Morning Adventures and Its Impact on My Flow

I am the site coordinator for Morning Adventures at Brookhaven Elementary.  Frankly, I thought I was insane to take this position, which meant I would have to wake up at 4:00 in the morning.  I predicted I would be dragging bottom by noon, which is not unlikely considering that beforehand I was beat my 3:30.  Still, I agreed to the position because I knew parents were desperate for before-school care.  I remember very well the days of worrying about my own children's morning care when I worked at the public library.


To my surprise working these extra hours has been energizing.  I use the quiet times when I have one or no children here to work on shelving, reports and the AR display.  This reminds me of how I used to get to Central Preston Junior High an hour before everyone else, just to have my Diet Pepsi and quiet time. The quietude of the early morning has proven to be quite productive for me.


Of course the quiet does not last for long.  By 7:15 I have children piling around my desk, looking at my cell phone or asking to help check-in books.  The kids need the extra attention, and I am happy to oblige, even if I do think I should have had more Diet Pepsi beforehand.


Getting up at 4:00 a.m. has not made a huge impact on my time at home.  Yes, I go to bed an hour earlier than normal, but there were many times last year that I fell asleep at 7:00.  That sounds so pathetic!  While I am mindful that I do need a full eight hours sleep, I have to make myself turn off the laptop, the lights and TV at 8:00.  I think this is a positive change.