[jurasource]

I "automated" (trained?) my kid to make her own breakfast at the weekends so I can sleep longer.

Started when she was around 4, it's easier now she's 7.

Lots of parallels with hacking code:

  * Specific rules (if there are more than 2 stars showing on your clock, it's too early to get up)

  * Trial and error (put cereal in a jar and loosen the lid slightly, put milk in a tiny jug at the bottom of the fridge)

  * Optimisation (if you don't want cereal, don't wake me up, but have a yogurt instead)

  * Enhancement (feed the cat, so it doesn't wake me up either)

I'm not lazy, sleep is important :)

[edited formatting]

[kek918]

LOL, I found this hilarious because my 5 y/o kid wakes me up when it's time for food. Definitely gonna "fork" your source here and try it out myself :)

[shanecleveland]

I have four kids now, and I learned this automation trick way too late. We helped our older kids with "activities of daily living" longer than we realized we needed to. Now or younger two are doing things on their own years earlier than their older siblings.

We've just generally found that our kids have been ready to do things earlier than we imagined. Each time we've made a transition, we look back and think "why didn't we do that sooner?"

[benji-york]

Animal training skills are key to parenthood.

[shujito]

can you elaborate on more details? seems fun/interesting

[jurasource]

Now I think about it, we started when she was about 2, leaving a marmite rice cake in a bowl outside her door, with a bottle of water (with a sports cap), that was just enough to delay her slightly.

As she got older, I'd put some greek yoghurt in a bowl with cling film over the top in the fridge, and a plastic cup of water with tin foil over the top and cutlery on the table.

Now I just say "no cartoons before 7", and she sorts her own water out, makes some bread and butter (don't trust her with the toaster yet) and helps herself to yoghurt.

She woke me up at 9 this morning, happy with that!