To ask when it gets easier to get out the house on a morning?

It’s a lot harder when you’ve got multiple kids and need to get one to school for 8.45am. Sorry to say but one baby, and don’t need to be somewhere for a specific time, is as easy as it will get for a parent of young DC. Once I returned to work it was a stress trying to get to nursery for 8am and work soon after, with a 30-45 min drive depending on traffic. That got harder when DD came along, mat leave was harder as needed to do the school run, and then when I returned to work, had 2 places to drop off before arriving to work. I was also taking the train into london then too so had a commute to do then. Thank for the lord for the fellow nursery mums who were doing the same and were my train buddies. We still keep in touch even though our DC have all graduated this year from uni. Now I can just get the train to work myself, no drop offs. Bliss!

I found it got easier around 3/4 once they were toilet trained, no longer napping or needing feed.

i also did the one thing a day, ds would wake at 6, we would breakfast/ dress he would have a power around 830 then we would go playgroup/shop/ grandparents etc. He’d often nap on way back have lunch , a little play then he would go down 130-330 and I got a break. We kept that routine until he dropped his naps.

That’s my 3yo, but she’s not a primary school age child?

Not sure about the cleaning ip after themselves but it is definitely easier with a primary school child. They dress themselves, make their own brekky, brush teeth once they are 7… they don’t cry if you put them down, they don’t poo several times as you try to get ready, you haven’t been awake most of the night breastfeeding and walking them around, they dont end up wearing half their brekky if you micro nap for a moment because you’re so tired, you dont have to take nappies wipes sippy cup grippy toy change of clothes muslin with you… how could it not be easier with a primary school child??
im with the op, I was like that, just couldn’t get us out the door in the morning.

I think a lot of this comes down to what your baby is like, and whether you have other kids/responsibilities. My baby was very colicky and screamy for the first months and (still) hates the pram, so I had similar issues. She’s my first, so I was happy and able to prioritise her. If I’d had older kids I would have had to do things differently - we would have had to be up and out for the school run, for example. She was such a difficult baby in the first months that I’ve found everything easier and easier.

Oh my 😆

They don't listen when you tell them to go for a wee and put their shoes on

Then they want different shoes

Then they pick up at least five random toys and argue when you say they can't take the entire contents of the house with you to Tesco

Then they want the original shoes again

Then they need a wee

Then they randomly get distracted and wander off upstairs without a word

Then they need to tell you something vitally important that their friend at school told them about how the tooth fairy does her job

Then they want to draw a picture

Then they decide they hate Tesco and dont want to come so they try to negotiate buying donuts in return for cooperation when you already discussed the donut situation five times

Etc

Tbh it was fine I was lonely and bored at home by then stuck in with a baby

Wasn't great was it. Thank god it's got a bit better. Though harder in some ways aas so many parents have to go full-time from a young age. 2e managed to do a lot of juggling of part time hours and get by.

My eldest is34. Worked till 39 weeks , she was born at 42.hence ran out of MLby time she was 13 weeks

However I was working as a care assistant in a home for the elderly and quite a few of the other staff left earlier as couldn't cope being on feet all day. One girl has something with a " split pelvic something" from about 32 weeks and could barely walk and needed a frame. Obviously she had to start ML earlier

It would be easier in a sedentary office job obviously

It was pretty unusual though. My eldest is now 29 and I don't know anyone doing that. Most if us worked to 39 weeks.

If you needed to start ML early ( if unwell for example) you could've used 8 out of your 16 weeks before the baby was even born. Even more chance if it was late

Ermmm 8 weeks is less than. 2 months! I went back after 20 weeks with my first which was tough but not as tough as 8 weeks.

You're at home with your baby, enjoy the time. One thing a day is fine, in fact better than planning too much. Most people like to come home for naps, I did so my fay also revolved around that. Just relax, take it easy and enjoy the time ... it will go fast

I found it easier when we didn't have to take so much stuff every time we left the house and time everything around naps and feeds. Even easier when they get to the age where they can be left at home and it's a breeze now they're adults and have left home. Although they seem to cost more now they're adults 😂

Sounds as though your child is older than a baby if you are " explaining"

My DS went through an uncooperative stage at about 2.5 or 3. He ended up being dropped at nursery in his pyjamas once( had no reoccurrence of that behaviour) and nursery served breakfast so if he didn't eat at home they'd feed him.

