I feel like I hit the ground running on most mornings. I sleep with my youngest two, and I can't seem to wake up before they do. (I've tried sneaking off at 6 am, but they seems to know that I'm getting up and want to get up too.Besides, that's too early for me, especially when I am still waking 2, 3 times a night to BF.) I try to wash my dishes and straighten up before I go to bed, and I am seriously considering sleeping in my clothes. How do you start your mornings smoothly? IS there such a thing?

(he often wakes me up around 6)

I make some coffee and lounge with him in my jammies for a few minutes.

I give him breakfast and go and do the kitchen (I don't clean it the night before since I am too tired at the end of a day)

I have my coffee, breakfast and get the youngest ready for day care.

I wake everyone else and after getting dressed......I take the youngest to daycare, the middle child to 5th grade (dh takes the oldest to middle school), and then I go to work.

Do you have all of your clothes laid out the night before? WOuld you consider your mornings chaotic? (Mine are.) I am thinking I need to organize my life but I always associated organization with being uncreative but now I see organization as a link to sanity.

I DO have outfits which are pre-mixed in my mind to grab!

I do laundry only on Saturday (almost all day it seems) and have enought combinations to get me thru the week.

For work I wear tank tops with button down shirts over and comfy yoga style pants, socks and comfy shoes which go with everything.

The minute I get home from work....I throw those clothes off and put on even comfier stuff! (The work clothes either get put in the laundry pile or rehung in my closet....depending on how sweaty my day was!!!!)

I consider my mornings to be orderly, somewhat leisurely, very habit oriented but lovely time!

In my mornings I try to wake up before the children - so I have my alarm set for 6:30ish (of course that rarely works they always seem to beat me!). I lay my clothes out the night before and listen to the weather forecast the night before - so that the children's clothing, if not laid out, is still prepared approximately.
When I wake up I always say a prayer of thanks (while I'm still in bed). I get myself ready first, instruct the children on getting dressed, make my bed , and help anyone who needs help. We try to be downstairs before 7:30. I feed them breakfast (oatmeal or cereal) and check to be sure that lunches have been made (dh makes them). As soon as the children are out the door at 8 I say my morning prayers and then eat breakfast.

Hm, I am lazy I guess. LOL I usually get up at 8. I get dressed, do my hair. I turn on the lights and head to the kitchen. I start a sink filling if I have any leftover dishes (no dishwasher), start the coffee or tea kettle and start a load of laundry. Then I get online and try to get caught up with work stuff. DD usually gets up around 9:30 or 10 and then we have breakfast together. I am thinking I should be getting up earlier, but I really need 10 hours a night.

You're not lazy, you're a busy mom! I asked the questioned to see how I fared with other moms. I know, I know, I shouldn't compare myself with others, I am my own person, etc. I am so glad to know of at least two moms that handle the mornings like I do! I thought I was unusual because I don't have things strictly regimented with schedules, charts, etc to keep me organized. I wonder how long that would last. I always have the best intentions...

I sleep with my youngest. Her hard sleep, luckily, is in the morning. So, I get out of her bed a 4:45. Clean the kitchen, make, lunches (I have to do hers as she has food allergies), and make breakfast. If I slept through my nightly shower, I do that to. I get a load of laundry started and drying then wake my girls. Beth wears a uniform to school and my youngest sleeps in her clothes most often. If she did not, they are laid out. Then we get breakfast eaten. DH and Beth are gone for school by 7 and Sam and I are away at 7:10. When I get home, laundry is switched and dinner started. I do not change clothes unless I am making something that stains. Less laundry to do. I work for an attorney but generally wear khakis. I might change to a tshirt if I am in a really nice sweater or silk blouse. Baths are after supper. Then it is off to bed to read for a while then sleep for the girls by 8 (if I am lucky, for Sam it is sometimes 10. I usually fall asleep with them. If not, I shower. Then crawl in with DH for a while.

I wake up at 6ish and get dressed in my dog walking clothes... I go down stairs and fill the sink to soak the dishes and I make my kids lunches and make sure things are where they should be... my stuff and theirs.. at about 6:45 I take the three dogs to a park beside lake Ontario and walk with other dog owners until about 7:20.. I drive home and feed the dogs, get the kids dressed..breakfast.. and I go have a long luxurious bath ( about 20 Min) and then I get dressed... In the meantime my kids should have packed their backpacks, have their shoes on and coats etc ready... When I come downstairs dressed for work.. The kids get dressed for outside while I blow dry my hair and stuff my face with toast... Stressful? Sometimes it seems like it is..but other days everything goes so smoothly that I can't believe my luck.. now that my kids are 7 and 9 it is getting easier but I still have my days...The walk helps and so does the long luxurious bath... steaming hot.. Anyway.. that's what we do... by the way.. no tv in the morning.. Jenn

for my work i have to get the house picked up before I go to bed, but i leave the dishes. in the morning i wake up earlier then DS and make breakfast, lunch and dinner all at once (crock pot). Then I do something leisurely (martial arts, Qi Gong, yoga, drink tea and check message boards, read, or meditate) until DS wakes up, which is usually 8:30. :thumbsup:

I don't consider my mornings choatic at all. More like fun but laid back, but I'm kindof a morning person.
I know what you mean about hitting the groung running. I think if you can get into the habit of waking up earlier or staying up later just to get the certain things you need to do - done. I get in a really bad moon if i wake up to a dirty room and living room and stuff like that. I do daycare, so i have to have the living room clean, so i make sure that is done afterwork. the kitchen can wait, cause its in the back and no one ever sees it!

I set the alarm at 6:30 so I can get a shower before the kids are up. When I get out dd is usually in my bed waiting for me. I get her a drink and she lays in bed and watches Miffy until 7:30 and then the TV goes off. In the meantime I go and get ds out of bed, change his diaper and get him dressed. Then I get breakfast for both of them. While they are eating I go in and dry my hair, put on some make-up and get dressed. After breakfast I clean up DS and he plays. DD goes and gets herself dressed (with some help), brushes her teeth, puts on her shoes and I fix her hair. When she is all ready for school I allow the TV back on and they watch the Wiggles. I clear & wipe the table, make the beds, throw some laundry in and by 8:15 we are out the door to take DD to preschool. This is only M-F. Weekends are much more relaxed. We had Pajama Day here yesterday and lounged all day. I have the kids clothes laid out the night before so that helps alot. I also make sure the kitchen is clean before I go to bed so that makes it easier in the morning.

I'm in a good routine right now. It hasn't always been this way. Setting the alarm to get up before the kids has helped tremendously. Of course, this will all be out the window when the new baby comes. :D

Our weekday morning schedule goes something like this:

6:30-7:00 snuggling and fooling around in bed
7:00-7:30 coffee, juice, milk and fruit. Feed the pets.
7:30-8:00 breakfast/vitamins/clean-up
8:00-8:30 wash up, brush teeth, get dressed, straighten bedrooms
8:30-8:45 Start a load of laundry and get ready to go....