Describe An Average Work Day

[dreamer]

Describe how an average work day might be for you. I don't mean this as in "here is my daycare's schedule". I mean this as in...

When do you wake up? Is there anything you do before the kids arrive? What happens at drop off? Gimme the play by play! happyface

[Aussiedaycare]

mines probably a little different as I live in Australia but I thought I would answer anyway.
I wake up at 5.30am and feed the my dogs and let the cats out. I then hop back into bed and read Facebook until 6.15am.

I then get up to shower, once I have showered I turn my three boys lights on to slowly wake them up. (I don't wake my daughter up as she is working and has different hours so she sorts herself out.)

I get whatever I am cooking for breakfast ready and make up the boys lunch boxes, at 6.45am I tell the younger two boys to get up and the older one to get in the shower.

I then get on here and read whats happened (for me) overnight, at 7am I start cooking breakfast and I eat with my sons, then I wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. At 7.30 I come into the daycare room and set up for the morning, at 7.50 my boys go to school on the bus and I get back on here to read anything I didn't get a chance to and then at 8am I start work.

Anywhere from 8am to 8.10 all my children are dropped off and my working day has officially started. happyface

[Missjaime]

Mornings are the worst! I wake up at 5:45 when my husband gets in the shower, open my kids doors, start waking them up. Shower at 6 am (always cold, cause someone takes all the hot water!), dressed and ready to go at 6:20. Start trying to wake up the kids. Younger gets up fine, get him dressed, start breakfast. Drag 7 year old out by 6:40 so he can eat a little before they leave at 7. Make lunches, get shoes, socks, comb hair, brush teeth, etc., get them out the door by 6:50-7. Finish clean up from night before and day care kiddos start arriving at 7:15. Loose my mind for a little, then regroup and start my "work day". Kids (my kids) come home at 4, try to help them with homework while still dealing with day care kids until 5:30. At 5, while doing all the rest of that, start dinner. T-ball interferes at 5:15 some nights, but my husband tends to take care of that. After my kids are in bed, try to clean and ready for the next day (doesn't work, thus my 15 minutes of scurry cleaning before kids arrive in the AM!). It never ends!

[Play Care]

I wake at 5:45 ish and have coffee while watching the news/playing on the puter. At 6:15 ish I get in the shower. Wake the kiddos up at 6:50 to get ready. My dck's start arriving at 7:15 so I like my kids to be ready by that time.

We do as much as possible the evening before to make the mornings run smoothly. Lunches are made, clothes picked out, school bags packed and ready to go by the door (lunch boxes go in before they head out to the bus) I meal plan on Sundays when I make my grocery list so even dinners are either prepped and ready to go or I already know what's cooking. HTH!

[Unregistered]

Up about 5:30, run to local coffee place and head to the riverfront-weather permitting ( I live in a gorgeous stretch of wooded bluffs) and relax and take in the peace and calm for about 5 min. This is my happy place. I go home (3 min drive , small town) try to exercise 6:00-6::30, then shower.

I wipe down the kids' bathroom (which is attached to day care rooms) clean toilet.


Kids start to come about 7:15. Table toy options till 8:00.

My kids are grown so my mornings are fairly calm.

After lunch I clean up but I relax totally during nap time and I always have even when my kids were still home. I do bake homemade snacks during this time once or twice per week.

I've always cleaned as I go so I don't do much at night or weekends in regard to cleaning.

End of day I take out diapers-diaper garbage can is on the porch. Can't stand it inside! I vacuum each night after kids leave. Playrooms are kept organized and orderly after each free play so at the end if the day and can just shut the door.

[Pepperth]

Wake up at 5:30 to shower, etc. I sit it the quiet drink my coffee and eat my breakfast for 20 minutes or so. (I find I have much more energy throughout the day if I do this.) Then I iron my son's school uniform, make his snack for the day and start breakfast for my school aged son. The first daycare kid arrives about 7:45 and the last one leaves at 5:30 or so. We eat dinner at 6. Then we hang out as a family until the kids bedtimes. (I get most of my cleaning done during naptime.)

[JackandJill]

I wake up anywhere from 5:30-6. I prep everything the night before, so the daycare is ready to go and the rest of my house is straightened out.

I just started working out this week when I wake up at 5:30 (we will see how long that lasts!!), shower at 6:15ish, have coffee, make my kids breakfast and get us all dressed and ready by 7:30/7:45, daycare kids arrive at 8.

Prepping everything the night before makes a huge difference in the mornings. The times that I don't, it isn't as relaxing.

[Gemma]

I get up at 5:30 with hubby...wash pack lunch...make sure kids are up and getting ready for school, cook breakfast and kiss everyone bye at app. 6:20...
When everyone is out the door I clean what I didn't get to the night before, and start getting ready for my work day ( water bottle ready etc.) check mail/ post on Forums until kids arrive.then wait for the kids

After dinner, kids sit by door with books until they get picked up (easy transition since I started doing it this way) I let dogs out, start dinner for my family....after dinner I watch an episode or two with hubby and then we wash and turn in for the night

I clean as I go all day long, leaving the heavy cleaning for the weekend, and I spend time with my kids when they join me in the daycare after their homework is done

[daycarediva]

I wake at 5:45 ish and have coffee while watching the news/playing on the puter. At 6:15 ish I get in the shower. Wake the kiddos up at 6:50 to get ready. My dck's start arriving at 7:15 so I like my kids to be ready by that time.

