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  • Writer's pictureSophie

Early morning kid challenges

I woke this morning at 4.45 (naturally, no alarm) and was SO looking forward to 1-2 hours to myself before my kids woke up. As you can probably guess from the title of this post: THIS DID NOT GO WELL.


How I imagined my morning to look. Photo by Wix.


I had fallen asleep soon after my kids (age 3 and 6) last night at about 9, and because of this had not had any time to myself last night.


This morning I was looking forward to my morning routine: to doing Wordle, reading blogs, working on my novel a little, and doing some work on my laptop (this is a VERY busy week at work). All while drinking coffee, of course.


The first half an hour went well, I drank my first coffee, did Wordle (in 4, not amazing but oh well), read a couple of blogs, texted a bit. Then it starts- a kid calling out half asleep. It’s 3 year old O, I ignore hope he goes back to sleep but it gets worse, so I bring him out with me. He stays a bit upset, but gradually settles next to me on the couch covered in a blanket. Then just as he falls back asleep

at 5.40, E starts to call out, she’s woken now, also too early for her body clock. She comes out, wants to cuddle, but she’s cold. She tries to pull off O’s blanket, and HE STARTS TO WAKE BACK UP.


I panic and send E to get her own blanket. I then move into the kids bedroom to sit on a bed (so I don’t disturb Al who is blissfully sleeping through all this), and E comes to snuggle in next to me. But she can’t get comfortable and keeps tossing and turning and basically driving me crazy. I may have been muttering grumpily to myself about kids that don’t sleep at this point. Sigh.


She FINALLY settles and both kids are back asleep at 6.30, but now my CATS start meowing for breakfast. I go to feed them so their meows don’t wake the kids, but O is next to the kitchen and the sounds of the plates WAKES HIM UP. Arrghhh.


This boy is ALWAYS hungry, and vocal about it!


So I call my attempt at solo morning zen time a complete fail and decide to write this post instead, with Owen awake next to me on the couch, with more coffee.


At least the cuddles are nice.


Does anyone else have these kid (or other) challenges to their morning routine (or another routine - evening, weekend etc)? It’s the unpredictability I find SO challenging. I know my kids are young but they’re not NEWBORN so why is it still so unpredictable? Why do I read on other blogs people happily doing elaborate 5am routines with their young kids asleep? Am I doing something wrong? Should I just order my kids back to bed? That doesn’t seem to work for them, they just want comfort from me at that time. Or perhaps it’s learnt and needs to be unlearnt. Thoughts welcome.

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Lisa Segner
Lisa Segner
May 08

Our kids are the same age so I feel you on this. Although I am so tired that I don’t even try to get up before them. They do typically sleep until 6 most weekends now. That is their wake time during the week, too. There was one weekend where I naturally woke at 5:45 and felt rested and then the kids slept until 6:45 which never happens. It was sooo lovely!!

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Sophie
Sophie
May 09
Replying to

Yes some days I think it’s pointless trying to be up before them, but it’s honestly my favourite time of day so I try. Having that hour before your boys get up is lovely. Hopefully there will be more of those mornings as they get older and sleep in more. 6am is reasonable but still quite early!

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Daria P
Daria P
May 02

Kids are 4 and 6 and are both early risers. I may get 40 minutes to an hour. Sometimes they sleep in, sometimes not. Sometimes I can’t even get a short meditation in, sometimes in can check everything off my list. This phase will pass.

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Sophie
Sophie
May 02
Replying to

Ahh you are in the same boat. It’s reassuring to hear this is your experience too, I guess I just hoped that when they got to a certain age they would just stay asleep! But not yet.

But you are right, this too shall pass (and I will miss those morning snuggles one day!)

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jennystancampiano
May 02

Ha, unfortunately this sounds about right. There will be SOME mornings where they sleep, and you get very lucky. And some mornings are like this. I know it's frustrating. And then the cats! Sometimes I'm like "Oh now YOU want something too???" Now- i have one kid away at college and my daughter is in high school, so early mornings are much, much more successful. It's the evenings- teenagers are notorious for suddenly wanting to talk at night- like just when you're ready to get in bed with your book, someone is there talking. And you don't want to turn them away because other than that they haven't talked to you all day! Sigh... kids are hard.

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Sophie
Sophie
May 02
Replying to

Ah yes of course, the evenings! That makes sense too with teenagers that if they want to talk, you don’t shut them down. I guess this is just a part of parenthood that doesn’t change. In a way it’s helpful to know and accept that. I always went by “Survive til 5”, and while 5+ is easier than newborns or toddlers, I need to understand that the disruptions and unpredictability will continue forever as long as they are at home, I guess (with different challenges along the way). And with cats in the mix too, with their own demands 😂

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optimisticmusings7
May 02

Early mornings lasted a long time in my household. I STILL don't leave my room if I wake up early because the kids can hear the creaking floor and that's it. They ARE old enough now I can set them up to read or do stuff independently, but they still distract me (or have some "urgent" question).


I have one early riser (he's often awake before 6) and one night owl (teen girl, and she's usually awake when I go to bed/fall asleep). I feel like there is ZERO buffer without kids in the fringe hours. I also find it hard to concentrate when I know my kids might need me. I think some people are better at tuning this…


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Sophie
Sophie
May 02
Replying to

That is TOUGH with one kid up at night and one up early in the morning. If only I wasn’t so tired at night I’d use that time because my kids are both asleep before 9. And yes I definitely feel “on call” whenever they are up as I could (and often am!) interrupted at any moment. And my husband doesn’t, but you’re right it’s me they come to, not him (probably because I’m more responsive, ha!) Anyway this morning is better- so onwards and upwards!

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