Describe how an average work day might be for you. I don't mean this as in "here is my daycare's schedule". I mean this as in...

When do you wake up? Is there anything you do before the kids arrive? What happens at drop off? Gimme the play by play!

Reply

mines probably a little different as I live in Australia but I thought I would answer anyway.
I wake up at 5.30am and feed the my dogs and let the cats out. I then hop back into bed and read Facebook until 6.15am.

I then get up to shower, once I have showered I turn my three boys lights on to slowly wake them up. (I don't wake my daughter up as she is working and has different hours so she sorts herself out.)

I get whatever I am cooking for breakfast ready and make up the boys lunch boxes, at 6.45am I tell the younger two boys to get up and the older one to get in the shower.

I then get on here and read whats happened (for me) overnight, at 7am I start cooking breakfast and I eat with my sons, then I wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. At 7.30 I come into the daycare room and set up for the morning, at 7.50 my boys go to school on the bus and I get back on here to read anything I didn't get a chance to and then at 8am I start work.

Anywhere from 8am to 8.10 all my children are dropped off and my working day has officially started.

Reply

Mornings are the worst! I wake up at 5:45 when my husband gets in the shower, open my kids doors, start waking them up. Shower at 6 am (always cold, cause someone takes all the hot water!), dressed and ready to go at 6:20. Start trying to wake up the kids. Younger gets up fine, get him dressed, start breakfast. Drag 7 year old out by 6:40 so he can eat a little before they leave at 7. Make lunches, get shoes, socks, comb hair, brush teeth, etc., get them out the door by 6:50-7. Finish clean up from night before and day care kiddos start arriving at 7:15. Loose my mind for a little, then regroup and start my "work day". Kids (my kids) come home at 4, try to help them with homework while still dealing with day care kids until 5:30. At 5, while doing all the rest of that, start dinner. T-ball interferes at 5:15 some nights, but my husband tends to take care of that. After my kids are in bed, try to clean and ready for the next day (doesn't work, thus my 15 minutes of scurry cleaning before kids arrive in the AM!). It never ends!

Reply

I wake at 5:45 ish and have coffee while watching the news/playing on the puter. At 6:15 ish I get in the shower. Wake the kiddos up at 6:50 to get ready. My dck's start arriving at 7:15 so I like my kids to be ready by that time.

We do as much as possible the evening before to make the mornings run smoothly. Lunches are made, clothes picked out, school bags packed and ready to go by the door (lunch boxes go in before they head out to the bus) I meal plan on Sundays when I make my grocery list so even dinners are either prepped and ready to go or I already know what's cooking. HTH!

Reply

Up about 5:30, run to local coffee place and head to the riverfront-weather permitting ( I live in a gorgeous stretch of wooded bluffs) and relax and take in the peace and calm for about 5 min. This is my happy place. I go home (3 min drive , small town) try to exercise 6:00-6::30, then shower.

I wipe down the kids' bathroom (which is attached to day care rooms) clean toilet.


Kids start to come about 7:15. Table toy options till 8:00.

My kids are grown so my mornings are fairly calm.

After lunch I clean up but I relax totally during nap time and I always have even when my kids were still home. I do bake homemade snacks during this time once or twice per week.

I've always cleaned as I go so I don't do much at night or weekends in regard to cleaning.

End of day I take out diapers-diaper garbage can is on the porch. Can't stand it inside! I vacuum each night after kids leave. Playrooms are kept organized and orderly after each free play so at the end if the day and can just shut the door.

Reply

Wake up at 5:30 to shower, etc. I sit it the quiet drink my coffee and eat my breakfast for 20 minutes or so. (I find I have much more energy throughout the day if I do this.) Then I iron my son's school uniform, make his snack for the day and start breakfast for my school aged son. The first daycare kid arrives about 7:45 and the last one leaves at 5:30 or so. We eat dinner at 6. Then we hang out as a family until the kids bedtimes. (I get most of my cleaning done during naptime.)

Reply

I wake up anywhere from 5:30-6. I prep everything the night before, so the daycare is ready to go and the rest of my house is straightened out.

