Mom’s Breakfast Club: Our Morning Routine
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Somehow my husband and I — nightowls — conceived children who happen to be morning people. They wake early. They love mornings. And, man, do they love breakfast. As such, over the years we have figured out a routine that works for us, even when my husband and I are at our most groggy.
- 7:00am, on the dot — BigBrother appears next to our bed. I tell him to go to the bathroom as I roll over and pull the blanket over my head.
- 7:01 — BigBrother is back in our room, asking for breakfast. I tell him to go in the kitchen and pick his spoon.
- 7:02 – 7:10 — I fumble around our bedroom and bathroom, trying to find my glasses and my robe while silently wondering if our children are really alien life forms.
- 7:11 — I get BigBrother his breakfast while simultaneously starting the coffee. Because I have octopus arms.
- 7:15 — LittleBrother walks into the kitchen with a smile on his face, announcing, “IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY!” No, really. He does this. WHO ARE THESE KIDS? I send him off to the bathroom and start his breakfast.
- 7:20 — They ask for additional breakfast food (fruit, a piece of toast, a plain waffle), because apparently being that cheerful in the morning works up a big hunger.
- 7:30 — They’re off to the playroom while I’m left nursing my coffee.
It’s really a lovely routine, minus the fact that it happens in the morning. This is when they are their most cooperative, most happy to do whatever I ask of them. And, because they wake so early, we have no trouble with the morning rush to school once school starts. I know this will change by the time they are teenagers. Or, rather, I hope it will change. I’d like ten more minutes of sleep.
Because they are their most cooperative in the morning, they’re pretty going with the food choices. We offer a range of choices, but their favorite is oatmeal. I count this is a parenting win. Plain oatmeal with honey is acceptable, but one of the boys really likes any variation of blueberry oatmeal (homemade, store bought). Other acceptable foods are:
- Pancakes. These are a treat. See also: I hate mornings.
- Cold cereals: (Rice Krispies, Frosted MiniWheats & Apple Jacks are favorites).
- Waffles. Eggo only. Don’t try to trick them. And plain. (Not even with our homemade maple syrup from my husband’s grandpa. Our kids are… weird.
- Eggs. Of any kind. Especially if my husband decides to treat me with a special breakfast. Then they want a bite. Meaning all of it.
But, mostly, we stick with oatmeal and the occasional double of toast or a plain waffle because they like it, it makes our routine work easily and, as I said, they’d probably eat the foods that they refuse to eat for supper if I served them for breakfast because they’re just so darn happy in the morning. Craziness!
And now I want to know what your morning routine “looks” like. Leave your rundown of your morning in a comment below and you’ll be entered to win a $100 gift card from Kellogg’s and BlogHer! There are more chances to win via other bloggers, just check out the BlogHer.com Kellogg exclusive offers page! (Don’t forget to check out the Official Rules.) Simply leave a comment here and I’ll pull a winner on August 16, 2010.
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[Disclosure: Mom’s Breakfast Club was started to help educate moms and families about kids’ cereal and share the scoop on their nutritional benefits and ingredients. To learn more about the program, visit http://www.loveyourcereal.com.]
Loved this post. We are toaster waffle people, too. And Coco Puffs. Mmm. =)
Here’s a rough rundown of my morning routine:
4:00 am – Nurse baby
4:30 am – Drift off to sleep
6:00 am – Wake up and start getting ready for the day
6:10 am – Dress and nurse baby
6:15 am – Drag toddler out of bed
6:20 am – Drag toddler to potty
6:30 am – Drag toddler off of potty
6:32 am – Dress toddler
6:34 am – Hand toddler bag of cereal to eat in car along with sippy cup
6:35 am – Load up car and wrangle kids into car seats
6:40 am – Pull out of driveway and head out for the day
6:41 am – Realize that I didn’t get to eat breakfast again (followed by picking up something after dropping the kids at daycare)
I grab a yogurt or granola bar and check my email in the morning before my kids get up. They eat Pop Tarts once they get up.
I am so so so NOT a morning person! Weekdays I just grab a Special K Bar (strawberry) and eat it at my desk. Weekends I like sleeping late and then eating a bowl of cereal or waffles with cane syrup. Yum.
Wake up, shower, make up, hair, clothes, pack lunch for my husband and I, make toast with PB, leave. I’m having a baby in 6 weeks so that is about to DRASTICALLY change!
I eat the same every morning egg white, turkey sausage link on a 100 calorie bagel! I put it all together and eat it in traffic on my way to work! I eat cereal for dinner I bet twice a week- Yum! Now I am hungry!
I always eat a bagel with cream cheese. My daughter always has a bowl of cereal. We got all out around here!
We have a bit of a staggered start with our morning routine, but we all convene and regroup as a family for dinner.
nsue21702 at gmail dot com
Shake myself awake, just kidding. I start with a protein shake, usually with fresh fruit blended into it. Then grind my own coffee beans and have fresh brewed coffee. Vroom, vroom.
i’m embarrased by my morning routine..my boyfriend gets out of bed early in the morning, and from 10-11 try to drag me out of bed u_u he eats cereal for breakfast and i eat banana and apple, and we hurry to work. thanks for sharing your routine. songyueyu at gmail
The kids usually eat cereal, pop tarts or granola bars during the week. I tend to grab what’s handy. On the weekends we have a sit down big family breakfast.
Our mornings are very rushed. I get up early to make some kind of nutritious breakfast for my daughters and make & pack our lunches. Then we head out the door for a 45-60 minute commute in traffic to their school. They eat in the car and catch up on some zzzz. Then I drop my car off at my parents’ house and take the bus into work which is another hour commute in traffic.
My breakfast routine is very simple. I usually have yogurt topped with granola, cereal and fresh fruit. No cooking required, yay
6:30 alarm goes off and I hit the snooze
6:42 alarm goes off again and I may hit snooze
3rd time alarm goes off I’m up reluctantly
I get up get the baby some milk and change his diaper then I’m off to work.
hubby actually does the morning routine here (he works 2nd shift)
He takes care of getting the 3 boys breakfast and getting the baby dressed (not always matching but dressed) Hey gotta love ‘em
Our morning routine depends on if we have places to go. If we do it is cereal bars in the car, if not it is a bowl of cereal in front of the TV.
6:30a.m. — My alarm goes off, hit the snooze
6:37a.m. — Get out of bed, go to the bathroom to shower
7:05a.m. — wake up the kiddo
7:05-7:10am. — Dress kiddo, help him wash face, brush teeth, etc.
7:10-7:30a.m. — Breakfast for me and kiddo (obviously something quick like toast, cereal, breakfast bars)
7:30a.m. — Drive to daycare, drop kiddo off
8a.m. — start my day at work
For me, breakfast is plain oatmeal w/half a cup of vanilla yogurt stirred in. Everyone else has to fend for themselves (they won’t eat oatmeal). So I keep cereal, breakfast bars, frozen waffles, eggs, and fruit for options.
I only eat cereal for breakfast. Rice Crispies with fresh fruit. I have ceral as soon as I wake up. I eat breakfast almost before I’m awake! The rest is unimportant. Dressing, letting dogs outside, making the bed….maybe.
I have teenagers! No one wants to get up! Including the mama!
We rush around. Take turns showering. Share a bathroom mirror doing makeup!
Argue over clothes (there are 3 chicks here).
Grab something fast to eat and out the door we go!
I love having my girls attending my high school! We have one stop to make!
Our morning routine usually consists of me making sure that everyone eats something, and then realizing around 9am that I forgot to eat myself. When I do eat, it’s usually an English muffin with peanut butter. Baby boy eats yogurt and a frozen waffle.