i swear some folks are just flatout lazy (radio, weather)

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by WPANative

Either you're telling one of your TALL, overexaggerated tales, or you leave without eating, putting on make up, using the bathroom, getting dressed, or all of the above.

I'm very low maintenance. I shower, dress, partially blow dry my hair just to get the moisture out at the roots (it dries in the car), makeup is 2 minutes, and I'm out the door in 30 minutes. The bathroom is only #1 in the morning. I don't eat breakfast at home. I'll give you that. I make a carnation instant breakfast drink and take it with me, or I make it at work and drink it at my desk.

My husband is out the door in 15 minutes, 20 tops. He showers, dresses like a fireman, grabs his keys and goes. No breakfast, nothing but #1, a shower and dressing. The man is efficient.

[sparrowmint]

To add to Hopes, it's about 45-50 minutes to me, including time letting the dogs out and back in. I guess the common factor is I also drink instant breakfast, or I eat later.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Hopes

It's the law to clear ALL snow from vehicles.

I realize that, and as I said, I've always brushed off all snow. But it's unlikely I'll get a ticket, versus the certainty my wife will scream at me if I do something she doesn't like.

Originally Posted by Hopes

As for your daughter making you late, she'll just grow up with the same bad habits if you let that continue. My children only refused to get dressed once. I scooped them up and dropped them off at the sitters with their clothes in a bag. One ride in the car not dressed is all it took. Children can't run the show when you have adult responsibilities. Her little tantrum about clothing is not worth losing your job.

I've done the scoop and place in the car (sometimes barefoot and not wearing a jacket) before. It's difficult to deal with morning tantrums because the advice they give on how to deal with them (give them a time out) actually plays into their desire to stall.

As much as I love my daughter, she can be incredibly frustrating, but this isn't the time or the place. Let's just say that despite repeated discipline, she still routinely tells us what to do. She's now apologizing after we call her on it, but she still does it.

Originally Posted by Hopes

Your wife not waking up on time isn't your problem. Wake her up and leave. Making it your problem means you both risk losing your jobs. If you are carpooling together, it's time to admit that isn't working. You live on a bus line. Use it. It doesn't take two parents to get a child ready and delivered to daycare. Both of you being late isn't a smart financial decision. One of you needs to be designated as the stable breadwinning provider for the household. The other one handles the kid stuff in the AM.

We don't transit together right now - I do take the bus, but I have to drive my daughter to school separately from my wife. But my wife is supposed to wake up an hour before me, and be out the door by the time I wake up with the baby. Often she needs my help with the baby in the morning (particularly if he wakes up before I do), so I don't get to sleep in until 6:30 often. But when she does, and when she turns off her alarm in the morning, it means I need to hold the baby while she's getting everything together, which in turn sets back my morning routine. I suppose I could just tell her "you're on your own wifey," but somehow I don't think she'd react too well to that.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by sparrowmint

To add to Hopes, it's about 45-50 minutes to me, including time letting the dogs out and back in. I guess the common factor is I also drink instant breakfast, or I eat later.

We do the dogs too. If I did all the dog stuff on my own, it would add an additional 15 minutes. So 45 minutes is right in line with what I do. My husband wakes up, let the dogs out to pee, and feeds them before heading to the shower. It just takes a couple of minutes. When I would wake up, I'd let them out to poop, leave them out while I get ready and let them in when I'm leaving. They're good on-command dogs.

Originally Posted by eschaton

I've done the scoop and place in the car (sometimes barefoot and not wearing a jacket) before. It's difficult to deal with morning tantrums because the advice they give on how to deal with them (give them a time out) actually plays into their desire to stall.

Mornings aren't for time outs. Mornings are for scooping them up and making them go. They stop the bull after they realize they're not getting anywhere with it. Barefoot and no jacket is nothing. I'm talking taking them naked, underwear or pajamas. Dressing the kids was the very last thing I did when heading out the door. Everything is done. They're getting dressed. If they put their arms around their chest and shook their head no, I scooped them up. I swear they only did it once---for many years at least. If they even tried it, I'd ask if they wanted to go as they were. They'd quickly get ready without hassle. When they were older it was a whole new ballgame.

