Chronically late. Help me with kindergartener schedule!

NicoleWI

I am always late. This is bad now that DD is starting regular school! I know I have to do better! We are on a totally laid back summer schedule right now. I quit my job in spring and we've been enjoying sleeping in, and my kids have always naturally stayed up late (10ish) and slept until 8ish.

How many hours of sleep does your kindergartener get at night? How long before you have to leave (or bus pickup) do you wake up him/her? Also, what is your routine? I.e. go potty, make bed, get dressed, breakfast, brush teeth, what else? I know to get everything ready the night before, but what else?? As I am totally bad at this on my own and always underestimate, I need help. Thank you!

funchicken

DD usually went to bed at 8:30 and woke up at 6:30. She has to leave for the bus at 7:20. She doesn't like to feel rushed in the morning, so she needs around 45 minutes to get ready.

I have her get dressed first then come downstairs for breakfast. After breakfast we brush and braid her hair, double-check her backpack, and read a couple of books (if we have time). I have an alarm on my phone set to go off 10 minutes before she has to leave. That gives her time to brush teeth, go to the bathroom, and put her shoes on.

DH takes her to the bus. On days that I have to take her it's a little different because I have to bring all 3 kids to the bus stop with me. I get up before DD and get dressed.

junebugrbig

I at work before everyone gets up and DH does the AM routine so I am sure I get everything ready the night before.

-Pack backpacks and put by door

-Pack lunches

-Clothes picked out and ready to go

We have a shoe/coat rack rack right by the front door and I make sure everything they need is there for them in the morning.  

Anything that can be done ahead of time saves a lot of hassle in the AM.

ss+el

I almost could have written this post, except I just have one kid. He has to be at school by 8:15, and can be there at 8, so that's the time I put in my head. We're only on day 4 today, but so far it's worked to go in at 7, tell him it's time to get up, take my shower, go back and tell him it's time to go, make his lunch, and then check on him. By this time, it's about 7:30, and he's awake, but still in bed. He eats breakfast while I round up his clothes (uniform, so easy to pick out lol). If we can get out the door by 7:55, I consider it a victory. (School is only 3.5 miles, but half the trip is a major rush hour route).

CareBear0607

I get up 6:00 on school days.  That way I am all ready to go before the kids get up.  My goal is to be ready by 7:00. 

DD starts getting ready for bed at 8:00 lights out by 8:30.  I have to wake her up at 7:30 in the morning, but she is usually up by 7:15 or so on her own.  We have to leave the house at 8:25 to drive up to the school.

-After I wake DD up, she stays up stairs to make her bed and go potty.  My rule is that she has to be down stairs by 7:45.  That gives her about 5 minutes or so to hang out in her bed and wake up.  While she is upstairs, I am making her breakfast. 
-Then she eats breakfast and takes her inhaler.
-After that she goes upstairs to brush her teeth and get dressed.  I meet her upstairs to help her with her hair if need be.
-Then we put on shoes, grab backpack, etc. and are out the door.

DS will start school after Labor Day so we will see how the schedule will change. 

emberlee3

DS gets up at 6:30, sometimes earlier. We leave at 7:35. He and I made a morning schedule and posted it on the fridge. I tried to give each part of the schedule 5 minutes more than it should take, to account for kids being kids. Like 10 minutes for taking medicine and brushing teeth.

Spin313

My kids go to bed around 7:15/7:30pm, and wake up at 7am.

We have breakfast at 7:15 and that usually takes a half hour, because my kids are slow eaters. I pack DS's lunch and double check backpacks during this time. Then they brush teeth, potty, and get dressed.

I like to have them ready to go around 8am, even though we don't need to leave until 8:20. I give us that cushion of time just in case we're running behind.

bumpuser511563

I would definitely cut out making the bed in the morning. I also cut breakfast out only because they serve it at school.

DS is in bed by 8:00 pm. DS wakes up at 6:00-6:10 for the bus to come at 6:45. Our routine works if DS goes to bed right away to make it on time for bus pick up. I am not waking up at 5 am. DH puts things in the backpack in the morning.

Routine:

6:00-6:10 wake up
6:10-6:15 take of pajamas
6:15-6:20 bathroom
6:20-6:25 get dressed-underwear, shirt, shorts, socks
6:25-6:30 put shoes on
6:30-6:35 wash hands and brush teeth
6:35-get backpack on

amieeyoung

I try and do as much the night before as possible:
Lay out clothes
Pack lunches ( unless we need a thermos etc then I make sure all is clean and ready to go)
Get packpack together- (we do homework as soon as I get home from work- before dinner and put it right in backpack)

Morning-
6:00 -6:30- I wake up first in the house and get ready, get lunches in lunch boxes
6:30-6:40- Set out breakfast
6:40-6:45- Get son up- make sure his clothes match/get dressed (he sleeps in his next days clothes most of the time now that he is 9- said that way it one less thing to do)
6:45-7:00- make sure his hair is brushed, shoes one, toothbrush laid out and eating breakfast
7:00- I leave- hubby gets ready for work- then he makes sure sons teeth are brushed and takes him to school on his way to work.


I'm not sure how the schedule will change when lil girl arrives- depends on how far away we find daycare. Prob just be me getting up earlier, feeding her and getting her ready. I can always lay out the other stuff for son and hubs can make sure he eats and such. We shall see

meldoo2002

My kids are in bed/asleep by 7:15/7:30.  They wake on their own between 6:30 and 6:45.. their clock turns green for them to come out of their room at 7am.  Before they get up I get up around 6, get myself ready for the day (I shower at night).  We pick out their clothes at night, but I make their lunches in the morning.  Morning looks like this.

7:00 come out of their room, immediately go to the bathroom, take their medication, and get dressed.

7:10-7:40ish they play or watch a quick show.

7:40/7:50 they eat breakfast

After breakfast they brush their teeth, get socks and shoes on, get their bus tags

Then they usually head outside to play out back until I call them to the front for the bus

8:12 bus comes

litzo27

My kids are asleep between 8:45 and 9:00 and get up on their own between 6:30 and 7:00.
Then potty, bed made (my help), play till 7:20
Breakfast (in PJ) till 7:40
Brush teeth and wash up (and get PJ wet)
Get dressed.
8:00 DS1 and I leave for his bus/work
DH takes DS2 to daycare later.
I prep everything the night before and my morning routine takes 10 minutes since I often shower and wash hair at night (and don't restyle). When I work out and take shower in the morning I make sure to be done and dressed by 7:15.

macchiatto

I feel like we're always rushing in the mornings but we build in some extra time so we've always been on time to school so far. (Last year at preschool we were late from time to time but we didn't build in as much extra time into our schedule.)

Our boys go to bed by 8 (ideally anyway ) and get up at 7.

The kids' morning routine:
Go potty and get dressed (clothes laid out the night before) while I make breakfast

Eat breakfast (they will listen to an audiobook or music during breakfast most mornings)
Brush teeth, parents brush the kids' hair

Put shoes (and jacket if necessary) on

Get backpacks

Get in the car

I make their lunches as much as possible the night before, finish them up (like adding icepacks or heated food) while they eat breakfast and stick their lunchboxes in their backpacks.

I aim to leave by 7:30 which means we are actually going down the driveway between 7:37 and 7:42. It takes 7-12 mins to get to school depending on traffic, I go through the car pool line and they get dropped off usually around 7:50. Instructional time begins at 8 so they have enough time to walk to their classroom (Kindergarten classes are at the way opposite end of the building from the car pool dropoff point); tardy bell rings at 8:10.