How do you manage to get ready in the morning??

[redmimi]

Starting to wonder if I'm expecting too much to have a shower and put a bit of make up on in the morning.

Dd is just 3 and ds 17 months and it seems impossible to look and feel anything but a dogs dinner most days. Getting a bit fed up of it. I'm not really vain but especially on work days when I have meetings I'd just like to feel nicer.

Ds sleep is so unpredictable that whatever time I set my alarm he scuppers my plans. I have tried showering in the evening but feel a bit of a scruff the next day and have horrible hair that needs washing.

More often or not I have a shower with ds emptying the bin, trying to get in the toilet etc...then have to try and dry my hair with ds sat on knee or screaming.

Dh often leaves at 6 so can't help but even if he is around always manages a peaceful shower.

I know there are much worse problems but has anyone got any tips or is this just how it is when you're a Mum? Feeling really frustrated. Thanks.

[NormHonal]

I get up early with DH (mine also leaves at 6am) and my 2yo usually wakes then, so I put something for him to watch or play on the iPad in bed and jump in the shower then. Inevitably the 5yo then wakes up and my shower is to the soundtrack of the pair of them fighting.

I don't always manage to dry my hair before the school/nursery run, so still end up a bit of a mess.

[Chocotrekkie]

Cbeebies and toast or biscuits while you are in the shower.

Then after you come out cbeebies again while you get ready.

Or have a shower the night before and wash hair. In the morning wet your hair thoroughly and then blow dry it with mousse/gel while the kids are watching tv.

[mummyxtwo]

I put on mascara downstairs at the dining table using a compact mirror, while the dc's eat their breakfast. I alternate putting on bits of make-up with shovelling weetabix into dd2's mouth. Dd2 is 15mo and hates me being upstairs away from her (she stands at the stair gate, rattling it and wailing), so I get dressed while they watch cbeebies after their breakfast. I don't manage to shower in the mornings. Sometimes it all goes pear shaped and I'm still in my dressing gown with no make up on and dd2 has filled her nappy at the time we need to be leaving the house.

[Minionionionion]

We get all clothes out the night before and set them out in the bathroom.

I shower and dd plays with her toothbrush/bath toys or gets in with me.

If she is in with me I jump out and let her play while I get dressed quickly then she is out dried and dressed.

If she isn't in the shower we dress together (she dresses herself as I "help") then down stairs she watches tv while I make breakfast.

We do have a massive bathroom (old house so bathroom is one of the original bedrooms and that makes it easier. We are also just introducing a toothbrush timer so that keeps her occupied.

Dd is 2.4 by the way

[Orangeanddemons]

I can't believe that you really feel scruffy or have horrible hair if you shower the night before.

I dream of being able to shower and wash hair in the mornings, but just accept that I can't, as there's too much else to do.

[CatAmongThePigeons]

I shower in the evening and use my straighteners (in the kitchen). There's never enough time when the DC need help getting ready, so it's all about speed.

I have makeup downstairs and upstairs so wherever the DC are, I can get ready.

[starfishmummy]

I think you just accept that the shower may not be first thing. I usually just brush teeth and pull on the nearest clothes first thing and then get a proper shower/changed later on. If we are going somewhere its different obviously

[AmIGoingMad]

I find this whole thing impossible! I'm on mat leave at the moment. I'm going to have to get a plan together when I go back to work! DS is starting school just before I go bk and dd will be 9 months ish when I go back. I think that showering the night before, getting bags and clothes sorted the night before and getting up super early might have to be the way to go. The only thing is that the evenings are so crazy here too in not sure how I'm going to fit the prep for the following day in too!

[Orangeanddemons]

I also put my make up. Whilst sitting on the sofa so I can chivvy

[Shaxx]

Shower before dh leaves is the only way for me but he leaves around 7.30

[CatAmongThePigeons]

I think when you have to get to work/school you do manage, plenty of prep and make sure older DC can dress themselves as much as possible makes a huge amount of difference.

Prep is easy when you're in the routine, packed lunches sorted each evening while you prep dinner, uniform/work clothes/nursery kit on chairs before each person goes to bed. Get DC in bed, clean up, shower, dry hair, settle toddler DS again and bed.

This my routine, isn't much longer than 30mins overall. Practise, practise and age appropriate responsibility

[ToffeeJungle]

It is difficult and I can completely understand OP.

I'm quite lucky as the days both I and DH work, we tend to leave the house together so get ready in shifts.
On the days I don't work I can usually take a little longer to get ready and don't have to be as 'glamarous' so sometimes will skip a shower and hair wash and just do the basics (get dressed, brush hair).
If I do need to get ready properly when I have DS (aged 16 months) on my own we both have breakfast together then I take him upstairs with me. I shower whilst he plays in his bedroom / the bathroom, then I get dressed and do my hair. Sometimes I have to stop and give him some attention for a bit so will quickly read a book or play with him for 5 mins then leave him to it again. I then get him ready and eventually we're bioth set to start the day! It could take up to about an hour and half in total.

We are quite organised though and do some tasks the night before if we can, ie. make packed lunches, iron and put out clothes, pack bags etc. and at the moment DS is generally quite good at entertaining himself.

[bunnyfrance]

I've abandoned eye makeup and lipstick for this very reason. I probably look a mess.

[SleepPleaseSleep]

Have to admit I gave up on showers the day first dc was born. I get in the bath with them both in the evenings and just have a quick wash in the morning. Else- like you said- disaster area (mine are similar age to yours).

Get everything you can ready the night before. Beyond that, just try different things to make your life easier. Kids'll get used to anything!

I'm lucky being an sahm, sometimes I have gone out without brushing my hair to try and get eldest to kindergarten on time!