I just started working out this week when I wake up at 5:30 (we will see how long that lasts!!), shower at 6:15ish, have coffee, make my kids breakfast and get us all dressed and ready by 7:30/7:45, daycare kids arrive at 8.

Prepping everything the night before makes a huge difference in the mornings. The times that I don't, it isn't as relaxing.

Reply

I get up at 5:30 with hubby...wash pack lunch...make sure kids are up and getting ready for school, cook breakfast and kiss everyone bye at app. 6:20...
When everyone is out the door I clean what I didn't get to the night before, and start getting ready for my work day ( water bottle ready etc.) check mail/ post on Forums until kids arrive.then wait for the kids

After dinner, kids sit by door with books until they get picked up (easy transition since I started doing it this way) I let dogs out, start dinner for my family....after dinner I watch an episode or two with hubby and then we wash and turn in for the night

I clean as I go all day long, leaving the heavy cleaning for the weekend, and I spend time with my kids when they join me in the daycare after their homework is done

Reply

SAME! Soooo much easier to make lunches and prep dinner/dc meals the night before while the dinner I prepped the night before THAT is cooking.


AWESOME!

Here is my morning
4:30-5:00 cardio-quick run with the dogs
5:00-5:30 Home to feed dogs, hit the weights
5:30-6:00 Shower/get ready
6:00-7:30 Get kids up/ready, feed them breakfast, COFFEE, morning family time
7:30-8:00/15ish Morning paperwork, lesson planning or any last minute prep, household paperwork, emails, HERE

then the kids start to arrive.

Reply

I wake at 5:00 A.M. Feed pup, let him outside then hop in the shower while hubby goes to make coffee/breakfast.

Hubs brings me coffee while I am getting ready in the bathroom. After I get dressed, I let pup back in and have breakfast with Hubs while watching the morning news.

After breakfast I drive 5.9 miles into work every day. Sometimes when I am feeling lazy, hubby will drive me.

I get to daycare/work at 6:45 a.m. Flip all the lights on, make coffee here and start getting ready for the day. My first kiddo arrives at 7:00 on the dot. Pretty much all the other kids arrive between 7:30-8:00 so I use the 30 minutes after the first kid and the rush of everyone else to set up centers, put out materials and supplies for the day and peruse the internet. Rinse and repeat until it's finally Friday!!

Reply

Up at 5 (occasionally able to hit snooze to around until 6, now ) - Shower, send off teens (to drive to breakfast w/friends), make bed, laundry, vacuum, bathrooms, mop floors, feed pets, make breakfast/lunch prep, eat/visit w/hubby, walk dogs, read morning papers, bills, etc. - 6:59 - Off to playroom.

DCK's arrive 7-8. Hand/face wash/change into play clothes/shoes, Breakfast, circle-time, art, centers, free-play, music, snack, centers, free play, playground, math, clean-up/wash-up/lunch/clean-up/wash-up, playground, clean/up/wash-up, pajamas, set up nap mats, story-time, nap. - 12:59

1-3- Lunch with DH (sometimes he makes, sometimes I make at breakfast prep), rotate/disinfect toys/hang to dry, mop playroom, attendance, daily sheets, lesson plan, email/call returns, prep snack, start family dinner.

3-5:30 - Wash/dry/fold nap linens, pj's & play clothes/shoes, bleach/dry/stack mats, snack, clean up/street clothes for going home/brush hair/wash hands & face, gym mats, free art (crayons, pencils), table toys, listening center, puzzles, (intermingled pick-ups, first at 315 last at 515 miss afternoon water play/playground time terribly - temporary issue), vacuum/mop, rotate/disinfect/hang toys, wipe surfaces. -5:45 - close playroom door.

6 -10pm - dinner w/family, to track/trails w/DH, walk dogs, down time, bath/bed in prep to do it all again the next day. * clearly diapers, potty, water, emergent curriculum/language push-in and TLC are continuous throughout the day, as needed and usually more than is required. I sort of love these kids and my life.

