednesday. I run all my errands and go to the gym or meet friends out.

I go to lunch with friends 2x a week, I pack lunch and eat at my desk 3 days and pay bills/meal plan.

I work out Saturday mornings and one morning before work. I walk during my kids practice.

My H does morning routine, I get to work early. I do pickup except Wednesdays.

I only cook M/T/W, left overs on Th, order in on F. H cooks Sunday.

I nap in the afternoon when the kids nap or have “quiet time” and read.

I have a cleaning person 2x a month.

Is the lunch with friends work friends or personal friends? I wish my personal friends worked close enough to me to meet up for lunch.

When I worked downtown I met people for lunch all the time.

Now I work from home and I still meet people for lunch all the time (not at my house, obviously, I drive to meet them somewhere, when downtown I Metroed or walked).

[Anonymous]

Those ages are hard, in a few more years they’ll be in school more hours and will play more independently.

That said, I just left my job after balancing full time wfh and parenting for the past eight years. My office was implementing RTO and I had the opportunity to take an exit package, so I did.

I have three kids under 8. Working full time was exhausting, even with childcare and twice a month house cleaners. Whatever energy I had left over at the end of the day went to cleanup and meal prep and admin.

So far I’m much happier at home, at least in this season of life. I didn’t leave my job for years because I had enough flexibility that made it seem crazy to leave. I’m glad I rode the wfh wave because I bolstered my retirement savings and that will compound, but on the other hand, I’ll never get those years with my kids back, and it was incredibly stressful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hired a lot out. Nanny, house keeper, personal assistant, personal shopper, lawn service and car detailing. We had a personal chef for a while too. I didn't have a "traditional" job per se, but as a SAHM of 5 children with a husband that had a very busy job, that did require a lot of work events, the help was necessary.

Did you do anything?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait what time are you actually going to sleep? 9pm? that’s too early for an adult! We sleep 11-7. Sometimes 10:30. (I wake at 7:30)

We definitely clean and work for 2 hours after kids go to sleep. But yeah, life is hard and not easy. I’m dying to come home to a cooked meal. Neither of us telework.

I don't know any adult with children who sleeps in until 7:30 unless it's summer, they don't work, and their kids are in high school.

Me! I'm the working mom of three from up-thread (kids are 6, 4, and 1).

I wake up at 7:30am every day year round, and so does my husband (unless one of us is sleeping in on a weekend). All three kids get up at that time, too (we do not mess around about sleep training, and the oldest two have okay-to-wake clocks that turn green at 7:30). Both my husband and I can get ready in 10-15 mins in the morning. He takes a quick shower (like 2 mins), and we throw clothes on, brush teeth and hair, and that's about it.

We have super-simplified our morning routines (see - "things I don't do" from my initial post). One of us handles the big kids first thing, the other the baby, and we alternate. Baby person gets baby up and dressed, and then makes a simple breakfast for the kids. Big kid person makes sure the big kids are up, tells them the weather and any special clothing requirements, assists if they need help (they generally don't) and simultaneously gets themselves ready. We all converge in the kitchen by 8am. Three kids eat, big kid person assists/monitors as needed and also does our daughter's hair. Baby person goes to get ready. By 8:15, breakfast is done, everyone's ready, and we've got about 5 minutes for final stuff (pack backpacks and work bags, get shoes/coats on) and we're all out the door at 8:20.

We both work hybrid with an alternating schedule - one person is always WFH and one is always at the office each day. The office person heads to the office, the home person does drop off. Both our work days start at 9am.

I think this is a good demonstration of my larger point - prioritize (sleep is basically our #1 priority, for everyone) and streamline (it is possible to get a family of five out the door in 50 mins if you keep it to the basics). Yea, my hair hasn't been styled in a way that takes more than 60 seconds in the past 6 years. But I'm well rested!

Ok... Our bus comes at 7:20 during the school year so we can't all wake up at 7:30 and neither can the parents of all the kids at our private school (some buses come earlier, we are one of the last stops on our route).

PP here. 7:20?!?! That SUCKS. Makes me glad to be in DC where all schools start at a reasonable hour, and we just take city buses or walk. That is terrible, especially for teens who should absolutely be asleep then.

What on earth do you think is a reasonable hour for a bus to come? My private started at 8, as does my kids'. That is very normal...

PP here. My kid's school starts at 8:45am, as do most elementary schools in DC, and the middle and high schools tend to start at 8:45 or even 9am. So that's my baseline, and is objectively way better for both high schooler's circadian rhythms and aligning with parents work schedules. I know the suburbs have to contend with sharing busses across schools though, and so often start earlier. I feel for you. It explains why someone up thread says that didn't know any parents who could sleep until 7:30.

The people sending their kids to private school, that’s a choice and I’m sure they’re happy with it. We’re in the ES starts at 9:25am years here in MCPS and that’s fine but I’m really dreading high school starting at 7:45. The buses in our neighborhood are around 7:15.

In FCPS some middle school kids get on the bus as early as 6:45.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was just like you. It’s okay. You’re in an exhausting stage of life and most parents are in the same boat with very young children. It was just kids, work, kids, household tasks and then pass out from exhaustion.

