I just realized a bit ago that mornings are going to be even crazier than I thought.
Charlize has to have a bath in order to have her hair fixed.
I *could* just spray spray spray and douse it with water.
But to get it wet enought to comb through, at which point she has a fit because it starts dripping down her neck, and then to comb it...
it would just be easier and probably less time consuuming anyway to give her a bath.
It's much easier to wet her hair, put conditioner in, and comb it while she's still in the tub and slathered with conditioner.
So bathtimes are going to have to be in the morning now.
I'll have to get up at 630 to shower myself and get dressed.
Then get the kids up, toss them in the tub, get everyone lotioned, dressed, and hair fixed.
Then feed everyone breakfast.
Rayce usually eats breakfast at school.
But since I have to feed the girls in the morning, now before Rayce leaves for school, he may as well eat with them.
Then teeth brushed, shoes on, faces and hands washed.
Coats and backpacks.
I have to work with Rayce on his after school routine.
When he walks on the door, he throws his stuff on the floor (or occasionally the couch or chair), and plops in front of the TV.
He needs to empty his snack bag, rinse out his milk bottle, put the ice packs back in the freezer, then sit down with his homework. His homework needs to stay *on* the table, and he shouldn't put anything back in his packpack until everything is done. Which means I have to sign his homework sheet and his book log. These things have been forgotten until the last moment a lot lately, because he crams everything back into his backpack before I get to look at it, and then it's outta sight, outta mind. And I can't even tell you how many times I've gone to pack his snack in the morning only to find his ice packs still in his lunchbox, warm, and his milk bottle gross and smelly.
Things are changingggg.
And it's forcing me to change even more.
And change can be a good thing.
Especially when it involves routines that I've been almost desperate to fall in to.
I know how crazy it's going to be in the morning, but sooo worth it. :n)
ReplyDeleteYou're going to be so happy that you started this new routine, once you have it all in full swing. It feels really good to have a real 'set' routine with the kids. I just know you're going to LOVE it.
Just as a suggestion, we have a checklist that I created for the morning before we leave. It has a picture of each thing with the word written next to it.
Corbin's name is written at the top of his, traced using one of those letter tracer things for the kids.
Then it has:
o Backpack & Folder
o Lunch Bag & Ice Packs
o Bus Tag
o Jacket
o Boots & Sneakers
o Special Project (like homework of some sort, which he doesn't have yet)
o Note from Mom for Teacher
I would like to also put on there (but it would require me making a whole new list):
o snack day
o show and tell day
Each day, before he leaves for school, we go through the check list, and he tells me each item that he has or doesn't have to have. It hangs at his eye level next to the front door, and he looks forward to going through the check list each day.
The same thing could apply to coming home; Especially if you make it easy for him. For example, I've thought about painting a 2x4 and putting two hooks on it and hanging it there at their level for the kids' coats and backpacks. I may still do this before winter hits.
So if that's where the coat and backpack go, and it's easy and "special" just for the kids, he might remember it and then just get into the habit of doing it. You could also put one of those paper organizer things that hang on the wall right there for his homework, too. Actually, a fun idea is to get the large boxes of cereal, cut one side off of it (the long thin side, like with the nutrition facts). Tape/glue the cereal pouring side shut, and then have each kid color a paper to decorate his/her own box. Paste the paper to the front of the box, and it can hold papers and hang on the wall.
And a large wall calendar, which I'm planning on getting also, just for the kids' stuff. I'm sure with ALL of your kids, as well as the ones you sit for, having a BIG calendar handy where you could write stuff down right away would help you out a lot! :n)
Hope I'm not coming off as pushy or know-it-all-y. These are actually things that I'm wanting to do myself. :n)