Last week, I decided to wake up prior to Connor coming downstairs for 40 consecutive days, to try and get in a new habit.
Typical morning in our house is I wake up. I roll over. I try and go back to sleep. I take a moment to beg the sleep gods that my kids will sleep in. That begging, by the way, is almost never answered - or it's answered halfway - in which case one child (usually Helen) will sleep until 8:00 and the other one will be bounding down the stairs at exactly 6:45 - which is freakin' useless. And, he would come down earlier, except I have a nightlight in his room that clicks on at 6:45, and the firm rule in this house is that nobody comes to see me before that light turns on.
Really, it's better for everyone.
Anyway, at 6:45 and 30 seconds, Connor is in my room on a typical day. He'll usually jump in bed for a quick snuggle, but really, he wants to be awake. And he is oh so wide awake, happy as can be. If Helen comes down at 6:45, all she wants to do is lay around for a few minutes. In fact, on the rare day that she's first up, she'll lay in bed for more than 15 minutes without making a peep (though she might kick me in the head or gut if I'm not careful).
In any case, on a normal day, I then drag my tired body to the shower, and try and get out of the house as fast as possible, to aid in leaving work on time so I can get dinner on the table by 5:30. It's a fire drill every day. Except Wednesday, which is the day I can work as late as I need (don't tell my boss!).
The first day I powered through waking up at 6:20 so I could drag my tired body to the shower by 6:30 and be out hopefully by the time Connor came downstairs, Connor was thrilled. I was, too. I pointed out to him that I was trying to wake up earlier than him so we could have a few minutes to play a game in the morning. He thought it was a great idea - with one caveat.
"Mom, you did not wake up earlier than me. I've been awake and waiting for the light to come on."
Well...OK. I got out of bed before the light came on, son.
Then, I fell apart, and failed on waking up. So...I'm trying again.
Monday, I woke up at 6:20 and was ready for Connor when he came down. He again noted that I did not wake up first.
Tuesday, he grabbed the baby monitor in his room and spoke directly into it at 6:30 clearly enunciating "Mom - just so you know - I am awake. You are not awake before me." Which caused me to haul a** into the shower after making sure I did not just have a heart attack. Those monitors are sensitive enough to hear a baby a few feet away breathe. A 6 year old talking directly into once is nothing short of shocking.
Elaine
Ed pointed out to me that getting into an early morning wake-up contest with Connor is something neither of us wants to do.
Oh, this is making me laugh so hard. I am SOOOO thankful I do not have early wakers. Seriously, aside from the biggies, my biggest stupid fear of having children was producing a child who wanted to be up by 6 am every day. Shudder. I'll take the battles at 10 pm any night of the week.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very reasonable fear! It's why we mandate nobody comes downstairs before 6:45 - because I don't parent before that!
DeleteAnd to think if I wake up at 6.30 I'm running late...
ReplyDeleteIt's all perspective, I guess.
DeleteDrew's wake up time is 630 and we are lucky if he moves before 645 to be out the door by 730. I so wish I had your problem - at least during the school week.
ReplyDeleteEveryone tells me...wait until they're older!
Deleteyou can not trick Connor
ReplyDeletewhat time do they go to bed. Rachel and Natalie wake up around 7-7.30am since they do not leave home before 8.30am. During the week I am very often gone before they wake up.
Bedtime at our house is 8:00. If they stay up later, Helen will almost always sleep in later. Connor is more of a wildcare.
DeleteWhen do the kids need to get up tone ready for school? When do you need to get up to be ready for work and help your kids be ready? If your time is after 6:45, your kids are plenty old enough to get up and quietly entertain themselves in the morning. Telling an early bird you're going to get up early to play a game only inspires the early bird to get up earlier.
ReplyDeleteI need to be up by 6:45 to get out on time. The difference between waking up a few minutes early is that I can hang with Connor a bit before heading to work, rather than barely seeing him and dashing out. I'm willing to do it.
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