Juniper just turned two last week. I can hardly believe it, but here we are. So many people told me that time would fly by when I had a child of my own, but wow, I did not realize the extent until I experienced it myself. Time truly did speed up the moment I became a mother. With that, here’s the current morning rhythm for my two year old and I.
First, I want to paint a picture in your mind. Spring is in the air. Fresh cut grass fills our noses. The sun is shining for the third day in a row. The birds are singing in unison. The wind sweeps across our faces.
I mention the season because, well, it’s important. When we live in line with the seasons, our daily routine changes as the earth shifts from one season to the next. We allow the earth to be our guide, and we simply follow suit.
Wake with the sun
Lately the sun rises right around 6:30, although there are days when juniper is still snoozing at 7:30. We don’t wake up to an alarm. Instead, we let the sunshine fill our bedroom until our eyes can’t help but open. This is my personal favorite way to wake up.
You’ll notice I don’t get dressed right away, more on that later. My favorite waffle bathrobe has become my morning uniform.
Morning snack when we wake
As much as I’d love to be someone who’s hungry immediately upon waking, I just haven’t been thus far. I’m hoping that will change as I continue to balance my hormones, but a morning snack is what’s working for us right now. This holds over juniper until mama gets hungry a little later in the morning.
Mix bread // feed sourdough starter
Some people joke that having a sourdough starter is a full time job, and there’s some truth to that. But my goodness is the fresh bread worth it. This is usually done with juniper by my side. It’s only a matter of time until she’s feeding our starting and mixing bread all on her own.
Start a load of laundry
Everyone does laundry a bit differently, but I tend to get overwhelmed if I let it pile up. Doing a little bit every day allows us to have less clothes, as they’re not sitting in a dirty clothes hamper for days. I’ll admit that I have days where I miss my daily load, but this rhythm allows me to skip a day or two and not have it get too out of hand.
Put a bathrobe on and get outside
Both juniper and I adore our outside time. This morning, she put on her rubber boots (on the wrong feet might I add) and got outside the moment she woke up. This is my opportunity to ground myself, listen to the birdsong, and get morning sunlight in my eyes.
Eat a protein-rich breakfast
This tends to happen around 10am. It usually looks like a piece of sourdough bread, some bacon from the farmer’s market or sausage from our own flock, along with some fried eggs from our neighbor’s chickens. Juniper and I always eat our meals at the table together, although sometimes we’ll take it outside to enjoy.
Rinse breakfast dishes
Tell me, are you someone who does dishes many times per day, or do you leave them all for the evening like me? Dishes are my least favorite chore, so I like to try and keep them rinsed then my husband or I will do them when we’re both home. It tends to go faster that way, I find, but I’d be curious what other folks’ routines look like. We don’t have a dishwasher, otherwise I’d certainly load them in after every meal.
Get dressed
I often don’t get dressed until 10:30 or 11. This may be different than the norm. But I’ll tell you, I spent years trying to mold myself to fit other peoples’ morning routines. And it never truly worked. It felt forced and clunky and just overall not aligned.
I’ve spent a lot of time wishing I was someone who would wake up and immediately get dressed, but that’s just not something that I prioritize in this season of my life. I’d rather throw on a bathrobe and enjoy my cup of coffee while it’s hot than enter the realm of decision fatigue by deciding what to wear first thing upon waking.
Final thoughts on our morning rhythm
Does this happen every single day in exactly this order? Absolutely not. Just like everyone, we occasionally have tantrums and sometimes we have to be out the door by a certain time. But overall, I try my best to keep our mornings slow. That way we can savor the moment as much as we possibly can.
I’ve found that when we’re not rushing through life, my toddler is content far more often than not.
There it is, the morning rhythm for my two year old and I—one that works for us and likely only us. I challenge you to take this as inspiration, but most importantly, find what works for you and your family during this season. And don’t get too attached, because it’s sure to change when next season rolls around.
