Yesterday, my kids woke up at 4am. The kids woke up, so I woke up. I was hoping it would be one of those mornings where I could get them a snack or a quick cuddle and get them back to bed. It was so not that morning. First my youngest woke up. She’s just 16 months, so it’s not uncommon for her to wake up and just want to be in our bed. Today was not that day, so I took her downstairs for a snack. When I opened up the fridge to get her snack I realized I had forgotten to pack lunches too! Seriously??? I quickly packed lunches before her time in the highchair expired. By expired I mean she angrily demanded that I get her out. I had just enough time to pack only the kids lunches, so I tossed breakfast and a snack in a bag for my husband. He was on his own for lunch! Just as we were settling in on the sofa with low lighting, Disney Junior, and a warm bottle my four year old calls from upstairs “Mommy, are you downstairs?”. He heard the sound of the Golden Boo Boo (You know you know what that is!) and wanted to come down. I invited him down to join us, and got him a snack. Three episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse later with the little one asleep I finally turned off the tv. My son would have stayed up watching tv if I would have let him, but when I turned it off he went upstairs to get in bed with Daddy. I had just laid my head on the sofa pillow, still holding my daughter, when I heard the sound of my husbands alarm going off. It was 6am. I tried to rest while my husband got himself and the kids ready for the day, but I didn’t truly fall back asleep until about 7:30am. That’s later than my normal wake up time for work, but I needed a few minutes of sleep just to help me get the energy to get up and going. I finally got up and made it to my scheduled meeting at 9am.
I had two choices yesterday morning. Give in to the exhaustion or push through and make the best of the day. I chose making the best of the day, and here’s how I did it!
- Start the Day with a Positive Attitude- I chose to have a great attitude despite my exhaustion and I wore my fatigue like a proud badge of motherhood! Telling myself I am going to have a good day is the best way to start a really good day!
- Dress Up- I wore one of my favorite outfits and accessorized! Look good- feel good!
- Be Efficient- I pushed through my morning meeting and got everything accomplished I needed to. I left nothing undone despite it being tempting to just save some of the work for another day. You can always do a little more than you think you can!
- Don’t Skip Lunch- I made lunch plans with my work bestie for one of our favorite places! We might have taken a few minutes extra for lunch…
- Plan and Prioritize- I created a clear plan for the afternoon- I worked my to do list like a boss and accomplished everything I needed to by about 4:30pm
- End the Work Day on Time- I did not stay late at work! My drive to get home at a decent time led to a very productive day!
- Don’t Cook- We ordered pizza and ate it while we watched the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first preseason game this year.
- Fall Asleep When You are Ready- Normally, I work on my “must post Thursday” post on Thursday evenings, but instead after I wrote the first two lines of this I fell asleep with the laptop in my lap.
- Teamwork- When my daughter woke up last night in the middle of the night my husband got up with her.
It takes a lot to get through the day when you are exhausted, but with some planning, a little bit of fun, and a great partner you can do it!
9-5 Mom’s, SAHM’s, WAHM’s, and All other Mom’s making it happen like a boss… I’d love to hear how you make it through the day on empty. What are your tips to make it through the day when your kids decide to get up way before the sun rises?
Shelly says
Love this! As a homeschool mom of four, work from home mom (now), I workout and do my devotion before the kids get up at 6am. Also, I took Crystal Paines “Make Over Your Evening and Make Over Your Morning” Course, and that was absolutely a game changer for me in tightening my am and evening schedule! Thanks for sharing!
TwoLittleRippers says
Thanks for sharing! I am going to look it up!!
Emma says
Great post 🙂 with an 8 month old I often find days start earlier than I’m ready for! This morning she was awake at 6, once I’d fed her and she’d gone back to sleep I decided to go for a run.. make the most of the cooler morning weather. On weekdays I treat myself to a skinny latte to help get through the day.. and an earlier a bedtime the following night helps too x
TwoLittleRippers says
Thanks! That’s amazing! It’s so tempting to get back in bed, but I bet you felt great after that run! I hear you on the latte! I don’t know how I would get through the day without my Tab!
LaTasha says
Great post! Mom of 4, with a 5am start time. When I’m exhausted, I wear my favorite perfume, a fun outfit which usually is a super hero shirt and a pair of converses. I pack extra protein for lunch and refuse to miss my lunch hour gym time. I’ve found that I’m more productive after the gym, and on my most exhausted days- I get more work done. We are WOMEN hear us ROAR!
TwoLittleRippers says
This is awesome! I know you really have it together, and now I know your secret! 🙂