Daycare.com Forum
New Members - Welcome to the Daycare.com Forum!>Morning Routine
nessiquik 02:22 PM 06-03-2014
I'm new and just joined. I have a 17 month old son and started my daycare about 7 months ago. I would like to know what time do you wake before kids arrive and what morning routine do you have before the kids get dropped off. I am struggling to find a good routine in the morning. I'm struggling to get my butt out of bed in the mornings. My daycare kids don't start arriving until 8-8:30am and my son doesn't wake until 7:30am sometimes 8am. I would love to wake up at 6am to get ready, have breakfast and be ready for the day. But then I'm like I really LOVE sleep. So what routines do you find helps make your morning run smoothly by preparing before they get there. Also, closing/night routine. Curious to know. =) 
Blackcat31 02:27 PM 06-03-2014
Welcome to the forum!
I have no advice as I am an early riser whether a work day or not.
I also HATE sleeping.
I also drive 7 miles into my daycare each day so I have a slightly different morning routine than other in-home family child care providers do.
I am sure some of the members here will have some great advice for you!
I have no advice as I am an early riser whether a work day or not.
I also HATE sleeping.
I also drive 7 miles into my daycare each day so I have a slightly different morning routine than other in-home family child care providers do.
I am sure some of the members here will have some great advice for you!
TickleMonster 02:33 PM 06-03-2014
Im not a morning person myself but have to be up early to get my own kids off to school before starting work. I try to make my mornings as simple as possible. I shower the night before, have my clothes laid out, and coffee pot ready to be turned on. Since I dont do makeup and whatnot, I sleep as long as I can and then am able to get up and go. I dont make breakfast until after my morning kids start arriving. As for evenings, I start cleaning up and cooking dinner about an hour before everyone gets picked up. That way we can sit down to our family dinner as soon as everyone leaves and then enjoy our evenings together.
TwinKristi 02:34 PM 06-03-2014
I sleep til the very last minute and jump out of bed and get ready in 3 mins for my first arrival at 7:15! Blah! After tomorrow it will be later! Woohoo! I wish I was an early riser, I would rather stay up late to get stuff ready then get up early! 
Josiegirl 03:32 PM 06-03-2014
Welcome!
I'm here with just my 2 pups. But I love the early morning time to gear up for the day and wake up so I can smile when they show up. So I've got my alarm set for 5:00 but if it rings, I've overslept. Usually my dogs' inner alarm wakes me up about 4:30. I take them out, lately been going for a 20 minute wake-up walk with them. I have to play with them, feed them, drink my coffee, play here for a long time , quickly vacuum and check for other stuff I need to do. First parents come around 7ish. Most are gone by 5. Then I deflate, just me and my pups.
We had 3 kids of our own when I started 30 years ago and it was a challenge doing it. I also was married then, not that he was a big help with our kids. I'm not sure how I did it but I was so much younger then.
I'm here with just my 2 pups. But I love the early morning time to gear up for the day and wake up so I can smile when they show up.
So I've got my alarm set for 5:00 but if it rings, I've overslept. Usually my dogs' inner alarm wakes me up about 4:30. I take them out, lately been going for a 20 minute wake-up walk with them. I have to play with them, feed them, drink my coffee, play here for a long time , quickly vacuum and check for other stuff I need to do. First parents come around 7ish. Most are gone by 5. Then I deflate, just me and my pups. We had 3 kids of our own when I started 30 years ago and it was a challenge doing it. I also was married then, not that he was a big help with our kids. I'm not sure how I did it but I was so much younger then.
melilley 07:08 PM 06-03-2014
Hi and welcome!
I have an 11 yo dd and a 1 1/2 yo. ds
I get up at 6:45, take a shower-I can't function unless I shower in the morning,wake my 11 yo dd up, make coffee if dh hasn't already, put on makeup, dry my hair and am ready for the day. I then make my dd breakfast if she wants pancakes or something. My ds doesn't wake up until 8 or 8:30.
My first dck usually comes between 7:30 and 7:40. I usually don't start their breakfast until the first child arrives. I've learned to do that as I have thrown away too much food in the past due to children coming later. At closing, I have kids until 5:40, sometimes 6. I try to clean before lunch and nap so that we can go outside after snack. When weather doesn't permit and we stay inside, I honestly let the kids play, but will sometimes pick up after them so there's not such a mess when they go home. After all children are gone, I do my meal counts for the fp and vacuum the daycare room. I usually don't cook dinner until they leave, but sometimes will start it before. I try to have dh cook dinner...sometimes it happens, other times not...
I have an 11 yo dd and a 1 1/2 yo. ds
I get up at 6:45, take a shower-I can't function unless I shower in the morning,wake my 11 yo dd up, make coffee if dh hasn't already, put on makeup, dry my hair and am ready for the day. I then make my dd breakfast if she wants pancakes or something. My ds doesn't wake up until 8 or 8:30.
