MORNINGS IN THE films generally look idyllic – everyone sitting around the kitchen table, joking, and drinking orange juice.

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We’ve found the reality to be somewhat different. From the organised chaos of trying to get kids out the door to managing to grab a bite to eat before you head off to work, mornings in the real world are a far cry from the movies.

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We asked around Journal Media towers to see what mornings were like in their houses, and this is what we found out.

Breakfast on the run…

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I’ve got three kids under five, so getting out the door is a bit of a mission. We make sure the kids all have breakfast, but us parents often just grab something to eat on the run.

The allure of the snooze button

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I always set my alarm with plenty of time to get everything done in the morning but… I always end up hitting the snooze button too many times and rushing around like a maniac.

Here’s one mam’s recap of a typical morning

Get yourself up with HOURS to spare, as you know you have to get all kids up, dressed, with lunches packed, with breakfast inside them, with proper bus fare, with homework in the correct bags, before you can even think about your own breakfast.

“Then someone needs a permission slip signed and a tenner for a school trip and you don’t have a tenner, or someone has left their gym kit somewhere unknown but needs it today for the cross-country meet down the country after school, and you have to text other mums to see if you can borrow gear… Every… single… morning…”

Must have coffee

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No matter what time I leave the house, I have to have my cup of coffee on the way in. Believe me, everyone in the office is grateful that I do.

Sound familiar? We bet it does. Send us a picture of what a ‘real morning’ looks like in your house and you could win €500. There are three prizes to be won. Simply tweet your photos to @thejournal_ie with the hashtag #RealMornings or email us at competitions@thejournal.ie. Competition runs 16 May – 24 July. Terms and conditions apply. Start your morning with Cheerios – they have no artificial colours or flavours, just whole grain and fibre, for a great start to your day.