Morning Routine

I'm not sure why or if it is just an inane sense, but my children seem to know exactly when the other children are up in the morning. It's not because of noise or sounds as we keep whoever wakes up first very quiet. You would think with three of them, one, or even two would wake up while one, or even two of the others stayed sleeping in bed. I just think they have this sixth sense that their siblings are awake and they just get up like some pre-programmed robots.

If it was as simple as them just waking up and either staying in their bed, or laying quietly in ours there would be nothing to write about. Unfortunately, this is the beginning of the morning routine.

During the week it's pretty straight forward. My daughter, who catches a 7:00am bus, has her routine. Wake, get dressed, pee (very slowly), wash hands (also excruciatingly slow), then into the kitchen for breakfast, which by the way is always the same. Two pancakes, syrup, and a glass of orange juice. Then it's time to comb her hair, brush her teeth and get her coat on for the bus. There is definitely something to be said about consistency, though it can get a bit monotonous at times.

My older son, 4, is a similar story, though a bit more precise and anal. His morning routine consists of two pancakes, in a half and half style (one pancake has to be with syrup and cut into bite size pieces while the other is cut in half - the one cut in half is then dipped into a small container of syrup), orange juice in a precise mug and a half and half paper towel (half wet and half dry). I still have no idea where any of this behavior came from, but it has been this way for almost a year. The really funny part is that he asks for his breakfast this way every morning. I guess he assumes we can't remember from one day to the next.

The little guy is a totally different story. he has no food routine. He'll pretty much eat whatever, though he stays within the bread family, french toast sticks, pancakes, waffles. No, his routine in the morning is his desire, no need, to play with playdough. It's definitely an obsession at this point as he just points to the box and grunts.

Well I'm now in the midst of the morning routine. There will be crying, yelling, fussing and all the other things that go with getting kids dressed, teeth brushed and the overall day started.

All of this by 8:00am. Isn't life with children wonderful?

David Goldenberg