We do as much as possible the evening before to make the mornings run smoothly. Lunches are made, clothes picked out, school bags packed and ready to go by the door (lunch boxes go in before they head out to the bus) I meal plan on Sundays when I make my grocery list so even dinners are either prepped and ready to go or I already know what's cooking. HTH!

SAME! Soooo much easier to make lunches and prep dinner/dc meals the night before while the dinner I prepped the night before THAT is cooking. ::

I wake up anywhere from 5:30-6. I prep everything the night before, so the daycare is ready to go and the rest of my house is straightened out.

I just started working out this week when I wake up at 5:30 (we will see how long that lasts!!), shower at 6:15ish, have coffee, make my kids breakfast and get us all dressed and ready by 7:30/7:45, daycare kids arrive at 8.

Prepping everything the night before makes a huge difference in the mornings. The times that I don't, it isn't as relaxing.

AWESOME!

Here is my morning
4:30-5:00 cardio-quick run with the dogs
5:00-5:30 Home to feed dogs, hit the weights
5:30-6:00 Shower/get ready
6:00-7:30 Get kids up/ready, feed them breakfast, COFFEE, morning family time
7:30-8:00/15ish Morning paperwork, lesson planning or any last minute prep, household paperwork, emails, HERE

then the kids start to arrive.

[Blackcat31]

I wake at 5:00 A.M. Feed pup, let him outside then hop in the shower while hubby goes to make coffee/breakfast.

Hubs brings me coffee while I am getting ready in the bathroom. After I get dressed, I let pup back in and have breakfast with Hubs while watching the morning news.

After breakfast I drive 5.9 miles into work every day. Sometimes when I am feeling lazy, hubby will drive me.

I get to daycare/work at 6:45 a.m. Flip all the lights on, make coffee here and start getting ready for the day. My first kiddo arrives at 7:00 on the dot. Pretty much all the other kids arrive between 7:30-8:00 so I use the 30 minutes after the first kid and the rush of everyone else to set up centers, put out materials and supplies for the day and peruse the internet. Rinse and repeat until it's finally Friday!!

[Cat Herder]

Up at 5 (occasionally able to hit snooze to around until 6, now happyface) - Shower, send off teens (to drive to breakfast w/friends), make bed, laundry, vacuum, bathrooms, mop floors, feed pets, make breakfast/lunch prep, eat/visit w/hubby, walk dogs, read morning papers, bills, etc. - 6:59 - Off to playroom.

DCK's arrive 7-8. Hand/face wash/change into play clothes/shoes, Breakfast, circle-time, art, centers, free-play, music, snack, centers, free play, playground, math, clean-up/wash-up/lunch/clean-up/wash-up, playground, clean/up/wash-up, pajamas, set up nap mats, story-time, nap. - 12:59

1-3- Lunch with DH (sometimes he makes, sometimes I make at breakfast prep), rotate/disinfect toys/hang to dry, mop playroom, attendance, daily sheets, lesson plan, email/call returns, prep snack, start family dinner.

3-5:30 - Wash/dry/fold nap linens, pj's & play clothes/shoes, bleach/dry/stack mats, snack, clean up/street clothes for going home/brush hair/wash hands & face, gym mats, free art (crayons, pencils), table toys, listening center, puzzles, (intermingled pick-ups, first at 315 last at 515 miss afternoon water play/playground time terribly - temporary issue), vacuum/mop, rotate/disinfect/hang toys, wipe surfaces. -5:45 - close playroom door.

6 -10pm - dinner w/family, to track/trails w/DH, walk dogs, down time, bath/bed in prep to do it all again the next day. * clearly diapers, potty, water, emergent curriculum/language push-in and TLC are continuous throughout the day, as needed and usually more than is required. I sort of love these kids and my life.

[Cat Herder]

Mornings are the worst! I wake up at 5:45 when my husband gets in the shower, open my kids doors, start waking them up. Shower at 6 am (always cold, cause someone takes all the hot water!)

Oh, I remember this. :::: It got so much worse when my DD entered junior high.

My solution was to get up at 5. I know it sounds "not worth it", BUT, you will always have hot water at 5. Even once your kids hit puberty. :: You *can* even lay back down while DH takes his in your bathrobe then blowdry after he is done. It feels like a mini-vacation - enjoy hot water and silence. The mom mecca. ::

[laundrymom]

I wake at 5:20
Change into work clothes.
Grab coffee.
Let first two in at 5:30
Check email
Let second four in between 640&7
Turn on lights and wake early kids
Change everyone.
Two more arrive at 720
Two more at 8
We start our day w child choice toys
Snack at nine
Then work on a project and more free play or outside if we can
Free play until lunch.
Lunch. Nap. Dinner (large snack w all dinner reguirements for food program) and they start going home by about four.
By 5:30 I'm done and on to running my own kids or errands. By about 10 pm I'm winding down for the night. In bed by midnight.

[daycarediva]

Oh, I remember this. :::: It got so much worse when my DD entered junior high.

My solution was to get up at 5. I know it sounds "not worth it", BUT, you will always have hot water at 5. Even once your kids hit puberty. :: You *can* even lay back down while DH takes his in your bathrobe then blowdry after he is done. It feels like a mini-vacation - enjoy hot water and silence. The mom mecca. ::

YES! That's why I started getting up way before my own kids. The ONLY time there is hot water, the ONLY time that it's quiet. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do! ::

[Mike]

These posts are making me wonder. Everyone is up between 4:30 and 5:30. That's the only real negative I see about opening up daycare. :: Right now, mostly because of winter, I have trouble getting up before 8. I've never been good at getting up before 7. I will definitely be doing most of my prep work the night before.