Things I've learned...

For me, it will never be easy to get up in the morning. I am a night owl and I particularly dislike getting up before the sun, it's unnatural!

But with the starting of school, I have had to adjust myself a bit. The first morning of 6:30 was rough. Not necessarily the getting up, but the managing to stay up all day long. By 5:30, I was a complete zombie and I was grumpier than I have been in a long time. I know I could take a nap, but that's hard for me too.

Naps and I have a love hate relationship: I love to take naps, but I hate them come bedtime when it's even harder to fall asleep.

You see, I have a very difficult time actually falling asleep each night. Don't know why. Maybe I am a slight insomniac, maybe there's just too much going on in my head to stop thinking about each night. I don't know what keeps me from drifting off into slumber land. Oswald puts his head on the pillow and he's out! It's so frustrating sometimes!

So in order for me to maximize my amount of sleep and still get my Buddy a good meal before he heads out the door, I have had to impliment a few things. Maybe these few things will help you as you start a new school year.

1. Get clothes out the night before. He picks out his clothes, gets socks and shoes all ready. They go on the table, so in case the other kids are not awake in the morning when he gets ready for school, he doesn't wake them.

2. Pack the lunch and the snack the night before. I usually do this right before I got to bed. I am a big proponent of the food pyramid and I try to give him a fruit, veggie, dairy, grain and protein in each lunch.

3. Shower at night. This not only saves time in the morning, but it will also help the little guy drift off to sleep. There's nothing like being all warm and snuggling into the bed to help the sand man make his appearance faster. (maybe I should try that myself?)

4. Pack the book bag before you go to bed. This helps the morning shuffle out the door be less frantic. The kids know that all of the paperwork and homework is inside and they can grab the bag and leave. Instead of running around the house to find their binder, their homework, and their lunch box!

5. Take the time to give your kid a hug and a kiss. Emotional support is just as important as the lunch, homework, and the ride to school. They need to know you love them and are so proud that they're going to school. It will make their day even nicer.

6. And if you have a kid who can read, put a little love note in their lunch to let them know that you're thinking about them and that you can't wait to see him/her when school gets out! I used to do this with Oswald's lunches when I used to pack them for his college days...it's nice to get reminded in the middle of the day that someone loves you.


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What are some tricks you have learned through the years that have helped school mornings easier? Tell this first time school parents your tricks!

What can I do to help myself fall asleep each night easier? When Friday gets here I am not going to be much fun if I can't get more sleep!
--I used to write all the things down that I was thinking about each night. In the morning I would wake up and they would make no sense to me. But I at least got them out of my head and that really helped!