Morning Routines

I'm a big, big believer in morning routines. I think it's because even though I'm a morning person, I like to think about things other than, "What's the next thing I have to do this morning?" while I'm getting ready for the day.

I'm also a big believer in not starting the day with arguments. As in "What are we having for breakfast? OH YUCK! I hate that, I'd rather have...(insert something else here)"

So, our family is in a pretty good morning routine. We have a schedule for what we eat for breakfast - no questions, arguments or complaining. For example, Mondays are always oatmeal and Wednesdays are always eggs & bagels.

The problem is that I've taught my oldest how to make breakfast, so 6 days out of 7, he makes it.

I know - you're asking "Just how exactly is that a problem?" The problem now is not the how, but the when of making breakfast.

I like to start school about 8 a.m. so we can finish school before lunch. Which means the kids need to be eating breakfast about 7:30. But if breakfast isn't started on time, it throws off our routine. And more often than not, it's not.

I've been tempted to set an alarm clock for my oldest. But old habits die hard. I cannot stand the thought of setting his alarm and then him or his brother sleeping in until 6:30 and it waking them up (which is unlikely - I can count on one hand the number of times either of them has slept past 6:30 a.m. in the last 10 years).

I should be passing the baton, so to speak, and teaching my oldest daughter how to make breakfast, and make it her responsibility and move my oldest to dinner. But of all my children, she's the one who will sleep past 6:30 a.m. (Can you see her sleepy eyes in the picture? And that was at 8 a.m.)

I'll keep thinking some more.