Secret Lives of Moms: How We Start and End the Day

Every Mom out there starts and ends her day in different ways, different times, and with different rituals. I thought it would be great to hear how some extraordinary moms I know spend those times so I asked… 

"What does the first hour and last hour of a typical day look like in your life?" 

And this is what they said. 

"First: I usually wake to the sounds of my kids stirring around 7:15 in the monitors. I lay in bed, check email, social media, and the news. After a quick brush of my teeth and maybe a comb through my hair. I get bottles ready and slam a cup of tea. 

Last: Usually polishing off my second glass of wine with the husband after binge watching something on Netflix. Sometimes I have the strength for a quick face mask, otherwise it is my usual skin care routine and eyes closed by 10pm." 

"First: I wake up around 7 to my oldest. We get up, I make him breakfast and proceed to pump in anticipation of my youngest waking up. I then feed my youngest. 

Last: I brush my teeth, wash my face, and curl up in bed with my trashy gossip magazines."

"First: I try and get up by 5:15, get myself dressed and ready (or at least presentable enough for school drop off ☺️). Then head out to the kitchen to down a cup of coffee and unload the dishwasher. If I'm lucky I can eat my eggs in peace before the first kid wakes up! 

Last: Finish up a glass of wine and TV show with the hubby.  Then jump in the shower, read a few pages in my book or browse Instagram, and lights out by 9:30!"

"First: Lately, it's been a 5am wake up around here from a screaming baby ready to start the day. The first hour of the day involves feeding her breakfast, letting the dogs out and feeding them and maybe squeezing in a quick potty brake for myself...if I'm lucky. 

Last: Wash my face and brush my teeth around 8:30 and get into bed with the intention to read my book. Instead I usually spend about an hour watching tv and scouring blogs and social media on my phone before passing out."

"First Hour: My life has changed now that my son is sleeping through the night (12-5 is sleeping through the night, right?). So as a new mom, feeling chipper and refreshed at that 5 am "first cry" is an understatement.

Last Hour: My last hour of the day is spent feeding, burbing, changing diapers and giving my husband the evil eye across the room because he is fast asleep. "

"First: People think I'm crazy because I wake up super early to workout and get my day started. What they don't realize is I wake up, and for at least that first 45 minutes of the day, I do nothing but sip my coffee, read my emails, and answer to no one but myself. It's my "me" time.  

Last hour of my day usually involves me collecting random escapees from their bedrooms and putting them back to bed, followed by laying down, and reading myself to sleep."

"First: Alarm at 6:05... Snooze... 6:15 check FB in bed...give loud annoying cat treats. Shower... Do hair, get dressed. Open child's door. Tell hubby to get up. Attempt to Do makeup. Tell hubby to get up. Tell kid to wake up with sweet kisses. Tell hubby to get up! Make coffee. Finally do make up at 6:40 :) Hubby gets up kid on potty, teeth brushed, dressed. I do kids hair. Put my lunch and kids snack together. Make travel coffee mug! Scramble to leave by 7:05-7:10 DONE!! That was exhausting. 

Last: Fall asleep on couch...@9 bitch to get off couch @10 . Brush teeth. I have learned to wash my face immediately when arriving home from school because I don't have the energy at night!!  pass out."

"First hour is me crawling out of bed anywhere from 6:15 to 6:45.  Make the bed, brush my teeth, wash my face, get dressed.  Warm baby's bottle, then toddler's.  Depending on which one is up first, make their bed, get them dressed then get the other.  We then have our morning bottles on the couch watching Wild Kratts or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  Then I start making their breakfast, however I try to sneak in "mommy's yucky coffee" at some point.

The last hour is picking out what I will wear in the morning, brushing my teeth, washing my face, changing into my PJ's and hoping in bed to watch Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives or something we have already DVRed. "

"First hour:  Wake up between 6:30-7am. Get dressed. Try to do something with my hair and a little makeup if I am not working out that day. Downstairs by 7. Make coffee and lunches. Hubby takes care of breakfast prep for kids. 1/2 hour of TV for kids, then they dress, brush teeth and do hair. Socks and shoes on, backpacks loaded, and out the door at 7:55 for school drop offs.

Last hour:  9:30 or 10pm. Brush teeth. Face regimen. Watch news or Friends." 

"First: My 9 year old is our alarm clock. Soon after he visits us I get up and run for the coffee pot so I can have some before the baby wakes up. School days I make two lunches and three breakfasts and throw on whatever I can grab first to wear for drop off. Baby usually stays in Jammie's and we hit school looking like mommy and baby Frankenstein. Weekends I cuddle with our baby in the bed as long as we can. 

Last: Laying in the couch with my husband watching a show and periodically telling our daughter to get back in bed. She's our night owl. We make an effort to spend time the two of us but usually I end up asleep 5 min into the show."

"First: I wake up around 6:30 and can hear my husband and son downstairs.  I lay in bed barely moving until they come upstairs soon after.  My son and I lay in bed with cartoons on the tv while my husband showers and gets ready for work.  I'm lucky that most mornings my husband wakes up with my son.  If my husband is surfing or out of town than I'm woken by my son around 6:15 in which case I promptly bring him back to bed with me.  He watches cartoons for about 30min while I lay like a dead body until we get up and shower.

Last: I'm normally on the couch for the last hour of the day (8:45-9:45ish) watching TV until I go upstairs and brush my teeth and put on PJ's. I try and be lights out by 10pm. "

"First: I haven't slept very well this pregnancy, so sometimes I wake up when I hear my toddler stirring in her crib (around 7am), but often I'm up when my husband gets up (always by 6am) and catching up on email and social media updates from bed until it's time to get the little one.  Once we're both out of bed, I always grab her a cup of milk and let her watch a show on Sprout while I get myself a cup of coffee and then the day really gets rolling by 7:45.
Last: Usually on the couch catching up on some previously recorded show until one of us (myself or the hubby) starts nodding off and the other makes the call to head up to bed (always by 10pm). Brush teeth, wash face, try to slop on eye cream and or a quick exfoliating treatment, then moisturizer, and take prenatals (ugh). Proceed to pass out until I have to get up to pee (twice a night😢)

Now that I've written this down, I actually feel like I need a morning and evening activity makeover... But with #2 coming in a few weeks, I'll probably just stick to the basic survival techniques. Que sera"

What does the first hour and last hour of your day look like? Would love to hear it! 

xo

Erin