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Original poster

Really early mornings with young dc, what do you do?

87 replies

Darkestseasonofall · 24/09/2020 08:32

My dc (1 and 4) get up at 5.30 lately. I'm working on pushing it back with later bedtimes etc, but getting nowhere fast.
If you're dc get up equally early what do you do?!
We need to be out of the house by 8.30 and I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that after breakfast and getting dressed there's an awful lot of TV going on and playing on the floor whilst I tidy up / shower etc.
It feels a bit endless, and a ti y bit neglectful to just leave them to their own devices, but I really don't want to get crafting etc when it's still dark.
What do you do about your very early rising young dc?

OP posts:
ReturnofSaturn · 24/09/2020 12:10

My toddler will be 3 in January.

I must be a terrible mum as I have a no getting up before 7 rule, I put him back to bed when he was woken up before that in the past Blush

Since its started staying darker recently he's been waking around 8ish. But during the summer he had a phase of waking at 6 or just before! I got blackout screens that actually stick to the window and it did the trick.

He goes to bed at 7.30 at night.

WeEE · 24/09/2020 12:15

My eldest had a phase doing this. She is 3 now, but if she woke up any earlier than 6, I would tell her that she could lie in bed next to me and watch telly. I wouldn't do any playing etc before that time.

With my 6 month old, I just put the dummy in 400 times and let her pull my hair out or stick her hand in my mouth to entertain herself while I continue to half sleep.

Probably a bit harder with a 1 year old though maybe. I would definitely just let the 4 year old watch telly until it's a reasonable time to get up (I sound like Mum of the year don't I 😂).

dollyknocker · 24/09/2020 12:19

TV and cuddles! It's the only way. I know it feels endless but it won't last forever I promise.

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Kittykatmacbill · 24/09/2020 12:22

Ha mine would get up early for the TV, if yours can play and not fight whilst you shower (mine can barely do that now), I’d leave them to that.

SerenaJones · 24/09/2020 12:36

You have to be careful that you don't reward them for getting up, otherwise it will go on forever. 4 year old could be given a gro clock and told that has to stay in bed until 6am. I let mine look at books, but she has to be in bed until 6 (which is what I consider morning). 1 year old is more difficult and depends on how much shouting you get. If happy, I'd leave in room until 6am. If not I would sit in darkened room until morning. I have been through this and did resort to the 'resetting' technique, which involves putting them to bed really late for a few days and exposing them to lots of light during the day.

Yukka · 24/09/2020 12:36

Yes I call it 'lolling about'

Tv, breakfast, self play till about 7:15. Then shower, dress. More lolling about till we leave at 8:30

You're doing great!

Motherofmonsters · 24/09/2020 12:38

I take DS 3 downstairs and put the tv on for him and go back to bed for an hour. The front room has a baby gate on it and everything is put out the way so he cant get up to mischief. He just plays with his toys and watches TV. Ive got half an ear listening out for him but i dont have to sit with him

Redwinestillfine · 24/09/2020 12:40

Gro clock. Go in say 'it's night time' and settle them back under the covers and leave. Repeat.Repeat.Repeat. They'll get it eventually. Mine know 7am is my acceptable getting up time. Anything before this is the middle of the night!

MagpieSong · 24/09/2020 12:41

I usually let DC do playdoh/duplo similar. He's always woken early and if he goes down late, he wakes early and is just crosser than normal! If everyone's dressing/washing etc. he'll play in his room (but that's a recent thing) and I expect him to get himself washed and dressed for school before breakfast (5yo). I catch up on various things (get laundry on etc.) and try not to mind as I was the same as a child. Also, we got some ducks, so now we've added hunting for eggs to the morning. When we get a dog, we might do an early morning walk when we can, as there's spare time in that slot of the day.

Frazzled2207 · 24/09/2020 12:46

Get a groclock. Takes them a while to get their heads round it but is so worth it. Mine are 5 and 7 now and know they’re not to disturb us until 7.40am- ever! Start with 6am and move it later.
I wouldn’t be getting up before 6.30. Bring them into bed with you for cuddles and a doze if necessary. They will eventually sleep in later, promise.

Wherearefoxssocks · 24/09/2020 13:11

It's not neglectful if you don't fill every minute of every day with activities. Leaving children to play is important. It means that they develop their imagination and problem solving skills. My DM is a cub leader and she said that it's very obvious which children have been guided in everything. They can't think for themselves. Independent play is a good thing, especially at 5.30 in the morning! Get the toys out, stick CBeebies on and leave them to it.

