Shabbos Mornings | Imamother

amother

Copper

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 2:45 pm

I feel guilty for sleeping late Shabbos mornings and basically leaving my kids to fend for themselves. I sleep on the couch with one ear open and let havoc reign.

Just curious what most people do Shabbos mornings.

MitzadSheini

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 2:49 pm

Kids are very "over watched" these days compared to previous generations. I think giving them a chance to play safely on their own is probably a good thing. And if it means that you are well rested and better able and function for the rest of the day, all the better.

mha3484

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 2:59 pm

My older child (6) gets to choose a shabbos yogurt that he can serve himself. The kind with candy etc on top. He gets his own breakfast when he wakes and goes to play. The toddler I give a yogurt bar or something else equally low maintenance. When he is done I clean him up, close off the doors etc and let him play. I make a coffee and read to myself. I have been taking the 6 year old to shul groups the past month or two. They start around 10. He likes it and it gives some structure to the morning.

sweetpotato

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 3:15 pm

Mine are little (3 and 18 mos) but they get up around 7 most Shabbos mornings. My DH gets up with them, and they play together downstairs while he davens shacharis (he davens shacharis at home because shul starts somewhat late, and it's much less stressful getting to shul if he's not worried about having to catch up, etc.). Then when he's ready to make kiddish and have breakfast, he wakes me up Smile

I'm lucky because he is naturally a pretty early riser.

pesek zman

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 3:33 pm

I take my toddler to shul. She and I have been every single Shabbos since she was born. We may have missed one for a snowstorm. Her first Shabbos at shul was her kiddish when she was 6 days old.

mha3484

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 3:40 pm

When my older child was a toddler I did not love the babysitting at shul but I do like the program for older kids. Now that my 2 year old is getting much better at walking we might try again. But its hard when you like parts but not the whole thing.

Fox

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 4:12 pm

Oh, boy, do I remember those days!

I had 5 kids close together in age; I was working full time; DH was out of town all week; we didn't take our kids to shul for hashkafic reasons . . .

My trick was to make "Shabbos Bags" every week. I took lunch bags and decorated them with stickers or whatever I had handy. Then I filled them with candy, snacks, and sometimes little toys from the Dollar Store. I put them out after the kids went to sleep on Friday night, and they would wake up the next morning and run to open them.

Between the snacks and the novelty, it was enough to keep them busy while I dozed on the couch.

Occasionally there were disasters, like the time they used the pudding cups as finger paint, but overall it allowed me to get a few more precious minutes of relaxation, if not actual sleep.

amother

Burgundy

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 4:56 pm

Am I the only one who doesn't have a free second Shabbos morning? I get up and dressed, wash the dishes from the previous night's seuda (we don't wash at night), dress all the kids, set the table, make a salad, plate the liver, put out the dips, etc. I'm usually not even done when DH gets home from shul at 11:30. No time for playing, reading, or anything of the sort.

Only me?

pesek zman

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 4:59 pm

amother wrote:

I'm sure you're not the only one, but that definitely isn't me

We have enough dishes for use both Friday night and Shabbos day.

We don't eat liver or dips

Salad is leftover from the night before

I keep it simple. My priority Shabbos morning is getting to shul

amother

Firebrick

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 5:23 pm

Many of us have kids for whom shul doesn't work. For example, I have a six year old who refuses to do the walk. He's too old for a stroller, so we all stay home.

Even without lots of meal prep, you can be busy all morning. "Play with the kids" sounds like fun. "Keep the kids from maiming each other and/or destroying the house" was more like my life for many years. I would definitely work to have arrangements so I could sleep a bit after they got up, which bought me an hour or so so I could sleep until 6:30 or 7:00.

And if anyone is wondering if they have the only kid who, when they see you reaching for a siddur, screams "Don't daven!", you are not alone.

amother

Burgundy

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 5:47 pm

pesek zman wrote:

I hear you. We're a lot of people (double digits), so I don't have enough dishes for both meals, and just getting everyone dressed takes a lot of time.

I wouldn't be getting to shul anyway Shabbos morning even if I wouldn't have so much to do. Many of my kids are too young to be quiet in shul.

Beyla

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 5:55 pm

No eruv here so I'm home with all the little ones, no shul for us, and my husband comes late from shul so we have plenty of time to play, eat, daven together, read stories ... Sometimes it works very nicely and sometimes not.
I don't get a chance to sleep except if they all fall asleep which rarely happens.

Ema of 5

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 6:15 pm

I try to do all three :-) I get up with the baby usually around 7:00. I put her in the swing, eat breakfast, and try to go back to sleep on the couch if she has fallen back asleep. When my other kids get up I try to spend some time with them. But not helicoptering around them. Sometimes we go to the park, which is across the street from us. I don't go to shul (I don't think it's the place for a 5 month old) but if any of my kids want to go to shul, they go with my husband.

nicole81

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 6:22 pm

My husband takes 3 of the kids to shul. My oldest girl likes to stay home and read and watch the baby so I can sleep in until 11:30 Smile

Teomima

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 7:10 pm

I had a seven year gap between my older kids and my youngest, so I got nice and spoiled, sleeping in while my older ones could entertain themselves. Now I'm up early with the baby but they're still perfectly happy to play on their own. In a way it's good, it's a better motivator for me to get them to shul more often than before, when I just wanted the sleep more than anything else.

pesek zman

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 7:35 pm

amother wrote:

BH for a a large family that keeps your busy! BH!

acemom

Thu, Oct 20 2016, 7:47 pm

amother wrote:

....
And if anyone is wondering if they have the only kid who, when they see you reaching for a siddur, screams "Don't daven!", you are not alone.

Thanks for the reassurance! LOL