The first day of school caught me by surprise yesterday.
I knew it was coming, and we had almost all of the stuff we need in the brat’s backpack, but we weren’t ready for it.
Yesterday morning, we woke up. Brat #3 was uncooperative, to say the least, so I wasn’t playing my ‘A’ game. I woke up Brat #1 and sent him on his way to get changed and eat breakfast. Ten minutes later, I chased him off of the couch to go get changed and eat breakfast. He had forgotten that his school day starts at 7:30, now.
He ate and grabbed his backpack to leave. I sent him to his room to change.
He changed and grabbed his backpack to leave. I sent him to his room for socks.
He put on socks and grabbed his backpack to leave. Then he realized his shoes weren’t by the door.
Shoe hunt!
I got him out of the door, only to see his face again a minute later when he realized he had forgotten something else.
Please remember that Brat #3 was acting up the entire time.
During the course of this, I was trying to make my lunch, which spent the day sitting on my kitchen counter. I was dressing myself; I don’t know how many times I made it to the front door, only to realize I hadn’t put on socks, yet. Or pants, for that matter.
What could have gone better?
Preparation.
On Monday, the day we all had off, with no plans, we should have set our alarms and done a dry run, right up to the point of walking out of the door. Here’s how Monday should have gone:
- All the school and daycare stuff should have been ready to go the night before.
- I get up, have breakfast, then wake Brat #1.
- He gets up and has breakfast, while I dress Brats #2 & 3.
- Brat #1 gets dressed while I help the girls with their shoes and jackets.
- Brat #1 throws on shoes and heads out the door while I strap the girls into the car.
- Everybody’s happy.
That’s the well-oiled machine I would like to see in the morning. Am I dreaming? How do you handle your morning routine efficiently?
Sounds like you got a great lesson in being prepared for whatever when life changes on you. Good work responding, because it’s always hard to get things together when something changes (like school starting)
Hopefully, I can build a new habit on that.
Planning would have definitely helped here! 🙂 I try to set out my clothes for the next day but sometimes I forget. If I have to pick what I want to wear in the morning I am so indecisive!
I never pick out my clothes ahead of time, but I have 0 fashion sense. I own a dozen t-shirts and 6 or 7 work shirts, and they all go with every pair of jeans I own. 🙂
Ha! I’ll bet that makes planning what to wear very easy. Ahhh, the life of a guy 🙂
My wife did that preparation and mornings were never a problem. A lot was done the night before. What is interesting is the kids are now adults and use these habits.
My wife works earlier than I do, so it’s up to me to get the kids ready.
So funny! I like to be prepared, it does set m mind at ease.
Regardless of the situation – going to school or work the following day, preparing for an interview, getting married next year, shopping for Christmas gifts – preparation is always the key.
You call your kids brats. That’s dumb.
I also call them punks and monsters. It makes them giggle.
Many times in life, good preparation trumps luck, skill and even experience. Being prepared for any situation is a trait to be developed and cherished.
That being said, I’m lukewarm about my kids starting school in coming years..but hopefully they will go quietly 🙂
My oldest started junior high last week. Almost a teenager. Looking back on my teen years, having one of my own scares me.