A Little Peace with My Coffee
We’re not one of those continually late families that squeals up to school drop-off, leaps from the car and runs, backpacks flopping, into the building. My nerves couldn’t handle such unpunctuality. Not at all.
But our morning routine has been in need of a major tune up.
Here’s how it went, up until yesterday:
Milo, who is six, would dress himself, stumble to my bedroom and turn on the TV. Some time later, Belle, who is 4, would do the same (minus the dressing herself part).
I would go downstairs and make a nutritious snack to serve while they watched Curious George. This gave me time to read a few blogs and to get myself ready without (much) interruption.
All was relatively peaceful until 8:30, when the kids were to come downstairs, brush their teeth, comb their hair and, if applicable, pack their lunches.
It didn’t work that way.
Instead, they were like punch-drunk gibbons let loose from their zoo cages. In other words, all hell … There was hooting, whining, nagging, cajoling, threatening and arguing. And there was no incentive, really, for them to hustle. Just school. Which, oddly, isn’t the motivation for them that it is for me (3 hours kid free!).
So, this week, we instituted a new system.
The children are to dress, bring themselves to the kitchen, consume a nutritious breakfast at the actual table and complete whatever tasks it takes to get out the door–BEFORE they are allowed to watch a single second of PBS Kids.
I’m now in post-mortem, analyzing how it went and how it could go more smoothly.
There are, I’m learning, several glitches.
Belle sleeps longer than Milo. Which means he makes it to the TV while she still picks at her oatmeal. Which, yeah, doesn’t go over so well.
I end up frantically squeezing in my cup of coffee, shower, hair and face maintenance when I can—between milk pours and toast buttering.
And to that I say: “Hrmph.”
I do, however, like being present for them in the morning. I think the extra attention first thing gives them a boost. And completing chores in a timely manner without resorting to the otherwise inevitable nagathon is good for us all.
We’ll keep tweaking.
And I’ll keep fantasizing about a morning routine during which we’re all sitting around the breakfast table at 7:30 am, congenially eating our oatmeal before we file, in an orderly fashion, out to the car.
