The Routine Saves Lives
Alexa and I have been having some rough mornings the last few weeks. There are two things happening:
1. I'm not a morning person
2. She's trying to deviate from the routine
I have done the exact same routine for forever. It hasn't changed. I get in the shower at 6:10/6:15. I am ready by 6:45. I fix breakfast, and hand kids lunches at 6:50. We leave at 7:10am. Everything is prepped beforehand: coffee is made the night before, lunches are either made the night before, or while I am waiting for my coffee when I wake up. Trash is taken to the road, bags are packed and in a designated location.
I am RIGID about my routine.
It's not because I'm super organized. It's because I'm not a morning person. I am clinging to rational thought. I have a short temper. I am impatient, psychotic, and over the top reactions easily explode from me. I know this about myself. Because I am practically a demon, everything is prepped. I take out every possible situation that makes me turn into a Morning Monster- so that we can all get out of the house, without me turning into a raving lunatic.
Andrew knows I'm psychotic. He steers pretty clear of me. Doug? He remains ever the optimist that THIS will be the morning I want to conduct a conversation. 49 out of 50 mornings- I don't want to have a conversation. Alexa usually knows I'm barely clinging to rational thought and while she talks to me; she doesn't expect a response. She usually is fairly cooperative and follows the routine. The routine is for our safety. That routine is like what the Incredible Hulk did, when he was learning to control his temper. (I am pretty much the Incredible Hulk in the morning, so that's a very appropriate analogy)
Lately, Alexa has not been following the routine. She's trying to write letters at 6:45am. She's trying to play with toys at 6:45am. She's suddenly remembering she "needs" some misplaced toy/book/item to take to school. She's not completely dressed. I'm having to nag her about being sure to have all of her responsibilities done. I'm telling her, "you have 5 minutes . . . " "you have 4 minutes . . . " she's flitting around. She's not following the routine. And the next thing I know, I'm yelling, "YOU HAVE TO RIDE WITH DAD!!! I CANNOT WAIT!!! HAVE A GREAT STUPID DAY!!!!" Yeah. I send my kid to school with that final, parting word. I've sent her like that several times in the last few weeks. I suck. That's why the routine is so important! If they just follow it- I don't act like a lunatic!
When I picked her up today, I tried to explain that the routine is important because I put safeguards into place, to try and control myself. I know I'm a jerk that over-reacts. We came up with a small variation from her routine. She wants to wake up 15 minutes earlier, to have time to do what she wants. I told her she could do what she wants . . . as long as she was completely dressed. Let's hope it works out. I'm pretty much done over myself.
1. I'm not a morning person
2. She's trying to deviate from the routine
I have done the exact same routine for forever. It hasn't changed. I get in the shower at 6:10/6:15. I am ready by 6:45. I fix breakfast, and hand kids lunches at 6:50. We leave at 7:10am. Everything is prepped beforehand: coffee is made the night before, lunches are either made the night before, or while I am waiting for my coffee when I wake up. Trash is taken to the road, bags are packed and in a designated location.
I am RIGID about my routine.
It's not because I'm super organized. It's because I'm not a morning person. I am clinging to rational thought. I have a short temper. I am impatient, psychotic, and over the top reactions easily explode from me. I know this about myself. Because I am practically a demon, everything is prepped. I take out every possible situation that makes me turn into a Morning Monster- so that we can all get out of the house, without me turning into a raving lunatic.
Andrew knows I'm psychotic. He steers pretty clear of me. Doug? He remains ever the optimist that THIS will be the morning I want to conduct a conversation. 49 out of 50 mornings- I don't want to have a conversation. Alexa usually knows I'm barely clinging to rational thought and while she talks to me; she doesn't expect a response. She usually is fairly cooperative and follows the routine. The routine is for our safety. That routine is like what the Incredible Hulk did, when he was learning to control his temper. (I am pretty much the Incredible Hulk in the morning, so that's a very appropriate analogy)
Lately, Alexa has not been following the routine. She's trying to write letters at 6:45am. She's trying to play with toys at 6:45am. She's suddenly remembering she "needs" some misplaced toy/book/item to take to school. She's not completely dressed. I'm having to nag her about being sure to have all of her responsibilities done. I'm telling her, "you have 5 minutes . . . " "you have 4 minutes . . . " she's flitting around. She's not following the routine. And the next thing I know, I'm yelling, "YOU HAVE TO RIDE WITH DAD!!! I CANNOT WAIT!!! HAVE A GREAT STUPID DAY!!!!" Yeah. I send my kid to school with that final, parting word. I've sent her like that several times in the last few weeks. I suck. That's why the routine is so important! If they just follow it- I don't act like a lunatic!
When I picked her up today, I tried to explain that the routine is important because I put safeguards into place, to try and control myself. I know I'm a jerk that over-reacts. We came up with a small variation from her routine. She wants to wake up 15 minutes earlier, to have time to do what she wants. I told her she could do what she wants . . . as long as she was completely dressed. Let's hope it works out. I'm pretty much done over myself.
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