Out the Door

Every day it’s the same struggle. Getting out the door. It used to be easy, when it was just me. Things changed after I got married. That meant two people had to get up and out the door. The once daily routine for one, is now a daily routine for two. That means splitting bathroom time, getting breakfast, having coffee, packing a lunch and grabbing whatever else is needed to get on the road.

At first it we struggled. We couldn’t get in sync. Our alarms set for the same time meant that we both got up and headed to the bathroom to do our normal routine at the same time. A quick bit of planning and we worked everything out. Since it took me longer, I got to go first.

Packing our lunches the night before added more free time in the morning. Cross that off the list. Coffee pots with timers meant our coffee would be ready when we wanted it. Another item to strike off the list. Next up, breakfast. Not a big deal. Yogurt, toast, cereal, breakfast bars, all quick and easy, leaving time to watch the news and have a second cup of coffee. Check and check.

Our routine fell into place until we had children. This meant another element would be added to the mix. When they were babies, we needed to be sure we had the diaper bag packed and ready with spare clothes, diapers, wipes, and formula. As our children got older, we swapped out the formula for baby food. We couldn’t leave without taking their favorite toy, and we always packed a book or two before heading to the sitters.

Timing needed to be adjusted as well. We just couldn’t drop off the children, we had to stay and give instructions, chat a little before we left, and bring in the car seat. This meant more than one trip to the car, and then we had to play just a little with the kids before we left. After all that, then we could get on the road.

As the children got older, they got slower. Another timing adjustment, and more fuss in the morning. We felt bad getting them up early, so we let them ride in their jammies, but at least they could walk. We still needed to make multiple trips to and from the car, the kids never truly helped. All part of the growing morning routine.

Eventually the kids were old enough for school. Another element added to the mix. We had to wake up earlier, get them up and ready for school, make sure they had their homework, and whatever else they needed for the day. As they got older, the after school activities started, and this added more time to the morning routine. We had to make sure they had what they need for their activities, and something they could snack on.

Now the kids wanted pets. We gave in and got them two dogs. Something else added to the morning routine. Puppies required some extra work. Take them out, let them walk around until they find that perfect spot to go, then bring them in and get them food and water.

Does this sound familiar? Are your mornings like this? Do you find it hard to get up and moving? Do your children slow you down in the morning? What about pets? What’s your morning like? Share with us, we’d love to hear about it.

Writers, do your characters have a routine? We all follow some routine in our lives, and our characters should too. What’s your characters routine? Is it normal or something out of the ordinary? Let us know.