The Morning Chaos: When Nothing Goes as Planned

I rolled into the center just before 5:30 AM, excited (Not) for Payroll Monday, kick-off. With a Diet Coke in one hand and my phone in the other, I skimmed through emails, muttering responses that no one would hear (but would definitely deserve). The place was as peaceful as you’d expect at this hour—quiet, still, that eerie calm before everything inevitably went to hell.

With the center opening at 6:00 AM, I squeezed in a few replied emails and took a moment to mentally prepare for the day’s impending chaos. I had a plan—well, more like a hopeful outline. But even that would be short-lived.

Then, the first text came in.

“Hey, I’m so sorry, I’m sick and won’t be in today.”

One teacher down. Fantastic. Immediate classroom shuffle required.

A minute later, another notification ping.

“Stuck in traffic, running late.”

Because, of course.

And just to keep things interesting, another issue—breakfast was going to be late. Nobody ever wants to be the one to tell the Leads that breakfast isn’t on time. Some days, they take it in stride. Other days, they look ready to flip a table over a missing waffle. No way to know which version I was getting today.

As if that wasn’t enough—ugh, I hadn’t even started payroll! At this rate, I’d be lucky to get to it before lunch… or next week.

I took a deep breath and walked back to my office, mentally running through my list of priorities—who was here, who wasn’t, how many children we had, and whether I’d have a second to drink my Diet Coke before it went warm.

By the time I reached my desk, I had a plan—whether it would survive the next five minutes was another story.

I marched out of my office on a mission: find someone to cover the twos until the stuck in traffic teacher arrived.

The break room was my best bet. Sure enough, a floater had just walked in, barely putting her bag down.

““Hey, can you cover the twos? We’ve got some schedule changes—just until we figure it out.”

She nodded, already knowing the drill. Not her first rodeo.

Parents started trickling in. Just as I turned toward the hallway, a mom stopped me.

“Can we chat? I have concerns about my child’s classroom.”

Perfect timing. I glanced at the clock—breakfast check-in was in five minutes—but I nodded and gave her my full attention. I had no idea what her concerns were or how long this conversation would take, but what’s one more curveball?

Meanwhile, teachers were quietly peeking through the door, looking for the updated schedule—the one that still only existed in my head. I’ve mastered the art of non-verbal communication, silently answering their unspoken questions with a single look, all while nodding intently at the mom’s concerns. Of course, moving one person to cover a class meant the entire schedule now had to be reworked. Again. At this point, rewriting it was basically a morning ritual.

By 8:30, I had been sidetracked so many times I half expected to find myself in a different job entirely.

Surviving the Chaos: Prioritizing, Delegating, and Staying Sane

Some days, being a Director in an early childhood program feels like being the ringmaster of a three-ring circus—juggling schedules, calming the crowd, and making sure the show goes on, even when half the performers call in sick.

When everything is happening at once, here’s what I’ve learned:

✅ Prioritize what’s urgent. Staffing a classroom to meet ratios comes before emails or non-critical conversations.

✅ Delegate when possible. Senior teachers, assistant directors, and floaters are lifesavers on mornings like this.

✅ Stay calm and flexible. My reaction sets the tone for the entire center. If I’m flustered, my staff feels it. If I act like I have everything under control (even if I don’t), they’ll follow my lead.

✅ Some stuff just needs to be pushed to the next day. There are only so many fires I can put out before noon. Not everything is getting done today, and that’s okay.

Mastering Payroll Monday

I schedule no meetings or appointments to minimize last-minute chaos, especially on Mondays. I also check payroll on Wednesdays and Fridays to stay on top of corrections because the most they have to mess up is the Friday clockings. And let’s be honest, they will.

Embracing the Unpredictability

No two days are ever the same in this job. That’s what makes it rewarding… and mildly infuriating.

By 8:30 AM, things had settled. Breakfast was served, classrooms ran smoothly, and despite the rocky start, the day was back on track. The chaos had passed—for now.

In the middle of it all, I reminded myself: I still have to do payroll. Because, of course, I do.

What’s your wildest morning chaos story? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear how you survive your own circus!