SOMWaD: What Did I Do Right?

Up until this week, getting my kid out of bed was a MAJOR hassle, pain in the butt, you name it.  I even wrote about it (which is below), but never got around to posting it.  Then this week things changed. (And maybe I'm jinxing it by saying so.)  But prior to this week, here's what life was like...

Sleep.  It's important.  I know you; you know it.  We all want our kids to get enough sleep.  Making it happen is what the real challenge is.

Here are the facts for my family.  My son needs to be school by 7:40ish 3 to 4 days a week for music programs.  Don't say that's too early.  Don't say that should be changed to after school.  Just let it be.  It is a current fact that I need to have my kid out the door and in the car by 7:30 on those days.  

My son's alarm goes off at 6; 15.  It's not an annoying alarm; it's just a clock radio.  The music/alarm goes on for 30 minutes before it shuts off automatically.  During that I time I continually pop my head in and play the annoying mom game to try and get him up.  Some days it works; some days it doesn't.  More times than not, someone has to "force" him out of bed by 6:45.

He then gets dressed. (Clothes are supposed to be laid out the night before.  Most times they are, but then there are always the times when they are not.  Or there could be an issue with what he put out; a stain suddenly found or pants that no longer fit.  Then we're back to square one.)  Some days he makes his bed. 

Finally by around 7 he manages to come downstairs for breakfast. Usually I’ve got it prepped because I'm trying to move things along. I make sure lunch is out and ready (packed the night before) and that his water bottle is full. (He's gone through 3 this year alone.  They keep wandering away.  Sometimes he finds them in a classroom or in the lost and found, but...) He eats and has maybe 10 minutes of "kid time" before I'm after him to use the bathroom and get his backpack together.  This causes much consternation, complaining, whining, moaning, groaning...you name it.

Finally at 7:25 it's shoes and coat on, (There's the battle over if a coat needs to be worn and if it does which one he "has" to wear.)  The backpack (which weighs a ton) is put on and if it's a band day, his trumpet is grabbed and off we go to the car.  All the while with grumbles of how horrible school is.

Now, my son doesn't really hate school.  (No matter how much her grumbles.)  When he comes home at the end of the day, he's usually in a pretty good mood. (Unfortunately I'm not there to see it.)  Homework can usually bring the mood down a bit (especially if it's "hard;" as homework is getting more difficult as time goes by).  By the time I get home, he's usually in a pretty good mood, as homework is done and he's had some "boy time."

So I'm trying to find solutions to make the mornings easier; specifically getting out of bed and getting moving.  I've had him go to bed earlier (but he couldn't sleep) and I've had him go to bed later (which can actually be hit and miss).  I'm open to trying just about anything to make the weekdays mornings a little less grumpy and a bit faster.  

So what happened this week? Well there was a 3 day weekend where he did nothing but chill out.  (Which was only a mistake when you see the grade on his French Quiz from Monday, but that's another topic.)  But what he did to change was set the alarm to an actual beeping alarm.  Which is surprisingly not that loud or that annoying.  It still goes off for 30 minutes but he's usually out of bed and dressed (Yes, he's been laying out his clothes every night and doesn't always need a reminder) within 15-20 minutes of the alarm going off.  For my part, I've been staying OUT of his room, other than when the alarm goes off.  I do open the door, pull up the shades and just do a general "good morning" but other than that, he's on his own.

And for the past 4 days, he's been up, dressed and downstairs for breakfast before I'm finished in the bathroom.  (To make it even more amazing, I've cut my routine a bit which is saving me some time.)  This morning he even asked if someone was coming downstairs to help him with breakfast.  (Not make him breakfast, help.)  Now the kid could always get his own breakfast if he wanted, but now he's doing most of it on his own.  (Of course how hard is it to pour a bowl of raisin bran, which was his selection this week?)  He's finished and doing his own thing (watching videos, "legoing" or whatever else he wants) before I've watched "Your World in 90 Seconds."  (Need my 90 seconds from CBS This Morning.)  The complaints (when I tell him that it's time to brush the teeth and comb the hair) are fewer and heading out the door has been much easier. 

I'd like to think my boy is growing up and maturing.  (He's DEFINITELY growing up!  He's getting taller by the minute.)  Who knows how long this easy morning phase will last.  (I've got to be realistic and figure that it's not a permanent thing.)  But while it's here, I'm grateful.  And maybe, just maybe, we ALL we manage to stay on this path.  Stranger things have happened!