It’s a niggly random question that’s played on my mind!
I have two kids. 10 and 8. The 8 year old is a supppper early riser. She has told me that as soon as she sees it’s a tiny bit light out the front door (the only door not to have a roller shutter 🤬) she gets up. So she is always awake before the rest of the house. She now gets dressed for school and puts the TV on.
I am a poor sleeper so I set an alarm for 7:30am.
It’s played on my mind a bit that will my daughter think I was a lazy mum when she gets older? In the back of my mind I think “I should be the first one awake in the house and my kids should wake up to an awake mum, sipping coffee, happy and content cos she’s had 15 mins of quiet alone time before the morning madness begins.”
On the rare occasion I am awake early, our house is tiny and has creaking floorboards. So the second my 8 year old would hear movement she would be up aswell 😢
Just wondering what other mums do? Am I overthinking it?
18 Replies
I do wake up first, but that’s not deliberate. I’m just an earlier waker than my son.
8 years old is plenty old enough to get up and manage themselves.
Gosh when I was growing up it was great getting up before our parents to watch cartoons etc.
Don’t over think this, you are not lazy.
I always (unless i’m sick) wake up before my children. I bave my breakfast and coffee, get dressed and do everything i need to before they are awake. This works because i can fully focus on them and help them if they need it.
I have time to do the dishes. Chuck on some laundry and tidy up before school drop off and go to work.
Will your child think you’re lazy? Maybe, there is no way to know what they are thinking when it comes to this
I'm an early riser. My DS9 is too. He is often awake when I get up at 6am. He reads, gets breakfast, dressed etc. He only gets irritated if he wants help to make something cooked for breakfast & then I'm 'too slow getting up'. I used to get up before him but now he hears me & gets up himself so no more quiet time for me (I do miss it!).
My DD is a late riser & so is my DH (up just in time for work or 9/10am on weekends). Tbh the only one who thinks H is lazy is me - because I have to do all the morning work. The kids do get frustrated though.
I remember wishing my DM would get up later when a kid/teen. She was up at 5am, making ridiculous amounts of noise & I'm a light sleeper so had to be up then too.
I don't think 7:30 is lazy if you manage to get everything done. Its effort, not the alarm that they'll remember.
You're definitely over thinking it. My kids wake before me and get ready for school too. Same age as yours. They're more than capable and I work long hours and have insomnia, so sleeping in a little is important. I just have my alarm set for the time that is necessary for me to wake them up if they happen to sleep in too. Growing up I did everything in the morning that my kids do and my mum was awake.... so how is that different. In fact, if I do wake early, my kids still do their usual tasks.
It was quite normal for me to not even see my mother before I left for school.
I'd get up, find something that resembled breakfast, think all my Christmases had come at once if I managed to rustle up something half decent for lunch and then I'd walk myself to school.
Your daughter will be fine.
You're over thinking it. Your child is an early riser she probably loves that time in the morning. If she didn't she would wake you up. She is learning to be self sufficient.
7.30 is get up time in my house.
My kids know they can quietly watch some TV and have some breakfast if they wake up before that but they must be considerate of people who are still sleeping.
I could get up at 6am so the kids arise to me sitting there serenely sipping my tea or I could use that extra hour and a half to sleep so I'm more productive, functional and engaged for the remainder of the day. One of those things is far more beneficial to the kid's than the other.
I know I'm a better parent when I've had adequate sleep, I'm sure you probably are too. Don't ever feel guilty for meeting your own needs!
My daughters r early risers. 7 and 13. They get themselves ready for school by themselves. My boys get ups at 715 and that's a nightmare. They argue and won't get ready.
On weekends, again my girls are up and watching tv or tablets quietly. Boys some times get up early, but tend to sleep in.
Dad and I sleep in on weekends and kids told to be quiet. (ha ha nah they don't)
Lol never crossed my mind. We respect sleep in this house. They always come into my bed and wake me up, as they get older if they want to sleep in I’m up earlier, if it’s a rare proper sleep in day for me, they’re not allowed to wake me up until my alarm goes, I set my alarm for 9.30. Some work days it is easier to get up earlier and get myself ready, but it makes absolutely no difference to them I don’t think it even registers what I’ve been doing, as long as it’s calm and organised when they wake up it’s all good.
Both lol
As young kids, they were up first.
As a teen, I'm up first.
If it makes you feel better, he doesn't even remember the days of him being up first 😀
You're overthinking lovely x
Nooo sleep is precious and we lost so much when they were newborns that it’s their turn to be quiet lol
My kids are the same ages as yours and when they wake up they put the tv on and watch cartoons until Mum gets up.
Schooldays they’re normally up about half an hour before me, weekends it changes because I like to have a bit of a sleep in and they don’t lol.
At this age it’s completely fine in my opinion, their old enough to look after themselves for a bit and to come wake me if there’s a problem
I'm a shift worker there's no way I'm up before my kids. That's for hubby to organise. Do I feel guilty? No. I'm there awake for their afternoon tea and dinner .
Yep I am a night shift nurse! Even getting up at 7:30 I’m like “what even is sleep?”
😂
Lol I’m on the early am’s, not normally here but when I’m on a day off- I’m sure as shit not the first one up 😂 I’m pretty sure the kids are up before hubby on a normal weekday anyway, he’s normally finishing in the early hours 🤷♀️
Lol I’m on the early am’s, not normally here but when I’m on a day off- I’m sure as shit not the first one up 😂 I’m pretty sure the kids are up before hubby on a normal weekday anyway, he’s normally finishing in the early hours 🤷♀️
Overthinking it! I’ve told my oldest aged 5 and 7 to not wake me up and watch tv till I wake up. I sleep in with my youngest. I work nightshifts and if it’s the morning before I start them I pray I can sleep till 7am. I do all of the organising of the house after they get on the bus. It’s whatever works for you and your family. If they are clothed, fed and your house is tidy at some point don’t feel bad. Every family is different.
Only if you put it in her head. I wake super early, always have and didn't think my parents were lazy because I'd already been for a long run, had breakfast and was ready for school before they woke up.
I am a night Owl. I am definitely not a morning person. My 4 year old goes to Kindy 2 days a week and I have to set my alarm for 6/6.30am so I can shower and wake up properly before making his lunch and waking him.
I can't wait til he is able to get himself ready, so I can snooze a bit longer