Hot Breakfast With the Crazies

When I was talking to someone, recently, and mentioned that I get up with my kids in the morning and eat breakfast with them, I was greeted with a rather annoyed response.  "Well, they're old enough to make their own breakfast.  Why don't you sleep in instead?"  Because I get this response more often than I'd like, I decided to dedicate a post to the balancing act parents deal with when their kids are a bit older. 

In my opinion, the main "beef" with parents that get up with their kids is the idea that we're babying them.  Oh believe me, not in the least.  I definitely DO get up with them.  I provide them food and sometimes I cook it for them. However, more often than not, they make their own oatmeal, cereal, waffles, biscuits, muffins or whatever else happens to be on the menu for the day.  For me, it's not about the idea that I need to "do" for them.  It's about the idea that I need to spent that time with them.  Maybe they'll talk up a storm.  Maybe they'll grumble and stare blankly.  The fact is that they get to know that Mom is available to talk.  It's a great idea to spend that time reconnecting with them and talk about what's coming up.  It's not about babying them at all.

Another complaint about this seems to be that kids need to learn to be independent.  I totally agree with this.  Could they wake up on their own? Absolutely.  Do I want them to wake their siblings with their alarm clocks as they incessantly hit snooze?  No.  My four are very independent all of the time and it's not less prevalent in the morning.  They get themselves ready and out the door without a million reminders. They are independent enough to do their homework and chores in the afternoon without a million reminders.  Are they kids? Yes.  Do they slack sometimes?  Of course.  However, I know a whole lot of adults that slack significantly more than my crazies.

The last issue that seems to be presented is that it's "spoiling" a kid to provide them with a warm breakfast every single morning.  There are two answers to this.  1-It's not a hot breakfast every single morning.  Sometimes we do cereal 2- A good breakfast is scientifically proven to help their brains focus and improve their performance at school. It's a great habit to get into. The same people that are convinced that it's spoiling them to provide them warm breakfast are often those that believe their little demon spawns are sweet little angels.

A morning routine with your kids is not for everyone.  If your family functions better without it, fantastic.  However, remember that starting good habits at a young age is the best way to provide a great chance at having great options as an adult.