What age did you stop getting up with your kids in the morning for school?

[TreslovesWDW]

I always get up with my kids. The oldest is 16 and has an alarm but it will go off forever and he won't get up. My 12 year old this year has to get up at 6:30 and if I don't have work I may get a few more mins in bed or the couch while she gets ready. Then the other 2 are still in elementary and very hard to wake up,so I need to keep on them to move it...lol The older 2 take the bus that picks them up at our house and I drive the younger ones,if I have work or not. The good thing is that last year school started a breakfast for free to all students. So if they don't eat before they leave they can at school. My kids never want to eat before they leave sometimes I make them because the younger 2 won't eat at school till lunch. I don't force them to eat ,but try hard to make them eat something. My mom stopped getting up with us in high school but even stopped staying awake with us earlier then that. I enjoy seeing them in the morning before they leave.

 

[Darsa]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the fact that my DD has no concept of the fact that some clothes match and some don't, so that is another major reason why I am up in the mornings.

 

[Ephany]

I am very much not a morning person, but I have to be at school too so I drop DD6 off on my way to class. I get her up around 7:10 and drop her off by 7:40. She absolutely hates eating anything first thing in the morning; thankfully they have snack time and I can occasionally get her to drink some milk or juice. I've tried getting her up earlier so she'd eat breakfast, it didn't go well.

I don't remember my mom getting up with us, but she worked rotating shiftwork and my dad had to leave around 4:30am, so I'm guessing we did for ourselves at a fairly young age. I do know I got my current alarm clock in elementary school, so I've had it at least 20 years. It's a darn good alarm, but I'm a little too fond of hitting the off buttons.

On weekends and days off from school I'm rarely out of bed before 9 unless she has an early soccer game. DD will get herself up, make her own breakfast (cereal, eggos, fruit etc...) and can keep herself happily entertained until I get up. She'll even let the dogs out and feed them for me, she's really a great kid.

 

[taximomfor4]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the fact that my DD has no concept of the fact that some clothes match and some don't, so that is another major reason why I am up in the mornings.

3 of my kids don't, either (7,9,11). Since I don't always get up with them, I just shake my head when they get home in the afternoons, lol. Actually, even on the days I do get up, I just do my thing and they get ready around me -- I don't say anything about what they are wearing then, either. Some very interesting combinations, I must say. LOL.

As I stated in my pp, I generally jump out of bed when I realize they are up and about, and ready to go, so I can remind them to brush teeth, and can throw dd7's hair into a pony tail or quick braid.

I definitely don't have the "most put together" kids in the school, I bet. But I know that no matter who ends up coming in the mornings to get them to school once I find a job, it'll be an easy job.

As for my oldest (16), I never see her in the mornings. Her bus comes at 6:19am...We taught her to use an alarm clock at age 8 or so (I began in Kindergarten, so I KNOW it'd do-able, lol). I still got up, but vegetated while she got ready, mostly. She has been completely independent in getting off to school since soon after that.

I feel like such an oddball on here!!! But I think our neighborhood is different, too. I've NEVER seen parents drive kids to the bus stop, rain or not. Even younger kids have no parents waiting with them after about the 3rd week of school. Many parents wave to the kids at the bus stop as they drive to work (nobody home, the kids aren't even gone yet). Many, MANY of the kids have free/reduced lunches and reduced breakfasts at school...makes mornings easier. And most of the kids don't wear brand names/stylish apparel. Mostly jeans/t shirts, which the kids can do on their own.

Still, I wish there were a few more on here that do it like me, so I don't start questioning that I'm doing something wrong!!!! My parents never got up with us, from K on, and most years weren't home before or after school. We had house keys, and did it all ourselves. I love my mom anyway, and have never felt an ounce of resentment about the lack of before-school mothering...so it never occurred to me that it might be less-than-ideal to have the kids so independent?????

 

[agnes!]

