Small children - early morning chaos.

[ImFree2doasiwant]

I'm single, and have 2 dc aged 3 and 5. I can count on one hand the number of nights they've stayed over elsewhere.

I'm really starting to struggle with the mornings. Every morning I am woken up by one or both, I never get to wake up naturally. One will often cone in in the night and cuddle up and go back to sleep, that doesn't bother me. It's once they are both awake they are immediately on the go. They are noisy and active straight away and honestly it's starting to drive me mad.

I have tried so many different ways of dealing with it, and nothing seems to work. I end up shouting, and then they're upset.

I've tried setting an alarm so I can get up half an hour earlier and get a cup of tea and wake up properly in peace, but cant get as far as downstairs without one if them waking up.

If I wake up earlier than them, the sane thing happens, it's as if as soon as I move they wake up.

I don't expect them to lay in, it's just the noise and activity that is an assault on my senses.

Anyone found a way of dealing with this? Either with how to cope better with it, or how to get them to calm the fuck down.

Side note - the behaviour isn't terrible, they're just playing,it's just my inability to have so much business so early.

Adjusting bedtimes does work but only after about a week. They had a later night last night but no joy today.

I think I need to adjust me expectations, not attempt to lay around because it's the weekend. That said,if I say "right then, let's get up!" They complain! They like a "lazy" Saturday morning. I might just move it downstairs.

@FoxParty the 5 yr old is too smart for that I'm afraid! I'd have to do it after bedtime, and then he cones in in the morning and compared the time to my bedside clock, and fitbit.

@PamDemic no it's really not early! Ds1 had a year of 4.30 to 5am starts. But it was just him, and I was sleeping better so we just got up and on with it

I don't expect them to sleep later, just not be full volume/activity level the second they wake up. (DS1 particularly)

Do you have a tablet? Put a film on for them and you can turn over and doze a little more.

TV........
Mine are similar age plus an 18 month old who is usually the first up, she feeds in bed with me and that means I can lie down for an additional al 20 minutes. The other two play in one of the bedrooms where I can see / hear them and I make that last as long as I can... until tears usually. I Feel your pain.

I’m not quite sure what your problem is OP. Kids the ages yours are always wake up full of beans don’t they? And you’re quite lucky that yours sleep til 7. Let them watch a bit of kids tv while you have a caffeine fix in the morning and go to bed earlier at night is all I would suggest.

@Goodebe it's the tears/arguments. The 5 yr old would watch tv on his own, the 3 yr old would stay in bed/play but together they just get going and, well it's noisy in one form or another.

Have they got devices? My two are 4 and 7 and can be encouraged in the morning to play on their tablets before we fancy getting up. You do need one each - otherwise there will definitely be fights! - but it's a good compromise. We have kids kindles for each of them. The other advantage is that you can set how long/what time they can use it for.

We've got one kids kindle. Maybe father Christmas needs to bring a second.

This morning we've had a 5 minute cuddle then got up (Much as we do weekdays) wash and teeth and there gone downstairs. So far so good. I think maybe I need to give up on the idea of a peaceful lay in bed for half an hour (I don't mean asleep)

I am slightly trepid to admit it on here, but when my dc were those ages I was often working very long nursing shifts and getting back way after midnight, and the dc would be up at 5am. I used to leave a drink in a bottle, a bag of brioche and their tablets on their bedside tables before I went to bed so that I could sleep until 7.

If I had to get up i would doze on the sofa while they played. I'm aware this sounds terrible, but I so so incredibly tired!

We also took turns having a lie in on the rare days dp and I were both off work together (and the other parent might have an afternoon nap). Sleep when you can!

When mine were that age and we wanted a lie in on a Sunday morning, we would provide a little breakfast packed lunch at the end of their bed- they'd bring it into our room, we'd put cushions on the floor, kids tv on and they'd have calm time for at least 45 mins whilst we came around. We invested in some quality thermos cups that meant we had a steaming hot cuppa to wake up to and didn't have to get up and get (even moving out of bed would inevitably excite the kids as they were full of beans from stupid o clock!!)

It's so easy to say from the other side, but it doesn't last forever. My 8 year old sleeps til 9.30 on a weekend...was a 5.45am drum playing whirlwind toddler...

What have we come to when a nurse tentatively says she feels bad because she left food and drink with her children to get some sleep?

Op, shove tablet or TV on.
Get something lined up that will really grab their attention.