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March 9, 2014

Exercising Their Independence in the Mornings



By and large, I have maintained the same wake-up routine with the girls since they were itty bitty.  They call for me when they wake up…I go into their room, give them lots of hugs and kisses…they use the bathroom…and we head downstairs to start the day.

It’s VERY rare for them to “sleep in”.  Since they got their “OK to Wake” clock when they were about three, they very rarely ask to get up “early”, but I can probably count on two hands how often they have slept past 6:30.

I just imagine B waking up at some point before 6:30, and waiting with baited breath for the green signal that it’s OK to call Mommy.  Sissy usually joins in the chorus, and our day begins.

Very occasionally, Baby A is still asleep.  A handful of times, B has recognized this and slipped downstairs by herself.  She has been SO proud!  Of course I know she enjoys her solo snuggles with Mommy.  And sometimes she gets double goodbye kisses from Daddy, to pass along to her sister when she wakes up.  But as much as anything, I think B loves the idea of “treating” her sis to some extra sleep…taking care of her in that way.

And then, when A does wake up, B loves to go upstairs with me and tell her good morning.

I love the glimpse of independence from B, particularly in a routine I’ve {purposefully} kept the same since the girls were born.

When the girls get up, we usually come downstairs and play for a bit before breakfast.  After breakfast, there’s usually more play time (on non-school days, that is), while Mommy tries to sneak in some coffee.  At some point in the morning, we’ll switch gears and head upstairs to get dressed and “officially” start our day. 

I usually make a suggestion about the type of outfit to wear, based on the weather and what we’re doing.  The girls are mostly agreeable…sometimes wanting to match…sometimes wanting to coordinate…and sometimes wanting to wear completely different things.  Unless we have something special to do, I have been letting them guide their dress, as long as it’s weather-appropriate.

Over the past couple of months, the girls have surprised me here and there by getting dressed completely by themselves.  One day last week, they came downstairs with a “Ta-Da!!!” to show me they’d chosen their Alabama jerseys for the day.  (It was a very proud moment for me!)

Of course, sometimes they come down in something a little more “creative”…




…and that’s OK, too.  I love seeing how proud the girls are at taking care of themselves…

...even if it’s a little bittersweet for this sentimental mama.

6 comments:

Marcia (123 blog) said...

I love their style :)

Mandy, I actually keep thinking about how my kids sleep like big children now. We can't get them up these days :)

I'm impressed that yours stay upstairs! Is that for safety? Ours would be running around the house building things and having breakfasts, etc.

Mrs FF said...

Ha! The babies are becoming little ladies. Where is the time "running" to

Kimber said...

Hahaha! Our boys, when they dress themselves, always choose their Alabama jerseys-- makes their daddy very proud. :) Roll Tide!

Unknown said...

We love our OK to Wake clock! What a life changer with twins. Without that bad boy, one would surely wake the other super early and we'd be hard-pressed to get them back down.

Victoria de Trensé said...

What little cuties!! How lovely that sometimes they want to be the same and sometimes different! V@Sprout's House xox (Dropping in via the hdydi parenting link-up!)

cat said...

Love the independence. We put out clothes the evening before for the day (I check the weather) so its easy on the next morning.

And they have great style mom!