I get DD up and also take her to school, mostly because that girl could sleep through any alarm. (I was the same way when I was younger, once even slept through lightning hitting the house.) The reason I take her is mostly selfish...I don't want to have to get up even earlier. If she took the morning bus, I'd have to get up at 5 or 5:30 (instead of 6:10/6:15).

She does take the afternoon bus home and walks back here from the bus-stop. Says she's one of the few juniors who don't have a car or share a ride with friends to/from school.

Those of you with younger kids haven't experienced yet what I'm talking about. Even if your kids get themselves completely up and out the door, someone in your house will have the joy of early morning alarms when your kids get to high school. Most school systems have shared buses between the different levels. The bus pick-up routes are set up with high-school bus runs first, then the middle/junior high schools and lastly the elementary schools (which is exactly the opposite of how the different ages' body-clocks run).

agnes!

 

[MichelleVW]

Wow...I'm really surprised at all the people that get up with their kids in HS. I worked when my girls were in elementary and middle school so I was up at the same time as them, but if I had a day off they got up and got themselves ready without me. They know how to set an alarm and how long they need to get ready. We aren't morning people and don't want to speak that early so no way would they want me bothering them that early.

My mom never got up with us in middle school either and I wouldn't have wanted her too.

 

[taximomfor4]

She does take the afternoon bus home and walks back here from the bus-stop. Says she's one of the few juniors who don't have a car or share a ride with friends to/from school.

Those of you with younger kids haven't experienced yet what I'm talking about. Even if your kids get themselves completely up and out the door, someone in your house will have the joy of early morning alarms when your kids get to high school. Most school systems have shared buses between the different levels. The bus pick-up routes are set up with high-school bus runs first, then the middle/junior high schools and lastly the elementary schools (which is exactly the opposite of how the different ages' body-clocks run).

agnes!

My 16yo is a senior, and doesn't even have temps yet (next week maybe). She got rides home with a friend sometimes as a junior, but takes the bus to and from school as a senior. She doesn't have to be at school till 10am (study halls the beginning of the day, which upperclassmen don't have to be at school for) but still takes the 6:19am bus. SHe knows I will drive her sometimes, or she CAN walk (a little over 2 miles). She's walked once, and I have driven her about 4 times this year so far. Mostly, she likes to hang out in the library. She DOES have to set TWO alarms, though. If she sleepily turns off one, she has the other going off several feet away 10 or so minutes later. And THAT one she has to get out of bed to turn off.

Her school officially starts at 7:30 btw.

 

[Mellie2162]

I still get up with my 15 dd. I HAVE to see her get on the bus and once she leaves I get my 11 ds up. A few weeks ago when I was really sick she did get up on several days and just locked the door on her way out while I stayed in bed. I hated that but really wasnt feeling well at all. I do like to sit and talk with her before she leaves in the morning, if nothing else just to say I love you and have a good day today.

 

[NikitaZee]

My kids are still young, so I get up. My husband does too and he helps out as well. My mom never stayed in bed when we got ready for school, and I imagine I'll be the same way. I'm a big one for everything running smoothly in the morning, and I like bringing them to school and telling them to have a good day.

 

[SpecialK]

I'm a SAHM, and I just look at getting up in the morning as part of my job. I'm up before my kids, two middle-schoolers, and usually do a load of laundry or empty the dishwasher before I get them up. I still get them breakfast and make lunches. It's what I grew up with, too.

I was never a morning person until I had kids. Now I'm lucky if I sleep past 7 even when my alarm isn't set.

 

[ZPT1022]

My kids are still in elementary school and I don't know when I'll stop getting up with them but for now I still do. They are 5,5 and 8. When they get home in the afternoons all homework is done and backpacks and coats are hung up ready to leave in the am.

I set out their clothes the night before (uniform school now so they don't have too many options anyhow). They do baths at night still so that is one less thing to do in the morning.

