Starting the day

Following my rather plaintive post about not being a morning person, Mary G started this thread at the 4 Real Learning Forums. It seems I am far from the only person who struggles to get going in the mornings!

I'm still pondering this one. Realistically, we have to do whatever schoolwork we do during the conventional school day because Angel and Star have so many late afternoon and evening activities going on. Now, I don't mind the girls sleeping in if they are tired, particularly if they have been busy the evening before. Angel, for example, rarely gets to bed before ten on Wednesdays because she has band practice ... and unlike me, she is not a night owl, so needs to catch up. If I am honest, though, I know that if I get myself going earlier and am up, dressed and ready to start the day by eight, then the day goes more smoothly, even if it takes Angel and Star time to catch up. Back in planning mode, I have worked out what I think would be my ideal routine. You can find it posted - along with the sadly unrecognisable reality - at my Bookworm's Diary blog. I know from experience that when I get into a routine it pays dividends, but also that once I get out of routine it is a terrible struggle to get back to it. Ah well! Hang in there!

My other problem is that even if she sleeps late, Angel gets going quickly once she wakes. Star, on the other hand, does not. She gets stressed when pressured to get everything (dress, hair, teeth, room) done in a timely manner. I get stressed when I find myself spending all or most of the morning periodically chasing Star to dress / brush / tidy. We have been working on this one for years without any consistent success. Again, if I am up, going and tuned in myself, I'm sure there would be a better chance of getting Star into a less stressful morning routine.