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I can understand getting the kids up for elementary school (especially if they're very young) but even when I was in 5th grade - I was getting up myself, eating

I can understand getting the kids up for elementary school (especially if they're very young) but even when I was in 5th grade - I was getting up myself, eating breakfast I made, and walking to school by myself. My parents were frequently gone by the time I woke up because they had to be at work before I had to be at school. In middle school (6th - 8th) - it was no different for the rest except that I walked or biked across town. High school was a bit closer but I still walked or biked. Bus was an option but I skipped it because it took too long (I was the first stop on a long many stop route). Obviously, if they need transport because you're 5+ miles away and there's no buses then I understand transporting them takes a lot of time. Regardless, shouldn't your children be somewhat self-sufficient by 10 years of age? You make it sound like you have to do everything for them for it to take 3+ hours every morning.

irrational 7y ago
I'm a nightowl, and so are my kids. They will happily stay up to the early morning hours reading. Getting them out of bed in the mornings is a major pain in the butt. But, they will happily sleep in and miss the start of school if I'm not there.
- bradlys 7y ago
  But isn't learning how to get up in the morning a part of growing up...? (Same with going to bed on time) Couldn't it be taught just like cooking their own food and grooming themselves? I learned pretty quickly the consequences of tardiness by getting detention, lower grades, etc. Now - if they don't care one damn about school then I think that's a separate problem and them avoiding school by sleeping in is just highlighting a separate problem. If they have a really hard time getting up every morning and can't sleep at night then they could have insomnia and do well with at least some acknowledgement of it. I suffered with insomnia for over a decade. It was due to horrible amounts of stress. Back to you: If they're always expecting their parents to wake them up every morning - how are they going to fare when (if?) they move out?
  - christophilus 7y ago
    I was just like the kids the op described. Turns out, I never could make it to early college classes (so I got Cs in anything pre 9AM). I quickly learned to only sign up for later classes. Then, I entered the workforce as a software engineer, working for companies where I could head in late. Life’s worked out ok for me. Turns out, you can live a perfectly happy life in which others don’t dictate your morning routine.
  - lazyant 7y ago
    yes, middle schooler and more so high-schoolers should be responsible enough to get up in the morning and be ready by themselves.
- jefftk 7y ago
  My kids are 5y and 3y, and the oldest has just started kindergarten. I'll wake them up if need be, and then if they're ready for breakfast on time they each get a penny. Boy do they want that penny! With older kids I would imagine some sort of just "here's an alarm clock, getting up and ready for school is your job" would work, but I've never been a parent of older kids ;)

irrational 7y ago

I'm a nightowl, and so are my kids. They will happily stay up to the early morning hours reading. Getting them out of bed in the mornings is a major pain in the butt. But, they will happily sleep in and miss the start of school if I'm not there.

bradlys 7y ago
But isn't learning how to get up in the morning a part of growing up...? (Same with going to bed on time) Couldn't it be taught just like cooking their own food and grooming themselves? I learned pretty quickly the consequences of tardiness by getting detention, lower grades, etc. Now - if they don't care one damn about school then I think that's a separate problem and them avoiding school by sleeping in is just highlighting a separate problem. If they have a really hard time getting up every morning and can't sleep at night then they could have insomnia and do well with at least some acknowledgement of it. I suffered with insomnia for over a decade. It was due to horrible amounts of stress. Back to you: If they're always expecting their parents to wake them up every morning - how are they going to fare when (if?) they move out?
- christophilus 7y ago
  I was just like the kids the op described. Turns out, I never could make it to early college classes (so I got Cs in anything pre 9AM). I quickly learned to only sign up for later classes. Then, I entered the workforce as a software engineer, working for companies where I could head in late. Life’s worked out ok for me. Turns out, you can live a perfectly happy life in which others don’t dictate your morning routine.
- lazyant 7y ago
  yes, middle schooler and more so high-schoolers should be responsible enough to get up in the morning and be ready by themselves.
jefftk 7y ago
My kids are 5y and 3y, and the oldest has just started kindergarten. I'll wake them up if need be, and then if they're ready for breakfast on time they each get a penny. Boy do they want that penny! With older kids I would imagine some sort of just "here's an alarm clock, getting up and ready for school is your job" would work, but I've never been a parent of older kids ;)