Reply

Oh, I remember this. It got so much worse when my DD entered junior high.

My solution was to get up at 5. I know it sounds "not worth it", BUT, you will always have hot water at 5. Even once your kids hit puberty. You *can* even lay back down while DH takes his in your bathrobe then blowdry after he is done. It feels like a mini-vacation - enjoy hot water and silence. The mom mecca.

Reply

I wake at 5:20
Change into work clothes.
Grab coffee.
Let first two in at 5:30
Check email
Let second four in between 640&7
Turn on lights and wake early kids
Change everyone.
Two more arrive at 720
Two more at 8
We start our day w child choice toys
Snack at nine
Then work on a project and more free play or outside if we can
Free play until lunch.
Lunch. Nap. Dinner (large snack w all dinner reguirements for food program) and they start going home by about four.
By 5:30 I'm done and on to running my own kids or errands. By about 10 pm I'm winding down for the night. In bed by midnight.

Reply

YES! That's why I started getting up way before my own kids. The ONLY time there is hot water, the ONLY time that it's quiet. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

Reply

These posts are making me wonder. Everyone is up between 4:30 and 5:30. That's the only real negative I see about opening up daycare. Right now, mostly because of winter, I have trouble getting up before 8. I've never been good at getting up before 7. I will definitely be doing most of my prep work the night before.

Reply

For me, it was not really about daycare. It was about having breakfast alone with my family before school/any DCK's arrived and getting my housework done in the mornings so that I was "off work" when the last DCK left. I also don't have any housework on the weekends this way.

Reply

True. I'm single, so don't need family time in the morning. Just get up, shower, and be ready for the kids.

Reply

Up at 6am and depending on the day will drink coffee and surf the net until 6:40 or 7am. Thirty minutes to shower, other hygiene, dress. Bring laptop downstairs to daycare room (to stream music). Make another coffee and bring it downstairs. Putter until first dckid arrives (7:40-8:10 depending on day).

Indoor play until 8:30
Morning snack 8:30 to 9am
Outdoor play 9-10am
Indoor play 10-11:30am
Lunch 1130-12pm
Rest/Nap (in nap room) 12-2pm (non-nappers or early wakers can be in playroom quietly playing)
2-2:30 Indoor play
2:30-3pm art activity
3-3:30 afternoon snack
3:30-4:30 outdoor play
4:30-5:15 indoor play
5:15 last child leaves.
5:15-6pm I vacuum and mop floors, clean bathroom, wipe tables and counter, load and start dishwasher, bag up some toys in laundry bag and throw in washer with some towels (and start washer)
6-9:30 my time (kids are adult); make supper (enough for lunch next day), laundry if necessary, sweep kitchen floor (only part of main house that can be seen by clients), watch tv
9:30-10pm read in bed
10pm lights out

Reply

I get up at 6:40, shower, dress, and head down before 1st one comes at 7. Next two come between 7 and 7:40.

I start breakfast at 7:15 to 7:30.

I leave to drive older girls to school at 8:20, back at 8:40. Come home a do a few activities with 3 yo.

If my toddler is coming, she comes at 9. If not 3 yo does her own thing or we do a craft.

I start lunch between 11:15 and 11:30. Have lunch and then naptime at 12. We leave at 3:00 to pick up older girls.

Dh leaves to pickup grandkids at 2 and gets home at 3:30.

We get back about 3:30 and everyone has snack and then I get the SA kids (daycare and my grandkids) started on their homework. 3 yo does her own thing.

Kids all leave between 4 and 5:30 except for 7 yo. If it's Mom 's week she gets picked up at 5:45.

I get dinner on the table for my family by 5:45. We have dinner, clean up kitchen and pick up the rest of the house.

I head upstairs and read or sew until 9:30 or 10. Then it's lights out.