I wake them up and lay out their clothes. The older one gets dressed while I get the younger two through the bathroom- potty, teeth, face washed, and then dressed. They go downstairs and put on shoes and coats while I do older DD's hair and then she does her bathroom stuff while I go downstairs and help tie shoes if need be, and set out morning meds (my kids all need their allergy meds or I will be called to school because they're "sick").

After they're all downstairs we go out to the car and wait in the car at the end of the driveway for the bus. It's still pitch black out when they leave and it's been so cold that it's pretty much necessary to sit in the car with the heat on.

I guess mine aren't really self reliant at all but our routine runs pretty smoothly and everyone gets as much sleep as possible, that's more important for now with their crazy schedule (leave at 6:20, get home around 5:00)

My oldest, DS, is a freshman in HS now and his school is 23 mis. from our house. His bus stop is almost 4 miles away.

That seems crazy to me that the bus stop is so far away. Wow!

I am up with my girls every morning. I get the 16 year old up first at 5:30 (we have yet to find an alarm that will wake that girl ~ and we've tried a LOT of them ).

DH is bad with alarms- he wakes up just enough to hit the snooze button and roll over. For some reason, the alarm on his phone wakes him up more, you may want to try that.

I have a 10 month old, so I can't contribute to the thread, but after reading a few replies I have a question. Why do kids have to get up so early to go to school? 5:30!! Is this normal?

We're up at 5:40 for school- my kids attend a magnet school and there is one bus from our town that goes to the magnet school (only about 15 minutes away in light traffic and using the HOV lane but the bus has a bunch of stops all across town). My kids are actually one of the last stops at approximately 6:20 am.

Since the school they attend is in a poor area, breakfast and lunch are included for all students. I think there may be some sort of rule that the bus has to get there in time for that, so they are at the school around 7:00-7:10 in order to have time to have breakfast and be in their classrooms before school starts at 7:45.

As much as I hate getting up at 5:40 and putting them on a bus at 6:20, the nice thing about breakfast at school is that they've actually woken up enough to eat it by the time they get there. I could of course feed them at home (tried to at first) but they were still too sleepy (had to get up even earlier to have time) and didn't really do much more than pick at their food. Then when they get to school they have nothing to do but sit in the caf and watch everyone else eat.

I'm NOT a morning person, this is going to be hard. I better get all the sleep I can NOW.

Trust me, I hate it. I'm awful in the morning, I admit it. I hate being woken up. DH has a part time job that has him getting home after I've gone to bed a few times a week and he said that I'm terrible when I get woken up (I don't deny it!) He's even started getting undressed downstairs because apparently I yelled at him about how much his belt jingles.


I do go back to bed for a bit after they leave, otherwise I couldn't function.

Those of you with younger kids haven't experienced yet what I'm talking about. Even if your kids get themselves completely up and out the door, someone in your house will have the joy of early morning alarms when your kids get to high school.

My kids are younger but I know exactly what you're talking about. I'm a SAHM, DH works. In the summer, over vacations, etc... when I am finally excited about sleeping in a bit, DH's alarm for work goes off and wakes me up and lots of times, wakes the kids up too. DH is also bad about hitting the snooze a bunch of times so I wake up once with the alarm and then every 8 minutes with the snooze. By the time he does that a couple of times (he builds in snooze button time into his morning schedule ) it's often kind of hard to get back to sleep.

 

[JVL1018]

I can't imagine ever having my kids get up and out of the house while I sleep..unless my husband was there to see them off in the morning. But someone will, even through high school.
It just seems weird to me to sleep in while the kids are getting ready for their day.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I get up at 5:30.
Wake DS7 at 6:00
Wake DD13 at 6:30
Wake DS15 at 7:00

I'm a horrible singer, but I do sing the "Good Morning" song to my DS7 when I wake him up. He just grins because it is really, really bad!

