(Ok, so I no longer work in residential treatment...but this used to be my day as a psych orderly...

7am Barely awake, drinking coffee, praying to god no client is up.

7:10am Small male client comes running full tilt boogie down boys hall and attempts to cannonball himself into the staff office.

7:11am I toss back rest of coffee with one hand while deflecting the small male client away from the office with the other. (Caffeine is now kicking in--that was my third cup of coffee since 5:30am)

7:30am Large-ish female client toddles up hall and demands a hug from staff. Hugs given. She toddles back down to her room to annoy her still sleeping roommate.

7:45am Most of clients are up and either showering, demanding morning hugs, or waiting to shower.

8:30am Same small male client (again) comes running full tilt boogie down the boys hall and attempts to cannonball himself into the staff office.

8:31am Again I deflect him with one hand while pouring out body wash for a waiting client. Other staff members are down boys and girls halls directing traffic, squashing gossip (girls hall only), and cheerleading clients into completing morning hygiene:

"When was the last time you brushed your teeth? This morning? Well your breath is telling me another story."

"Why are you wearing that grey sweater. You wore it the entire weekend with those jeans. Please change now."

8:45am Again-- small male client (again) comes running full tilt boogie down the boys hall and attempts to cannonball himself into the staff office.

8:46am Again I deflect him with one hand while monitoring clients eating breakfast. He is given consequences for continued refusal to follow morning routine appropriately. The client screams his displeasure at me, curses, cocks his fist to punch me, then runs down to his room, and slam his door.

8:47am Several of the older male clients on unit grow angry with the their peer who threatened me. "Awww, hell naw, that ain' right." "He can't be doin' that, Ms. Andrea. We're going to kick his little ass."

Those clients run down the hall after the younger boy.  I run down after all the boys and convince the older ones that my honor does not need
defending. "I've got it covered, guys."

The older clients head back to their bowls of Cocoa Puffs. I calm down the younger male client. He comes out of room and eats his breakfast. The rest of the male clients give the younger male the stink eye for the rest of breakfast.

8:54am Clients retrieved by teachers for morning classes. Ahh....bliss.

The morning by numbers:
Number of times I redirected small male client (aka the human cannonball)- more than I can count
Morning hugs requested- 9
Number of clients woken up, showered, and fed- 13 (all in under 2 hours)
Number of times staff cussed out by clients- 15 (mostly by the same three clients and usually when they are first woken up)
Fights broken up this morning-1
Nervous breakdowns by staff-1