Can’t get up in morning

enjoying kids

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 3:07 pm

I worked on my own wake ups by asking myself, why? What am I trying to avoid by staying in bed? In my case, I realized that I have a fear of not functioning well later in the day, at supper and bedtime. As well as non anticipation of my kids morning meshugasim. Once I realized what was behind it, I was able to work on it.

amother

Smokey

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 4:43 pm

I'm like you op. In fact I was gonna start a thread about this. No matter my bedtime I'm always struggling to wake up in the morning. I snooze my alarm till I have left a few mins to dress my child. And no, I'm not depressed and not necessarily not a morning person. Cuz once I'm up and dressed I'm good to go..

amother

Seashell

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 5:12 pm

Hi OP back. Thanks for all your responses.
It’s been a busy (regular) day. This is my imamother time!
I’ve never been a morning person. But I’m not a night owl either.
I’m ok during the day.
I get up to send my kids off to school n go to work, but rather than getting up at 7 to make dinner and fold a load of laundry, I’m staying in bed until 7:45.
7:45-8:15 get kids ready for school
8:15-8:30 get ready for work and leave house.
The kids and I finish at 4. Get through afternoon routine, tidy up have dinner with DH and I’m exhausted. No energy for cooking or laundry or cleaning.
We do have good routines- empty schoolbags as we get in, put laundry into hamper and take out clothes for tomorrow, older child does own, I do younger one.
I relax, do some online shopping, chat on phone. N my bedtime.
I would like to have the 45 mins in morning.

ra_mom

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 5:20 pm

amother wrote:

It's hard. So so hard. I know because I have a similar schedule. I force myself to get up earlier so that I'm not a wreck with the kids or by the time I get to work.
If there's a lot going on and I'm stressed out, it's that much harder.
This doesn't help the exhaustion but one trick I find helps with dinner preps is to buy all proteins on a day that I have a bit more in me (say Sunday or sometimes Wednesday or even Friday) and season, form and freeze ready to go that day. Then pull out of freezer before bed and stick in crockpot in morning (60 seconds) or pull out of freezer in the morning and set it in the oven to go on at the right time (takes a minute).

amother

Seashell

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 5:38 pm

Thanks ra mom for your idea. Always on the lookout for more!
I’ve always struggled with the mornings, I’m lucky enough to have a supportive husband who helps out in morn, so no responsibilities fall to the wayside.
What got me thinking was all the talk of making beds.
I can’t deny that when I get up in time and have 45 mins to prepare for the day, say brochos properly, wash the breakfast dishes... it’s a different day. I feel better within myself.
So now I demand that of myself and my laziness is really bothering me- but not motivating me!

mha3484

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 6:03 pm

I have a hard time too. I push the snooze button for way way too long before I actually get up. Takes me anywhere from 30-45 min. My oldest has to be on the bus at 8 and I used to just dress myself and nag him for the first hour and then get my littles ready from 8-9 but his bus is really flakey so I had to stop doing that and push myself to just get going ASAP. Too many mornings of running back inside in a rush after it finally came and being late to work. I dont know how old your kids are but my 4 year old does a decent job of dressing himself. I was joking one morning that if he dressed himself I would give him a candy and it worked! He felt super big and I had one less thing to do in the morning. My 2 year old likes to copy and put his shoes and coat on.

Some things I have done to help myself are: 1) making lunches at night even for myself 2) I used to make more involved breakfasts for the kids now I only do that once or twice a week the other days are cold cereal, TJ's makes an instant but no sugar oatmeal, apples and nut butter. I only use paper/plastic so there are no dishes to wash. Days that the bus actually comes on time and my little kids are eating and playing I straighten up before work. If it doesnt happen so be it. Sundays I dont make dinner, I serve side dishes from shabbos and we get burgers from the grocery store. Since I didnt make dinner, I use the time to prep some parts of dinner for the coming week like making pasta for a milchig meal on monday, or I steamed tempeh and marinated it for taco tuesday. The rest of the meal comes together much faster this way.

Sleepymama

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 6:19 pm

Ra_mom, can you give more details about putting frozen protein in the crock pot? That sounds so easy I would love to do it!
Do you have to add water? Aside from meat or chicken on the bone I've never put other proteins in the crock pot. Can I cook fish or chicken breast that way?

ra_mom

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 6:36 pm

Sleepymama wrote:

I actually leave the frozen food on the counter at midnight and it's cold and defrosted early morning so I don't put the food into the crockpot frozen. I make bone in chicken legs, shredded beef (buns), meatballs (and spaghetti), whole roaster chicken... I don't add any water.

I place frozen food into the oven in the morning, and set the oven to go on let's say 90 minutes before I come home (if that's how long it usually bakes for), and by the time the oven has turned on, the food that's in there has defrosted. Things like bone in chicken, meat, baked potato, brown rice, lasagna or baked ziti.

For things that bake quickly on a cookie sheet (breaded chicken cutlets, salmon fillets, burgers, etc), I pull the frozen ready items out of the freezer in the morning and leave it on the counter to thaw. I set the oven to turn on 30 minutes before I come home for preheating purposes, and when I get home I slide it into the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes.

Metukah

Thu, Dec 13 2018, 6:44 pm

amother wrote:

Are you me?

Down to the timing this is exactly my situation.

The struggle is real and it's hard. Wish I had a solution.