 

[gina2000]

Can't imagine not being up. My mom did it for us and I do it for our son. I just think it's lonely to get up by yourself and get yourself out the door when you're a teenager.

 

[disneystacy]

I do not get up with my daughter in the moring although I do hear her and she does say goodbye before she leaves. She is 11 and in middle school. She wakes up at 5:30am and leaves at 6:30am. I make sure everything in her backpack is ready to go every evening so she just has to grab it and go. She only likes cereal for breakfast, so she does that herself. The rest of her time is spent "primping". When she leaves, I get up , get showered, dressed and then get the younger kids ready for school.

 

[taximomfor4]

I can't imagine ever having my kids get up and out of the house while I sleep..unless my husband was there to see them off in the morning. But someone will, even through high school.
It just seems weird to me to sleep in while the kids are getting ready for their day.

I knew there was something wrong with me. Thanks for pointing it out. I don't even HEAR dd16 leave at 6:19...dh is up getting for work at the same time as her, though.

The 7/9/11yo's get up and get ready, and chill a bit. Then they leave. On the days I don't get up, sometimes they need help with something and come in to my room. They seem to be enjoying this newfound freedom *which isn't a daily or even weekly occurrence*.

I am not going to justify, I started more of an explanation, but WHY. I am not judging the people that I think are doing too much for too long, I think those morning moments must be special for them. For us, with our afternoon/evening schedule putting us all together every day at 3pm (4pm for 11yo), we don't NEED the morning minutes to connect.

ETA: My kids have something to add. They like how we do it. Mostly I am up but let them move about independently, sometimes (Mostly while sick) I sleep right through, wake up and they have done what they always do - get up, get ready, and go to school.

DD16: "I don't want company that early in the morning."
DS9: "I don't care cuz I'm not stupid. I watch SportCenter."
DD7: "I have nothing to add." ....and gave me a smile and a big hug.
DD11: laughing, and has nothing to add either.

 

[MichelleVW]

DD16: "I don't want company that early in the morning."
.

That's how we feel in the morning! My girls started getting themselves ready (complete with making their own lunch) in late elementary school. We aren't morning people and none of us want company that early!

 

[taximomfor4]

That's how we feel in the morning! My girls started getting themselves ready (complete with making their own lunch) in late elementary school. We aren't morning people and none of us want company that early!

Thanks for chiming in...I wonder if others like us are avoiding replying.

My kids have it easy, they buy lunch a lot...and have breakfast at school. On the days they pack lunch, I get down the lunch boxes/lunch bags and they pack their own. It's all ready to grab though, no spreading peanut butter or anything. (Uncrustables or cracker packs instead of sandwiches.)

 

[cruisnfamily]

I'm not sure which poll answer to pick.

Ever since DD17 started high school, I don't get up with her but I get up about 10 mins before she leaves. Just to see her as she heads out the door. I like to lay eyes on her each morning and do a quick eyeball of the appropriateness of her clothing. I don't wake her, or get her breakfast or lunch....Just say good morning and wave as she heads out the door.

 

[MichelleVW]

I get up at 5:30.
Wake DS7 at 6:00
Wake DD13 at 6:30
Wake DS15 at 7:00

I'm a horrible singer, but I do sing the "Good Morning" song to my DS7 when I wake him up. He just grins because it is really, really bad!

omg...my kids would kill me if I woke them up like that!

Can't imagine not being up. My mom did it for us and I do it for our son. I just think it's lonely to get up by yourself and get yourself out the door when you're a teenager.

I can't imagine how annoying it would have been for my mom to be up with me in the morning as a teenager. I'm far from a teenager myself and I still don't like to be around other humans for about an hour after I wake up!!

My kids feel the same way...but every family has to do what works for them.

I just wonder about all the high school kids that can't get themselves up with the alarm. What are they going to do in college when Mommy isn't there to holler 20 times for them to get up? My mom didn't wake us up in high school and if we didn't hear our alarm we suffered the consequences of being late.