My little sheep are sleepy
My family’s schedule will have to adjust. Cade turned 3 on April 21, and that means he’s eligible to attend public schools. My husband and I found out Cade had Down syndrome within an hour of his birth, so each little step since then has been a learning experience for all of us.
Now, it’s how to get three children to three different schools in the morning and then get myself to work on time. I’m pretty cheery in the morning, but my two daughters, ages 13 and 9, get a little nauseated if they hurry too much. So, the challenge is how to juggle and enable them to help make this work.
OK. I’ve made my kids a little too helpless. I fix their bowls of cereal or toast or sliced banana … then I wake them up (one at a time), encourage them that it’s going to be a great day … and then they curl back up on the couch to take another nap. ugh.
I feel like a sheep herder, but my sheep have vertigo – they keep going in circles or lying down. Well, today I told them times are changing. We have to all get up at the same time, get ready and scurry on our way.
Cade was the first one ready to go today. - Linda
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I don’t know how you ever get to sleep. I’d need to get up at 3 in the morning to get three kiddos off to school not to mention a teenager and a toddler.
- Lindsey
We use music CDs…. Big CD player that has an alarm clock is on a table in the main hallway outside the bedroom doors.
I make an hour long CD that is changed every week. Some songs will remain the same every day and they signal certain things to be accomplished.
An old alarm clock bbbrrringing is first (sound clip from I-Tunes)….followed Louis Armstrong, “What a Wonderful World”. A song called “My Father’s House” means get out of bed.
Then about 15 minutes of “weekly rotating music” while they get ready for the day. Silly songs, songs that have a kid’s name in it, sound effects or sound clips from their favorite movies are always a hit, H.S. Musical, Dean Martin, Tommy James!!! The kids are always extra excited on Mondays to hear the new rotation. Lately, I’ve even gone to School House Rock and musical multiplication tables and 2 minute fun facts podcasts off I-Tunes.
Then “Every Move I Make” signals to go to Mom and find out your breakfast options (or ask what you can make for your breakfast for our older daughter.)
Five to seven minutes to make a quick breakfast—filled with more “weekly rotating music”. I’ve started making this period instrumental”. William Tell Overture, Scotland the Brave. And their favorite “Flight of the Bumblebee” (Green Hornet theme for us over 40!)
Found a song called “Breakfast”. Go sit down for breakfast (be late and you have to eat a breakfast bar in the car.)
More fun songs during breakfast. Sometimes print out lyrics and we sing at the table. Another good time for the multiplication tables. I’ve also started to record the kids voices on the computer and run them thru Audacity (free) to alter their voices. “Three songs to go!” “Get your book bag!” “Get ready to go, last song!”. They love to hear how I change their voices all around.
Last song is called “Dive”…..meaning dive into the car, time for school.
We all have different ones for Saturday Soccer morning (”ole, ole, ole, ole!” and “We Will Rock You”) and Sunday morning get ready for Church.
We also do ones for going to bed every nite….a 30 minute CD….its signal song is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” at the start, at 15 minutes, and Garland’s version to signal “get in bed. (I’ve found Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson, and Tiny Tim versions!) And 84yr old grandma that lives with us loves the Lullabye versions of AC/DC and U2 that I found on I-Tunes!
Using these CDs has completely eliminated getting up and going to be problems for our family. Well….maybe 80% eliminated….but this Dad feels a little silly getting angry while The Yodeling Austrian is playing. If anyone has questions about all this, I’ll check back…..
Hang in there Linda, I’m cheering for you!