Strict schedule rules on school mornings

Getting the children up, dressed and fed for the first morning back to school can be tricky — now imagine having to do it nine times over.

Geraldton’s Lee and Erin Jamieson will be doing just that this morning as they rouse four of their own and another five foster kids for their first day back at school for all but one.

With five primary pupils, three high school students and a two-year-old, routine is something Mrs Jamieson can’t do without.

“Every morning we follow the same schedule, ” she said.

“We get the little ones up, dressed and their lunches packed before the kitchen gets overrun by the older kids.

“Then we get the older boys up, who are usually no problems. It’s the girls we struggle to get up, which is one reason we have a shower schedule to save fights over the bathroom.”

Just feeding all the kids is a big task, which the couple tackle by preparing and freezing dozens of lunches the weekend before school.

During mealtimes at home, the family has even had to come up with a custom dinner table, sitting the 11 members around two big dining tables joined together.

They will have a little more time to prepare meals now the kids are back to school, something Mrs Jamieson is quietly looking forward to.

“It has been a little bit hectic keeping them all entertained over the school holidays, so it’ll be nice to have the house to ourselves for a while, ” she said.

“It has been a lot of fun, though — we have been using the free holiday activities as much we can and the beach has been a definite favourite.

“Now, after the school run is out the way, it will just be us and the little two-year-old at home throughout the day.”

Back to the school routine, the couple is looking forward to crossing off a few of those put-off household chores.

“We’ll finally be able to get the house back in order without all the kids running around, ” Mrs Jamieson said.

“There have been a few chores piling up, so we’ll actually have the time to get to them now.”