Then one day we reach the point and just have to say "Stop!" I know I do anyway and unfortunately it is happening all too frequently.
We recently went back to basics with the lunch box. Now it seems we have to go back to basics with breakfast too.
I was lucky enough to meet the lovely Professor Tanya Byron for a champagne breakfast up in London a couple of weeks back now. It was all a bit short notice but I juggled my diary to make sure I could attend, as I have always been intrigued by her. You might remember her from the Toddler Taming shows she did on TV, where she'd tame the kids from hell and explain to the parents where they were going wrong?
I nearly missed the entrance to this rather private club and just carried on walking on by. It was so non-descript the doorway with a teeny plaque on the wall confirming yes, this was the place. These places never cease to amaze me. Always reassuringly understated, yet highly private, these places always seem to just hit the mark perfectly. They couldn't have made that plaque any smaller...
I digress heavily...
With a champagne glass in one hand and my business cards in another, I joined the group of bloggers and contributors to the book "Breakfast - From our Family to Yours - Making Breakfast Easy", all mingling, talking breakfast and discussing the daily challenges that face us on how to get the kids to eat their breakfast before dashing out the door for school.
Now with 3 school aged kids at 3 different schools, timing and schedules are all important and it does need careful planning and attention to ensure each child heads out the door, dressed, (ok that should be easy now, they are all over the age of 10), fed, watered, with correct bags packed, musical instruments when required and lunch box in tow.
Now with hubbie frequently away things have slipped in our household somewhat and just before attending this event, middle man, or Spike as he's known, had developed a habit of coming down late, not packing his bag and then legging it out the door without breakfast...
I know, how can this happen? I can hear you saying this even before you've read it.
He is a sporty chap with athletic build, so not a good recipe to have on an empty stomach!
That's what I mean when I say I have had to reel everything in, stop, and get back to basics.
Back to simple living.
After the champagne we continued chatting and understanding that the book is based on other parent's experiences and knowledge. We sat down to a Heavenly breakfast: Toasted Crumpets topped with Smoked Salmon and Poached Egg with freshly ground pepper.
If you haven't tried this, you really must get some crumpets in, even for this weekend - some smoked salmon, fresh farm eggs if you can, some bacon. It's a perfect weekend breakfast and really only takes a few minutes. So now you can imagine, each weekend, we do eat like Kings!
If you're really not a fan, then try the crispy bacon with grilled tomatoes and mushroom.
Equally delicious...
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| Smoked Salmon on Toasted Crumpet, Topped with Poached Egg and Black Pepper |
So just like it says in the book, and I will give you the links to that in a minute, it is all in the planning. If I think back, my mother used to do the same.
Our routine as kids used to go something like this:
To bed on time. Everything in order.
Set the breakfast table the night before.
Have the school bags packed at the door ready to walk out with them, shoes all lined up, ready to slip into.
Pack as much of the packed lunch the night before and refrigerate, or have non-perishables all packed and ready.
That way I don't wake up on the back foot before I have even begun...
All these things are very simple and not rocket science but one of my motos is: the easier it is to do something, and the more it is part of the routine, or in your timetable to do it, the more likely it is to get done.
Now this can be for anything.
So I tried it.
I have been setting the table the night before, right down to all the cereal out, etc. Just the perishables left in the fridge.
I nag the kids over and over to pack their bags and now will NOT let them go to bed without packing their bags.
I refuse to do it for them. In my book, that is absolutely no help in the long run. They are old enough to be responsible and pack their own bags. When they are older, they'll have to do everything themselves.
If they need me to sign a letter or homework diary, they need to bring it to me, and they need to remember. I shouldn't need to ask.
It reminds me of the tough love post I did recently on parenting...
We as parents are here to help guide them and set them off on their way.
I have to keep reminding myself that they are really only with us such a short time before they go out into that big wide world... Scary thought. Just 3 years off that with my oldest...
So what's your breakfast routine like? If you want your own copy of the book head over to the facebook page of Warburtons and email them your book request.
Alternatively, here's one of the many breakfast videos on You Tube... and they really are that quick and easy to rustle up...
If you really are pushed for time in the mornings, we do have some breakfast2go lunchboxes on the shop
Let us know how you get on!
The Lunchbox Lady x