So, I'm not necessarily NOT a morning person. I mean, I don't hate mornings or the start of the day. But, I DO need about 20 minutes to get my barings. I need a few minutes of not being in command of three little ones, so that I can be just that for the rest of the day? In other words....my days start off best when I am not bothered for at least 20 minutes. They just do. Call me selfish, call me sluggish...whatever, I just do better when I'm given time to wake up and shake the sleepiness. And, I also do best when I get out of bed immediately and not go back to bed for several "sleep" cycles on my alarm clock. That's just a side note.
Anyway, I've been struggling lately because I've been letting the girls wake me up sometime between 6:30 and 7:00, but I'm usually awakened to crying, fighting, or potty wipes. Occasionally Nathan wakes me up to crying, but he's usually fairly content until he actually sees me.
So, since Nate is sleeping pretty well and I'm not up for hours at a time at I night, I decided that I need to start waking up early again. I used to wake up at 5:30, but that just seems to early to me right now....so, I'm waking up at 6:00. Now, here is my perfect little goal.
6:00 - alarm goes off...immediately get up and go in the bathroom where I can turn on the light
6:05-spend a few moments just trying to keep my eyes open while washing my face and brushing my teeth
6:10-6:25 - check e-mail,blogs, etc. This gives me time to really just wake up, keep my eyes open and remember how to read
6:30-6:50 - Read my Bible (ALWAYS starts my day off better)
6:50-get dressed
7:00 - let the girls get up and start my day
Really...is that to much to ask? It must be, because it seems that the earlier I rise, the earlier my children rise!! Don't they know I am doing this for their benefit? Don't they know that I will be a better mom if they give me a few minutes without a job? I guess not. At the mere glimmer of a sign of life in our home, they are up...and I quickly put them back to bed. But, what I do not want to happen is an extra hour of fighting to get them in their room. No thank you...I'd rather just sleep that extra hour then and be a grump the rest of the day!
Besides my bedroom, I don't have anywhere else to go in my house that I can close the door to. So I guess the glow of the computer gives Nicole and Hannah hope that someone is up and it must be time for them to get up too. Generally, they get up because they have to go to the bathroom...and they do, truly. But, I'm also quite certain that they could hold it. Mean, I know...but let me tell you what happens.
Nicole sees the computer glow (I'm guessing...and if you know the layout of my house, you would think it's impossible for her to see, but I think she does), she gets up to "go potty". Nicole wants me to tuck her back in (if I don't, the tears flow). Hannah wakes up, she walks out of her room crying, I go to console her, help her back to bed. Hannah gets up again, she has to go potty. Nathan awakes because of the girl's coming in and out. Hannah finishes potty, refuses to go to bed unless I take her. I take her in...Nate gets excited because he thinks I've come for him. I sneak out of the room. 5 minutes later the girls are fighting because someone pulled the other's blanket. Now, they alternate coming out until I get fet up, go in there and take care of the situation. Now, it is 6:45, I've been trying to keep them in bed almost the whole time I've been up...I am frustrated and grumpy, the girls are whiny and crying and Nathan doesn't understand why he's not in my arms. The only part of my perfect schedule that worked was waking up the first time at 6. I don't like to start my day off out of frustration...because by 7:30, I'm ready to put them down for naps, you know? It makes me very unhappy.
So, I don't normally do this...but I would be interested to know. What do you do to keep your children in bed until it's time to get up? Do you just let them wake you, do they have sort of a set "time to get up for the day time", or do they sleep in (you know what...don't fess that one up! Just kidding...I promise I won't hate you ;) I tried to buy a clock, but the ticking kept Nicole up (she's very sensitive to noise). I need to find a digital clock that doesn't light up the whole room, because I think that would keep her awake too. The problem is...the first couple of times the kids are up, they are legitimate excuses...they have to go to the bathroom. We used to use a gate, but they can open it and then the floor gets scratched.
All I want....for their own good...really the good of the family is for them to stay in bed until 7:00...that's not to late or to much to ask, is it? I think this problem is compounded because they are all in the same room...but, that's the way it is, so we need to make it work, you know? Now it's 6:56...I have not read my Bible, changed my clothes, or brushed my teeth. I have dealt with this the entire time and I'm ready to go back to sleep! ha!
5 comments:
If I want Logan to stay in his room, I will play a music or story CD and tell him he can't come out until the CD is over, that usually helps him stay in his room. But keeping Logan in bed until its time to get up isn't usually a problem in my house, the problem is making him stay in bed at bed time. I would much rather him be more like your kids and wake up than fight him until almost 10:00 every night to go to bed. And then he's cranky the next morning. But I totally understand you wanting some "me time" especially in the mornings. I am the same as you where I need a few minutes to wake up before the crying and whining starts.
What kind of story CDs do you have? I don't really have any at all
Well I am the same as you but fortunately Maryn is still in a crib and Josiah is new...so let me know what you learn! Our library has books on CD and tape for little kids. I bet Naples does, too. A good thing for homeschooling!
Our situation is different too with just Rylea at the moment and this pregnancy has not been an easy one on me or my exhaustion so I've just been sleeping in bed until Rylea wakes up and I hear her on the monitor. Sometimes if I do get up earlier than she does I'll make her breakfast while she sleeps because I know I'll have 2 free hands instead of one and I won't have to try and step over here as she clings to my legs and says "bup" over and over for me to pick her up. I was trying to think of something creative since all your kiddos are in the same room and I just don't know how you do it Michele. I think you're a great mom though and I love reading your blog and learning from you!! Maybe you could use one of those kitchen timers or something and leave it in the main room of the house and tell the girls they can come out of their room when they hear it go off or something like that?
Michele, Logan loves any kind of story CD, his favorites are things like Curious George and anything Sesame Street. I just go to the library and let him pick out what he wants, it keeps him happy and entertained...for a little bit at least.
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