Reply

I make sure the house is totally ready for the next day the night before so that I can have my 30 minutes in the morning to get properly caffeinated and have nothing else to do lol

Up at 5am.
Drink coffee till 5:30am. First kids arrive.
Other kids arrive between 7 and 8.
Between 7 and 8 I get my own kids up and out the door by 8.
Breakfast for kiddos 8am
Outside play time for a few hours and snack
Back inside at 10 for either coloring or painting, or maybe a craft.
Lunch around 11:30
Nap from 12-2:30 for all kids
Snack and 1 tv show after nap
Kids start leaving at 3 and all are gone by 5

We do mostly free play all day. I am not structured at all (except for meals and nap times).

Reply

I am up at 4:30 because it is the ONLY alone time I get, 4:30-6 is ME time. I get to work out alone, take a HOT shower ALONE, and get that first cup of coffee ALONE. Nothing to do with daycare. I also really hate trying to get myself ready and get my kids ready at the same time. I have always liked to wake before them, then wake them up. Makes for a more relaxed, family oriented morning.

None of my dck's are regularly scheduled to arrive until 8. If I was single, I would be up at 7:30, shower and open the door at 8.

Reply

My "Me Time" is after my boys get to bed, between 8:30-9:00.

I get up at 6:10. By 6:45 I switch laundry and start tidying up and vacuuming. Children arrive anytime between 7:00-8:30. In between greeting them and caring for any needs I help my own boys get ready for school (they leave at 7:30), unload/reload the dishwasher, do dishes, and switch/fold laundry. My kitchen is open to the dining room/playroom so I can monitor the kiddos while I'm in there.

Reply

I wake up at 4. Caffeinate, clean, shower.

Yoga and meditation.

Wake my kids. Breakfast. Get them organized for school. Dd on the bus.

My kids now arrive between 7:30 and 8.

Our day is mostly free play.

Free play until snack
9 morning snack
art/sensory
Outside
1130 lunch
12-230 rest
Afternoon snack
Outside or free play if our gear is soaked

Kids are gone by 430-5

I chill for 30 mins or so. Get dinner organized. Kids homeworked, showered, played, bedded down by 8.

Chill with my son. He is in bed by 9ish.

Hubby and I chill for a bit.

Bed. Anywhere from 9:30-10.

Reply

This X 10000000
There's 5 of us now, my oldest is away at uni, and 1 bathroom. I dread my girls hitting puberty.

Reply

Holy cow you all get up sooo early! I have a one-year-old at home and I still get days where I can sleep in until 6:45/7:00.

6:30-7:30am up with baby, make breakfast and coffee, watch tv, play on phone, RELAX!

7:30-8:30am get DD up (8 yrs old), breakfast for her, help her get around for day, get baby ready for babysitters (goes to a morning sitter while I run preschool), finish getting preschool room set up

8:30-9:00am get preschool ready. Relax and drink my coffee if there's time! Kids start arriving a little before 9am.

9am-noon Preschool activities-lots of fun, all play based and hands on. Love this part of my day, very busy.

noon-3pm Lunch then nap. I usually relax during nap, do paperwork, pay bills, etc.

3pm-4pm Kids get up from nap, most kids leave by 4pm.

4pm- walk to bus stop with whoever's left and pick up my daughter

4:30-5pm Snack for kids, playtime or outside. Everyone gone by 5pm.

Reply

Up anywhere between 4-4:30. Hit the on coffee button. Stumble through my a.m. bathroom routine, bring dogs out, feed dogs, turn on computer, guzzle coffee and open my eyes. By now it's 5:30 and with luck I've done a load of laundry. Still to do....sweep, vacuum, garbage(if not done the night before), check to make sure I have everything for my daily menu(last minute planner here), paperwork, bring dogs out again(oh how I wish I could simply open the front door for them). Wash tables, check bathroom, all that good last minute stuff. Anywhere from 7-8, dcks arrive. And the fun begins.
8-5 is mass bedlam, hysteria, chaos, laughter, fun,sprinkled with a few quiet moments and baby cuddling.
5....shut the door and deflate, zone out here on the computer, dog stuff, and get ready for bed by 7-7:30 so I can read and be asleep by 9. At night I'm not good for much. I have no kids of my own here anymore so I just have to worry about me and my pups.

Reply