Op, I feel you. I had a shower at 4pm today by the time I fed her dinner, high chair clean, kitchen clean, bath, book and bottle it’s 7.30 and I need a mother shower as little miss had to touch my hair with her weaning hands!! She also had to wipe her face on my top…. We also do 1 thing a day.

If you have a second and a toddler at home you just have to pop them in a pushchair or sling and crack on with it :-)

It definitely gets easier! My DD is 5 now and while there are still frustrations we can get out so much easier than when she was a baby. I think your days sound totally reasonable and similar to what I managed. I absolutely needed the cot naps at home so I could relax a bit and also get stuff done. As others have said, it all changes as their sleep changes. Just do what suits you.

You’re being too rigid with the routine. encourage naps outside the house in pram or in a sling and free yourself x

Everything counts as playing with the baby at this age - taking them in the shower, letting them watch you empty the dishwasher, lying them on the grass whilst you hang washing out, taking them round a supermarket. You don’t necessarily have to be down on the floor with some baby toys!

I found it easier to do as many things as possible at the same time as my baby.
We used to go out somewhere by 10am every day (PND meant I needed to get out and see other people).
So, I’d take her in the shower with me, once she could sit up ok. She played, I got washed, no need to have a bath later on. First milk feed was whilst we were still in bed, then have a shower, then breakfast together. Then go out. I fid a mixture of puree and finger food so it wasn’t as messy as BLW.

Unloading dishwasher I’d more usually do in the afternoon once she’d woken up from a nap. Sat her near the dishwasher and gave her things to hold and wave around (plastic sieve, wooden spoon) whilst talking about what I was doing.

That's a lovely thought but some days I can't get my little out on time, and yes I'm in fear of losing my job, but its a battle on many days, forcing him into clothes/car seats/no breakfast whatever the battle is, me enforcing it just does not cut it.
I have to get compliance to make it work, and tbh he does, if I explain the problem try harder.

What it has taught me as a manager is to go much easier on people with kids of whatever age, bc it can be tough.

Side note I am of the generation where we did what we were told or ........
I don't want my child brought up that way.

For the OP, I used to plan a trip out every other day at that age so you are doing better than many.

I find getting the baby out much easier than getting the older one off to school. At least the baby can be picked up...

One thing a day is absolutely fine, if that's what you're happy with. I've never been fussed about routines for the little ones. DC2 is now 12 months and I usually get up as normal (5.30am), have a shower and get ready while the kids are still asleep, sort the breakfast, dishwasher, whatever, then wake them and they have breakfast. I then get DC2 dressed while repeatedly telling DC1 to put some clothes on unless he wants to go to school in his underpants...once both kids are dressed and ready, I quickly wipe down the highchair and put on the robovac and get everyone out of the house. We used to walk DC1 to school while I was still off work and DC2 not yet in nursery. Nowadays, I get both in the car, we drive to a car park close to school, walk DC1 there, then I walk to nursery with DC2 and then make my way back to the car to drive to work.
DC2 used to just nap wherever and whenever she felt like it. I don't think she's ever napped in her cot and is now mostly down to one lunchtime nap. She does go to sleep like a dream in the evenings, though, and seems to have no issue at nursery, either.

One thing a day for me here too! Both when my son was a baby and now with my second. I hated the pushchair nap because he would always wake up as soon as I was home so I’d have to spend 1.5-2 hours out to guarantee he slept enough, otherwise he’d be tired and off schedule for the rest of the day. One activity a day is great, how many more do they need?! And you’re doing play at home for the rest of the day, sounds perfect to me. I too love the lunchtime cot nap, it’s always lovely and long and they have a great quality of sleep whilst giving me a bit of chill out time. I also used to (and do now with my newborn), get out in the morning for a park trip or something else and then lots of activities in the afternoon. I can’t imagine having to do a second trip, it’s nice to just hang out with them and play, sing, read etc. Not everything stimulating has to be an outing!

And when they find their shoes they'll be the wrong ones, or on top of odd socks - like one short sock and one knee high 😂