[ksrwr]

tv for me too. i wouldn't be able to shower or get dressed if it wasn't for the ipad.
i do my makeup at my desk, and let my hair dry naturally, there's no way i'd have time for drying my hair.
can you do your makeup on your journey to work/at work?

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

OP it is not easy. I'm a SAHM but I like to look presentable and getting myself and the DSs (5 and 2) out of the house is a mission.

It is getting easier now they are a bit older - hang in there!

I know exactly what you mean about the bad sleeping scuppering plans. I used to try and set my alarm for before the littlest would wake up, but then he would wake up earlier and it was just hideous.

I would say that at 17 months he can be left in his cot for 10 minutes while you shower.

My two have Cbeebies on the TV in our room while I go in the bathroom and get dressed. Now that they're a bit older they will play in their room or look at a book together.

I have everything for school and preschool ready the night before, except sandwiches which I make while they eat their breakfast.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

I should say - DH has mostly left very early for work since DS2 was born. He was/is often gone by 5.45/6am.

He now works more locally and leaves at around 7.15 - which is actually more of a pain because he is loitering around in the bathroom when I need to be in there In his defence he does give the boys their breakfast and make their sarnies :)

[firstpost]

For me a morning shower and some makeup is absolutely essential. Without it I feel grimy and frustrated and like the day hasn't started yet. I have a 2 yr old who has cbeebies on on in my bedroom and then six month old strapped into a bouncy chair next to shower. I then move bouncy chair to in front of tv while I do makeup. It's not a perfect system but it is a part of me being a happy person.

[Purpleshoes]

My dd are 5 and 3 ( but SN so she needs lot help), only manage with lots planning.
Packwd lunches except sarnies done nite beforw n school bags by door.
Everyone's clothes laid out in there rooms before bed.
Never wash my hair am as its v long n thick so too long to dry, always evening.
630am- alarm and i make packed lunches and cuppa for us, milk kids. If dd 2 is awake i let her watch ipad cbeebies while i do this.
715- me shower, dress makeup while kids play, have milk
730- dress them
745- bfast
800- clean teeth, shoes n coats on
815 - out door to school and preschool.
Lots of clpck watching but works if stick to timings!

[Ledkr]

One of the best things I ever did was put a small make up bag downstairs.
I can always do my make up when dd is pottering about.
I also shower at night then just blast my hair in the mornings and run the straighteners through it.
If I have work I often choose my clothes the night before as well.

[Orangeanddemons]

I long for a weekday morning where I don't have to do something every single minute of it. I remember pre dc, I used to get up at ten to eight, potter about, decide and iron what to wear, and be in work for 9.

Now it's up at 6.45am and non stop until we all explode out of the door like corks from a bottle at ten past eight. Feel very bitter that I would only have been up 20 mins at this time pre dc

[curiousgeorgie]

I second make up downstairs!

Once I come down, I don't go back up.

I get washed & dressed while the DD's are still in bed. Then make sure the school clothes etc are ready in the living room.

I bring DD2 (7 months) down and hangs her nappy and feed her a milk while DD1 has breakfast and wakes up with Disney Junior on.

Then I take the dog out into the garden and pack whatever bags etc need packing, then dress DD1 while DD2 jumps in her jumperoo.

Then I go into downstairs toilet and brush my teeth and put makeup on.

All takes about an hour and DD2 is never changed from pjs when we leave, I always do that wherever we are going or after the nursery run.

[unlucky83]

I used to stick my DDs in an old pushchair and let them watch me have a shower ...usually with something to play with but I used to make funny faces etc through the screen - guess only works if you have the space...
When I first went back to work and dd1 was 3 months old I found it took ages to get out the door and found myself up and down stairs backwards and forwards - so I wrote down everything I had to do to at the 'put kettle on, make coffee kind of level.... then I sorted it out into a routine. So eg on my way down in the morning I would take the nappy bucket and then put nappies onto rinse whilst the kettle boiled for my coffee (with enough water in there to have cool boiled water to rinse the sterilised bottles later etc) I then made the effort to follow it exactly and soon it became automatic and mornings much easier ...
The other thing I did was sort out 8 'outfits' for DD - and put them on hangers - so tshirt, pinafore, tights, cardi etc on one hanger. 8 so that she had something to wear on the day I did the ironing/putting clothes away. I just replaced whole outfits as she grew out of them/season changed (She had leggings etc in the drawer for her change of clothes bag to take to nursery - replaced in the evening if she came home changed). No scrabbling around for a pair of tights that didn't clash too badly with her skirt etc.
Coats & bags hung up and shoes off and on the rack as soon as they come in (learned my lessons when I 'lost' one of DD1s first (and only) shoes)
My other hot tip would be to deal with paper work/bills/letter as soon as you get them - check their bags when they get home from school and deal with anything straight away - forms filled in/money for trips etc straight back in bag, dates into calendar eg I do the lunch money on Fri...so then you don't end of losing bits of paper or a mountain to sort out...or rushing around trying to find change in the morning...

[honeybunny14]

I do everything at night when dcs are asleep i have my bath then blow dry and straighten my hair and sit all the clothes and shoes out for the next day then ill do my make up in the morning before dcs get up for school.

[Dancergirl]

OMG, you lot are mad!

Shower and wash your hair in the morning??! No. That time is for extra sleep.

My dc are older, one at secondary and 2 at primary aged 11 and nearly 7. I accept that I don't do much for myself before I take them to school. Get up, quick wash, dress, brush hair, maybe put some tinted moisturiser on. 10 mins max. Dc dress first, have their breakfast, I have a quick breakfast with them, 8.25 they go upstairs for teeth and hair, we leave the house at 8.40am.

I get up at 7.45. I would not get up any earlier to do my hair!