DelurkingAJ · 24/09/2020 13:16

If you do get a Groclock...learn from my mistakes. Do not leave it within reach (they will learn to reset it), do not leave it on a shelf they can climb (they will scale the wall to reset it) and do not leave the plug cord on show as they will simply unplug it and claim it never worked and they’re up now. Argh!

Kittykat93 · 24/09/2020 15:33

Motherofmonsters - why don't you just lie on the sofa with your eyes closed? I really wouldn't be comfortable going back to bed and leaving a 3 year old downstairs unsupervised.

movingonup20 · 24/09/2020 15:38

I taught them to get up later. Takes a few weeks to adjust them (we had to travel a lot and time differences caused us to have to adjust them a lot)

Original poster
Darkestseasonofall · 24/09/2020 16:15

Thanks for all the reassuring messages that everyone does the same Grin.
Dc2 is not quite one (but said he was for the ease of reading) so far too young for a groclock unfortunately.
I think I'm going to try to push bedtime back by 10 minutes a night til we're at about 7.45 and see if that helps. If he still wakes at 5am I might just move out and not leave a forwarding address.

OP posts:
yearinyearout · 24/09/2020 16:18

Think yourself lucky you've got on demand tv, when my DS was getting up at 5 every day we had to sit and wait for Sesame Street at 6am 😂

Just bring a blanket down and cuddle in front of the tv or with story books until a reasonable hour. It's too early to do much else.

Kanaloa · 24/09/2020 16:49

Watch telly and relax. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a bit of telly and I couldn’t face crafting or doing activities at that time! If they were a bit older (early school age) I’d probably tell them to play alone quietly until a more reasonable time.

Mumratheevergiving · 24/09/2020 16:59

Sleep deprivation is awful. Coffee and cbeebies until they eventually grow out of early rising.

User24689 · 24/09/2020 17:10

Solidarity.

My DS woke at 4.30 for a year between about 12months and 2. I used to just give him a cup of milk and snooze next to him on the sofa til 5.30 while he watched an hour of Bing (every day for a year!) And have no regrets or guilt! That was as long as I could keep him quiet before he would become restless and wake my other child and they would both Potter about/ watch cbeebies. I introduced a gro clock at about 2.5 and we also set some proper boundaries around sleep/ his frequent night waking at around the same time. His clock turns yellow at 6. We repeatedly (but kindly!) returned him to his room for about a week before he got it and he now sleeps through until then. My eldest also knows that 6am is the boundary and will read in her room if she wakes before then.

At the ages you've got, it's about survival and you're doing absolutely fine. I just wanted to post to say that it does get better and if they don't magically start sleeping later they are better able to understand/ follow rules around mornings when they get older if you want to set them.

Hang in there! And don't even consider crafting at 5.30!!!

TheVanguardSix · 24/09/2020 17:14

My DS woke at 4.30 for a year between about 12months and 2. I used to just give him a cup of milk and snooze next to him on the sofa til 5.30 while he watched an hour of Bing (every day for a year!) And have no regrets or guilt!

I have PTSD just reading this. I can actually feel this memory. Grin

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 24/09/2020 17:45

When my LO was 1 she went through a lovely phase of up between 4.30-5.30- stuck her in this baby sitting contraption infront of the tv and snoozed next to her. Now she’s 3 she comes into our bed between 5.45-7 and watches tiny pop- I have a no “downstairs” before 7 “rule”....oh well she’s surviving, us too!

pigeonsfeather · 24/09/2020 17:46

@ReturnofSaturn

My toddler will be 3 in January.

I must be a terrible mum as I have a no getting up before 7 rule, I put him back to bed when he was woken up before that in the past Blush

Since its started staying darker recently he's been waking around 8ish. But during the summer he had a phase of waking at 6 or just before! I got blackout screens that actually stick to the window and it did the trick.

He goes to bed at 7.30 at night.

Isn’t he cold and wet or thirsty?
zafferana · 24/09/2020 17:50

Mine always watched TV when they got up early. Milkshake (C5) or CBeebies from 6am (often I'd switch between the two, as they/I didn't like all the shows). I'd get them some breakfast around 6.30 and I'd potter about getting ready for the day. Unless you're an early bird don't beat yourself up for letting them watch telly!

elvislives2012 · 24/09/2020 17:52

Oh god I remember this stage. I idea to lie on the sofa and doze whilst they watched some sort of shit on the telly

elvislives2012 · 24/09/2020 17:53

*used

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