How to Get 3 Kids Out the Door By 7:35 AM

Getting 3 kids out the door by 7:35AM is a challenge requiring precise execution of key steps, endurance, patience, adrenaline, and much prayer. Thankfully I only have to tackle this challenge once or twice a week when my husband goes to his morning Bible study group or has an early meeting, because otherwise he takes our 5 year-old to school on his way to work!

Night before - Check weather for next day. If you do not live in a place where the temperature can be 30 degrees one day and 80 degrees the next, this step may not be as crucial. Then lay out clothes for yourself and all 3 kids. Put grounds and water in coffee maker .

6:25 AM - Wake up, say prayers for cooperative children and extra help from God to make it through next hour and a half, shower body but not hair (there is no time for blow-drying), get dressed, put on a little makeup so as not to scare the kindergarteners. Turn on coffee maker.

6:42 AM - Pack lunch for 5 year-old and lay out dishes for breakfast (we use the same dishes every day so they can just be gotten out of the dishwasher that was run the night before)

6:50 AM - Wake up 5 year-old, have him start getting dressed, ask what he wants for breakfast

6:54 AM - Make 5 year-old breakfast. I use the word "make" loosely; really this entails pouring cereal and milk and toasting a waffle or Poptart.

7:00 AM - 5 year-old is down eating breakfast. Get 1 year-old up, change diaper, bring him down for breakfast (banana, cereal and milk)

7:10 AM - Get 3 year-old up and serve her breakfast. Pour coffee and cereal for self; eat.

7:18 AM - Help 5 year-old fix hair, get shoes on, enforce teeth brushing.

7:23 AM - Dress toddler

7:27 AM - Dress 3 year-old, brush her hair a little.

7:32 AM - Shoes on younger 2 kids, jackets on, and backpack on 5 year-old.

7:35 AM - Load all kids in the car

7:40 AM - Park at school and unload all kids from car, walk into school

7:45 AM - Greet other kids and friends, and say goodbye to 5 year-old in cafeteria where he waits with his class for his teacher to take him to classroom.

7:50 - While carrying toddler and holding 3 year-old's hand, dodge the stampede of kids rushing through the hallways as the 1st bell rings to walk back to your car.

Mission Accomplished!!!!

Hints:

• Have shoes, jackets, and backpack in one place near the door (see info here)

• If you are running late, you can skip the steps of dressing the 1 year-old and 3 year-old and just let them go in their jammies.
  

• Most important of all -- Do not anger them, avoid fits, crying spells and meltdowns at all costs! Meaning just survive, this is not the time to train appropriate table manners or to be really picky about enforcing any limits at all. The one day I did draw the line and refuse to let my 3 year-old take her syrup covered waffle in the car to finish eating it, I really regretted the decision! Syrup coating in the car would have been far better than the 10 minute fit that ensued while I was trying to get everyone into the car and then into the school!