Originally Posted by eschaton

We don't transit together right now - I do take the bus, but I have to drive my daughter to school separately from my wife. But my wife is supposed to wake up an hour before me, and be out the door by the time I wake up with the baby. Often she needs my help with the baby in the morning (particularly if he wakes up before I do), so I don't get to sleep in until 6:30 often. But when she does, and when she turns off her alarm in the morning, it means I need to hold the baby while she's getting everything together, which in turn sets back my morning routine. I suppose I could just tell her "you're on your own wifey," but somehow I don't think she'd react too well to that.

Huh? That's a complicated arrangement you have there. The baby needs to be held while getting everything together? I've spent my life being on my own getting out the door. I wouldn't make it a surprise. It sounds like something you need to talk about to formulate a better plan. Think about it in terms of whose job is the most vital to the household, has the best benefits, or which spouse is the most dependable worker or less likely to be fired. If you guys have a problem with deciding one job is more important, split the kids up and whoever sleeps in deals with their particular kid responsibilities on their own. I know too many people who have lost their jobs after being late for work because of parenting excuses.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by WPANative

I have a GTI whose Xenon driving lights come on the minute I start it up, but my dash won't illuminate unless I have the actual headlights on. That's hard to miss.

Driving lights and DRLs are not headlights. Indeed some DRL variants are too bright for in the dark. And sometimes there are no lights in the back with the DRLs. I once followed a VW with apparently that sort of DRL setup which was driving up a freeway onramp with only front lights at very dark night. More recently, it was a Chrysler who apparently could see and the dash was lit up but there were no taillights and only some kind of driving lights in front.

So how does that happen? Seems odd that I still have to mention but there are many modern instrument panel designs that are lit 100% of the time (only dark when the car is off) so can't possibly be used as an indicator in the dark anymore. Not to mention that some of the occasions (such as right now) it wouldn't be dark enough for the dash to matter, but you still need to have your lights on. (And it's still too bright out for automatic headlights to come on for most systems.) And for the cars without such an always-lit dash, you can add the people who apparently never look at the dash anyway. (Might have been the case with that VW.)

[shadowfax]

Morning routine does not include obnoxious tantrum throwing child...

Up at 5 am.
bathroom and feed the dogs and the cat
5:05 Take the dogs out to do their business
5:15 back in make a cup of coffee, eat breakfast, watch the morning news catch up on CD and FB
5:40 run out and start the car, get dressed, pack my lunch for work, make second cup of coffee in travel mug.
5:50. Lock dogs in their room and get in the car and drive...
6:30 arrive at garage
6:40 arrive at work. 30 minutes early.


I do my fuel runs after work and I shower before bed to save on my morning schedule. I am looking forward to having a little more time in the morning once I get moved.
Using turn signals is automatic, and yes even if I am the only car on the road for miles. Same for headlights when it is precipitating or dark.

The key is to be mindful of what you are doing and aware and to have a schedule that allows you a little wiggle room in case something goes amiss. If you want to have a smooth morning make sure you are in bed at a reasonable hour so as to be well rested and alert in the morning.

[WPANative]

Originally Posted by shadowfax

The key is to be mindful of what you are doing and aware and to have a schedule that allows you a little wiggle room in case something goes amiss. If you want to have a smooth morning make sure you are in bed at a reasonable hour so as to be well rested and alert in the morning.

Amazingly simple, isnt it?

[SammyKhalifa]

Well it all depends on whether I spend 15 minutes frantically pacing back and forth trying to find my car keys, like this morning . . .

[shadowfax]

Originally Posted by WPANative

Amazingly simple, isnt it?

And yet so few seem to figure it out. Or think that they are a special case and it won't work for them.

[Copanut]

I can do the three S's in about 15 minutes, then it's a 10 second walk to my office.

As to the OP, SCR is gonna love this. I was on 79 just below the Mt. Nebo exit when a SUV passed me with its rear window snow covered. There was a soccer sticker on the bumper and a Cranberry car dealer ship sign around the plate. I can only assume that it was a Soulless Cranberry Soccer Mom's SUV.

We need to tear that town down, n'at.