My first dck usually comes between 7:30 and 7:40. I usually don't start their breakfast until the first child arrives. I've learned to do that as I have thrown away too much food in the past due to children coming later. At closing, I have kids until 5:40, sometimes 6. I try to clean before lunch and nap so that we can go outside after snack. When weather doesn't permit and we stay inside, I honestly let the kids play, but will sometimes pick up after them so there's not such a mess when they go home. After all children are gone, I do my meal counts for the fp and vacuum the daycare room. I usually don't cook dinner until they leave, but sometimes will start it before. I try to have dh cook dinner...sometimes it happens, other times not...
BumbleBee 08:37 PM 06-03-2014
My morning generally goes something like this:
6am: get up, get ready (shower, teeth, etc). Start coffee maker, unload the dishwasher, get sippy cups ready (water & milk cups), make up the bleach water/soapy water spray bottles, clean up playroom.
7am: First arrival.
*While the kids are eating breakfast I vacuum. During naptime I sweep/mop.
6pm: Last one leaves. Diaper pail gets emptied, load the dishwasher, dump the spray bottles. I'm done by 6:30. Then it's my time until I go to bed.
6am: get up, get ready (shower, teeth, etc). Start coffee maker, unload the dishwasher, get sippy cups ready (water & milk cups), make up the bleach water/soapy water spray bottles, clean up playroom.
7am: First arrival.
*While the kids are eating breakfast I vacuum. During naptime I sweep/mop.
6pm: Last one leaves. Diaper pail gets emptied, load the dishwasher, dump the spray bottles. I'm done by 6:30. Then it's my time until I go to bed.
Familycare71 06:18 AM 06-04-2014
My morning starts 10-15 min minutes before the first child's arrival. I shower in the on and have my clothes ready. My husband gets up my older children.
I am a night owl- I've tried to change but I can't when my kids were little they would wake up as kids started coming in and making noise.
I am a night owl- I've tried to change but I can't
when my kids were little they would wake up as kids started coming in and making noise.
sarah's butterflies 07:42 PM 08-03-2014
welcome!!! right now I work in a day care center but what I do when I open the business is drink my coffee and eat breakfast after that I get my lesson plans ready, the children start arriving at 8am,when they do come in they do table toys ,puzzles or books. That is the routine every morning. Before I leave the job I make sure my class is nice and clean for the next morning.
Angelsj 05:03 AM 08-04-2014
Originally Posted by Familycare71:
My morning starts 10-15 min minutes before the first child's arrival. I shower in the on and have my clothes ready. My husband gets up my older children.
I am a night owl- I've tried to change but I can't when my kids were little they would wake up as kids started coming in and making noise.
My morning starts 10-15 min minutes before the first child's arrival. I shower in the on and have my clothes ready. My husband gets up my older children.
I am a night owl- I've tried to change but I can't
when my kids were little they would wake up as kids started coming in and making noise.
I get up about 15-30 mins before the kids arrive. Granted, my first arrive at 6:30 or 7, but I like to sleep when I can. Often I am awake well before that, but just lounge in bed for a while.
Heidi 08:04 AM 08-04-2014
I NEED fifteen minutes to drink my coffee in the morning. I'd prefer to have it completely uninterrupted, but it doesn't usually work out that way. My dog hears me, and he will NOT wait to go out. Weird, because on weekends when I don't get up, he can wait until 8:30 or later.
First arrival is a 7, so I get up at about 6:15, shower, etc. Coffee is already set up to go off at 6:20, so I can usually have a cup before my first arrival at 7. Then, my dh visits with me and we have a cup while I cuddle (13mo) dcb, or my husband "messes with him".
They're buddies.
Next kiddo comes at 7:30, about the time dh leaves, and then we're in action.
First arrival is a 7, so I get up at about 6:15, shower, etc. Coffee is already set up to go off at 6:20, so I can usually have a cup before my first arrival at 7. Then, my dh visits with me and we have a cup while I cuddle (13mo) dcb, or my husband "messes with him".
They're buddies. Next kiddo comes at 7:30, about the time dh leaves, and then we're in action.
spinnymarie 11:00 AM 08-04-2014
Welcome!
I have three kids, 5.5 (Kindergarten), 4 and 2.5. I get to the daycare room for good at 7:25 am.
I wake up at 5:45am, workout for 30 minutes, shower and get ready by 6:30. If I'm lucky, none of the kids are up until then
I get kids dressed, make coffee, run dishwasher and the washing machine, make myself breakfast and my kids a '1st' breakfast, make DD & DH lunches and hop downstairs by 7:25.
It helps me a LOT to have 30 minutes of a quiet me-time on my exercise bike before work
I have three kids, 5.5 (Kindergarten), 4 and 2.5. I get to the daycare room for good at 7:25 am.
I wake up at 5:45am, workout for 30 minutes, shower and get ready by 6:30. If I'm lucky, none of the kids are up until then
I get kids dressed, make coffee, run dishwasher and the washing machine, make myself breakfast and my kids a '1st' breakfast, make DD & DH lunches and hop downstairs by 7:25.
It helps me a LOT to have 30 minutes of a quiet me-time on my exercise bike before work