GTKY fun morning routine

[waverly]

Do you do anything fun or for yourself (exercise, meditate, good breakfast, read, eat chocolate) in the morning?

[waverly]

Typically I’m all about other people and am not concentrating enough on myself. We do have an amazing coffee shop for beans so if I get extra time I will make myself some of their awesome coffee. I do sometimes exercise in the morning but it’s hard because it’s a bit of a time crunch.

[twinmomma]

It depends on my day. If I have the kids, nothing fun. I'm all business and focus on silently getting myself ready before they wake up and I have to deal with their morning routine. I do make sure I eat breakfast in peace before they are up, which is nice.

On my mornings with no kids, I have been known to blast music ridiculously loud while getting ready. Generally show tunes, because I'm a dork.

[mellym]

Not until very recently. DD3 is 18 months and we finally feel like we might be at the end of "survival mode". She was sick a lot this past winter and not sleeping well. She still gets up between 5 and 5:30 so mornings are tough trying to entertain her and get ourselves ready. In the past month, I've been getting up early 2-3 mornings a week to exercise for 30 minutes. Today was a bike ride and it was so refreshing!

[2chatter]

Summer has been awesome this year. Wake DD at 6:30 so she can catch a 6:55 bus. I’m logged in to work, drinking coffee, by 6:45. DS gets himself up, dressed, lets the dogs out and gets breakfast. I walk him to school at 8:15 and most mornings he plays with the dogs and totally entertains himself. It feels like decent time with him but I am getting a ton done at work for some reason - it’s like the distraction helps me focus. It’s making me question working from home full time, in silence, alone. He peppers me with random facts and tells me about his friends, etc. Oldest is doing online classes and volunteering a lot - she manages herself totally, including most recently the addition of grocery shopping for her own lunches. So I guess what I did for myself is I relaxed and now I have these relaxing mornings. I can’t believe it, honestly. No yelling, reminding, arguing. I feel like I have landed in someone else’s life.

In theory the Fall will be the same as DS will go to school at 7:00, DD won’t have to leave until 8:10 and oldest will continue to be self managing.

[mae0111]

I used to work out every morning and I loved it. Insomnia has set in over the last 6-8 months and it’s so hard now.

On weekends, I get up at around 645 and have a cup of chai tea before anyone gets up. It’s lovely and puts me in a good frame of mind before the day really starts.

[rere]

I have two teenagers, so I only have to focus on myself. I do have to get DD to her carpool by 5:25 for another week. But after that, I either run or lift weights for 30 minutes and take about 15 minutes to have a healthy breakfast and look over the news.

[covergirl82]

I really don't do much for me, unless it's a day I work from home. Then once I get the kids on the bus, I can enjoy my coffee and the quiet and work. This summer will be different, as the kids will be home on my WFH days, so it won't be quiet and I'll have interruptions here and there. I won't have child care, because they are old enough where they can entertain themselves without constant oversight or direction.

[soccermama]

Bwhahahhaha. No. I consider it a good day if I'm able to make coffee in the morning before I fly out the door!!

That being said, I WISH I had a little more time in the morning for something else beside the essentials for me & the kids. But its kind of my own fault because I just don't feel like getting up any earlier. Maybe one day!

[k3am]

I read while I blow dry my hair. Does that count?

I am a breakfast person. My favorite time of day was when I could make my breakfast and eat it in peace before the kids woke up. Sadly, the kids have decided that 6am is their wake up time, so I make my breakfast in between making lunches and their breakfasts...

I used to get up and run or workout in the mornings, but my day starts at 5-5:20, and the idea of starting it any earlier makes me shudder.

[mustardseed2007]

I have such a morning routine. It's my favorite time of day, before everyone wakes up.

I go to the kitchen and put the dishes away from the night before while sipping on coffee that's brewed the night before. Sometimes I turn on a podcast while I do it. I get dressed and go work out, while continuing to listen to the podcast. I love my podcasts.

Then when I'm done I come back and everyone is awake. I'll make breakfast for myself and the kids and then the rat race begins.

[mellym]

mustardseed2007, what podcasts are you listening to? I started Best of Both Worlds and I'm loving it.

[waverly]

I tried to get into some of the parenting podcasts mostly moms but they talk so long and maybe slowly with nothing new that I couldn't get into it. I know a lot of people like the true crime ones, but I haven't tried it yet. I have done 2 episodes of How to Money, and I am learning new stuff like if you want to own a rental house how to do that, but I had to gear myself up for it because money isn't considered the most fun thing ever. I couldn't get into Gretchen Rubin's even though I like her. Just the way they talk was an issue for me. DH loves Dax Shepard, but he is slightly annoying to me.

[186momx]

If you count sleeping until the last possible minute. DD and I have a pretty flow morning where we both do our thing and magically get out the door 15-20 minutes after we both wake up. Neither of us are morning people and now that the end of school is in sight DD has stopped dragging her feet trying to get out of going to school so it runs so much smoother.

[mustardseed2007]

I've been listening to:
- A Slob Comes Clean (It's a cleaning podcast for like...people with executive function disorders. That's not how she describes it but that's what it is. Despite the fact that she's a SAHM Proverbs 31 kind of gal, I'm really relating to it b/c my house has been a disaster),
- Rich Roll (not all episodes. I can't stand ones where he interviews gurus and alternative medicine people. But I LOVE when he interviews athletes.)
- My Favorite Murder,
- Judge John Hodgman,
- Pop Culture Happy Hour

I also listened to Heaven's Gate and to Dear Franklin Jones, which are multi episode things but not ongoing things. They were both riveting to me.

I listened to an episode of Wine and Crime and I didn't love it. I've also tried Murder Squad and I definitely don't love it.

[supertrooper1]

My goal is to sleep as long as possible in the morning. I'm not a morning person so I just get ready for work and get DS ready for school. It's nice that he's independent now and gets himself ready. I just have to get his breakfast.

[mommyatty]

I have a vicious cycle I need to break. When I’m at my best, I meditate using Headspace in the mornings. When I don’t meditate, I tend to internalize too much, which makes me anxious, which leads to increased insomnia, which leads to my not wanting to get up early enough to meditate. I need to get back to meditating. Like tomorrow morning. It helps me so much.

[HeartofCheese]

I watch Hell's Kitchen while I do my makeup. First thing every morning is ALWAYS coffee. And then once we're all in the car, unless it's been a super smooth morning, we do five minutes of silence which makes for a really calm car afterwards...

If I don't have kids, I'll run or do my hair.

[sdlaura]

I wish I could work out in the the morning outside of the house (Orangetheory or a run), but DH leaves for work at 5:15, so it’s just me getting the 3 kids and myself ready. Not much relaxation time possible .

[campermom]

Uhhhh no
My morning suck lol. I’m procrastinating getting out of bed now. I get as much ready and get the big kids up and keep DS2 in bed as long as possible. He is a very challenging child, much much more than the other two ever were.

When Ive made 82 trips to the car and he is strapped in, I sip my half caf coffee and that is nice. After drop off I listen to a podcast. I’m on Ladonna from This American Life right now. Most days I order a double espresso over ice and pour my protein shake it in. It’s filling and caffeinated.

[callmekd]

I wish. most mornings I'm solely responsible for myself and the 3 kids.

[katespade]

I wouldn't necessarily call it fun, but I've started getting up and going to the gym before work in the mornings. As a reward for getting up early and following through with going, I treat myself to a coffee (and maybe a chocolate muffin) on my way back home.

[divanerd]

Seems basic bur I aim to drink coffee, watch CNBC, Squak Box,read a min of a few pages ok 3 before I start my morning routine.
Most times I only get 15 mins😁