Fast forward to all my kids being school age…6, 9 & 12. I up at 5 am to swim laps 2-3 x a week, yoga also a few times a week, decided to learn a new instrument.

You will eventually hit your stride with parenting, have older and more independent children, and sleep better without night time wake ups, and night time potty training. It will eventually happen for you.

It really does not get better. I think ages 0-5 are the easiest years. My kids are 11 and 14–almost 12 and 15. It is harder than the years before school started. School stuff, activities, social plans with their friends—it never ends. Exhausted is an understatement.

Yes! I could have written this. Today I drove one kid to camp, one to an orthodontist appointment and dropped off the third to the mall because they wanted to go see a movie with their friends. All while trying to manage a full time WFH job. Needless to say I gave my husband a hard time when he came home from work because I am exhausted!

Look, I know that different things are hard for different people, and I can understand that some people may find the emotional and logistical labor of teens stressful. Plus, you're obviously older when you have teens than you were when you had babies and toddlers. But you took a max of three car trips and did work at a computer, all of which are... just sitting there. To compare that to chasing a 2 and 3 year old around or getting up four times a night with an infant and say that this is more exhausting is absurd.

The constant interruptions throughout the workday are no doubt tiring, but at least you don't have to break up fights between your kids or constantly check to make sure they haven't injured themselves or drawn on the walls... I'd tell the older ones that you just can't take them to the mall during the day because you have to work, and their options are to watch a movie at home or go to the theater on the weekend. My mom never took me to the movies during the day, and she was a SAHM. The ortho visit is a little harder to handle, but my dentist offers weekend hours and we always schedule our appointments for weekends so they don't disrupt our workdays.

And you pretend to work at home.

[Anonymous]

If you are a new parent reading this and freaking out I will say that parents of only children do not feel this way in my experience (I'm including myself and a few friends)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait what time are you actually going to sleep? 9pm? that’s too early for an adult! We sleep 11-7. Sometimes 10:30. (I wake at 7:30)

We definitely clean and work for 2 hours after kids go to sleep. But yeah, life is hard and not easy. I’m dying to come home to a cooked meal. Neither of us telework.

I don't know any adult with children who sleeps in until 7:30 unless it's summer, they don't work, and their kids are in high school.

Me! I'm the working mom of three from up-thread (kids are 6, 4, and 1).

I wake up at 7:30am every day year round, and so does my husband (unless one of us is sleeping in on a weekend). All three kids get up at that time, too (we do not mess around about sleep training, and the oldest two have okay-to-wake clocks that turn green at 7:30). Both my husband and I can get ready in 10-15 mins in the morning. He takes a quick shower (like 2 mins), and we throw clothes on, brush teeth and hair, and that's about it.

We have super-simplified our morning routines (see - "things I don't do" from my initial post). One of us handles the big kids first thing, the other the baby, and we alternate. Baby person gets baby up and dressed, and then makes a simple breakfast for the kids. Big kid person makes sure the big kids are up, tells them the weather and any special clothing requirements, assists if they need help (they generally don't) and simultaneously gets themselves ready. We all converge in the kitchen by 8am. Three kids eat, big kid person assists/monitors as needed and also does our daughter's hair. Baby person goes to get ready. By 8:15, breakfast is done, everyone's ready, and we've got about 5 minutes for final stuff (pack backpacks and work bags, get shoes/coats on) and we're all out the door at 8:20.

We both work hybrid with an alternating schedule - one person is always WFH and one is always at the office each day. The office person heads to the office, the home person does drop off. Both our work days start at 9am.

I think this is a good demonstration of my larger point - prioritize (sleep is basically our #1 priority, for everyone) and streamline (it is possible to get a family of five out the door in 50 mins if you keep it to the basics). Yea, my hair hasn't been styled in a way that takes more than 60 seconds in the past 6 years. But I'm well rested!

Ok... Our bus comes at 7:20 during the school year so we can't all wake up at 7:30 and neither can the parents of all the kids at our private school (some buses come earlier, we are one of the last stops on our route).

PP here. 7:20?!?! That SUCKS. Makes me glad to be in DC where all schools start at a reasonable hour, and we just take city buses or walk. That is terrible, especially for teens who should absolutely be asleep then.

What on earth do you think is a reasonable hour for a bus to come? My private started at 8, as does my kids'. That is very normal...

PP here. My kid's school starts at 8:45am, as do most elementary schools in DC, and the middle and high schools tend to start at 8:45 or even 9am. So that's my baseline, and is objectively way better for both high schooler's circadian rhythms and aligning with parents work schedules. I know the suburbs have to contend with sharing busses across schools though, and so often start earlier. I feel for you. It explains why someone up thread says that didn't know any parents who could sleep until 7:30.

The people sending their kids to private school, that’s a choice and I’m sure they’re happy with it. We’re in the ES starts at 9:25am years here in MCPS and that’s fine but I’m really dreading high school starting at 7:45. The buses in our neighborhood are around 7:15.

In FCPS some middle school kids get on the bus as early as 6:45.

Montgomery county HS - 6:45 here. One of the reasons I loved COVID. School started at 9 then. Those were good days .