Since moving to the new house, we've encouraged the boys to be even more independent. In the mornings, they don't go downstairs for breakfast until they are dressed. One issue that has come up is they each hate to be left alone on a particular floor.
Monday morning Jon was gone and I woke up feeling like a truck ran over me. The boys spent more than 15 minutes getting dressed when yelling and screaming started. With my new hearing aid, I could hear that Nate was dressed and wanted to go downstairs but Alex was not dressed yet and was crying because he didn't want to be alone. Nate started out nice, telling Alex not to be afraid but even Nate reached his limit with the crying so he started yelling. I yelled to Nate to come to my bathroom where I was getting ready.
Nate ran to my bathroom and told me what was going on. I told Nate to tell Alex to come talk to me.
Alex ran into the room sobbing. He had on a pair of white tube socks he had pulled over his knees and not one single stitch of other clothing on.
I knew I would laugh afterward but on a Monday morning? With Jon gone? And me getting a cold right before Austin Warrior Dash? And they are 4.5 and can get dressed on their own? Before coffee? And really, you get completely naked and put your socks on first?
So tell me... who are these mythical people who have easy, peaceful morning scrambles?
13 comments:
I don't know, but it ain't us. Up until the last three days, we've had a no TV in the a.m. rule, but it finally dawned on Ed that we could get some peace if we let the boys watch TV. So for the past three mornings, William has gone downstairs to watch TV. Seth goes down there, too, but he comes back up in three minutes. So I can't say getting ready is completely peaceful. But it's a start. I told Ed that our new rule--a la Laura--needs to be that William needs to get dressed before he can go watch TV. He liked that idea. Yes--Progress!!!
Certainly not us! Even when I I think I am doing it 100% right, like today (by myself as my spouse is out of town), something trips me up. I got the kids dressed and snacked and all the way to school, when I apparently upset the balance of the Earth by unbuckling my son's carseat straps rather than letting him do it himself. Had a 10-minute tantrum echoing through the halls of the daycare for that mistake :-).
Love the imagery of pre-school anguish while wearing only socks. Finn can dress himself, but tends to get distracted, and will do things like put his pants on before his underwear. Ah, 4-year-olds!
This made me laugh. I tell Konnor to get dressed and he comes out with a shirt on the bottom like a skirt, another shirt on properly, and a shirt tied around his neck like a scarf and says "what do ya think!?" =)
We have our scramble, too. It is less now because the girls are older, but still a scramble, no less. Oh, and this may be TMI, but Will still puts his socks on first. Lord help us all on the days he can't find his socks, because for some reason the man has to put on his socks first, otherwise the balance of the Earth is off kilter, and no dressing progress can be made. And he is 34.
If it makes you feel better, every morning is a crazy scramble for us too. STILL.
Yeah, we have a scramble and I doubt that anyone can ever really be rid of it. Ours is different since, at 2, they don't choose their own clothes or get dressed alone. The only thing that has made my mornings a bit easier recently is doing all the prep at night before bed. I pull out their outfits (plus diapers and wipes), my outfit and make lunches. It has helped a little.
I waffle on our morning scramble because it's not horrible, but it's not awesome either. To be fair, if we're late, it's usually because of me.
Our biggest hurdle is they never remember to have their blankets in hand when we go to the car so I always end up racing around the house trying to find where they've stashed them. Some day, some day they'll remember!
They are called "people who don't have kids" :-)
I thought that being at home with the kids would lessen the morning scramble. The only thing it has done is to prolong it as we just sleep later! We also have the same rule about not being able to go downstairs before getting dressed. It is a lifesaver some days!
You had me at "who wears a sock without a single stitch of clothing"
Uh..4.5 year old boys.
We've been doing the no TV before you are dressed and have also eaten breakfast.
It's still crazy town, but at least Ben's not streaking through the house.
thank you so much for the mental image of that whole scene unfolding for you. I actually snorted at my desk. my kids are 3.5 and they WON'T dress themselves. won't even try. or brush their own teeth. sigh.
I'd call 'em liars. :) It was always crazy in our house growing up and the mornings that we have to get places here I find myself praying for patience with almost every breath.
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