Is the only way to a calm morning to get yourself ready before DC wake up?

[HolidayDjinn]

I just can’t do any of my own getting ready if they’re already awake. Three DC under 6 and on my own during the week. It’s just absolute chaos.

Is there a trick I’m missing? We don’t even do breakfast because I drop them to breakfast club at 0745!

If I'm dressed before nagging them to get dressed, they listen better, definitely.

But I have also started expecting them to be dressed before breakfast, which incentivises the whole affair, but this piece of advice is useless to you!

We use breakfast club as well, but it doesn't open until 8am. By that time they've been up for 2 hours and already eaten 2 bowls of cereal. I am raising hobbits.

single mum here so about to collapse now but bought multiples of uniform basics. Cuts down on the washing and its organised and ironed on a friday night. Same re enough for packed lunches where possible! Great suggestions above and I also keep £5 notes (£60 odd) handy with a pack of envelopes and trips/replies/forms get done as soon as he’s thru the door. It does help when they can shower or feed themselves independently I’ll admit.

The biggest one for us is get them dressed as soon as they’re up and then they go downstairs and they don’t go back up again. So teeth etc done in downstairs sink, anything forgotten upstairs I go get. Then the obvious stuff like no screens, have as much prepped the night before as possible, a list written on the wall of stuff not to forget. I also make them go play and sit and drink at least half of my coffee in peace.

The night before, you put out your clothes and their school bags/PE kit and your clothes, and set the table with bowls spoon cups and breakfast cereal.
In the morning you get up 15 mins before children, shower and dress then wake them; they get dressed and eat breakfast. Teeth, poos, coats, leave the house in good time to get to school.

surely at some stage you've held down a job where there was a regular fixed routine and timetable? It's not rocket science.

3 under 6 here as well (1 in year 1, a 2 year old and 11 month old). I get up at 7:15 (when DC wake) to leave for 8:30, so not too early. I shower the night before and sort everyone’s clothes though. School uniform ironed and hung up Sunday night (enough to last the week) so I can just grab what’s needed. I get up and do DC1s lunch whilst they all eat breakfast and then quickly get myself ready. Then get them all dressed, brushed teeth, hair done and shoes on one at a time but immediately after each other, like a production line. And whoever isn’t getting ready is sat watching tv. Otherwise it all descends into chaos and somehow they seem to lose everything they were just wearing.

Im a SAHM currently though, so don’t have to get ready for work, just make sure I don’t look like I just rolled out of bed. Not sure how I’d manage it if I had to get ready properly, I’d have to be up early.

If i got in shower it would wake them.
I shower while they eat breakfast throw some pjs on. Get them ready. Then i get hair done and dressed. I don't get dressed 1st as i get too hot and flustered and dc has cream to be applied and i tend to get it over me when dc doesn't co operate

I do get lunches made night b4. All Ironing done for the week ahead. Get clothes out night b4. Book bag. Water bottle ready.

Then morning is just my shower,. Kids Washes, teeth breakfasts dressed hair. Beds made, washed up, peg washing out,
We get up 7.30 leave 8.35 that's me, and 2 under 5 yr olds. As others have all left earlier and capable of sorting themselves

I cannot sit around even for 5 mins in the morning i only motivate if rush. Thankfully kids aren't like me. They get sorted then chill with tv.

Single mum here too but only one dd. We brush our teeth before breakfast and the rule is you have to be dressed, teeth brushed, hair brushed, beds made, laundry for machine in basket to bring down, PE kit gathered etc BEFORE you go downstairs. I basically don't want to see upstairs again till bedtime. I won't release the stair gate till it's all done. Not letting dd upstairs again is the key to leaving on time I've found.

Also find packed lunch less of a chore when I make it before prepping dinner or while stuff was cooking(e.g. while waiting for pasta to boil) as the kitchen only gets messed up once that way.

Same! Paddington is our cue to get our arses in gear and hit the road 🤣

Obv we do channel 5

It makes a massive difference if you can get up earlier than them. I massively struggle getting out of bed early though! I’ve found a hair wash and getting everything ready the night before and having a bare minimum routine for early morning (for me it’s face wash, moisturise, deo, get dressed, glasses not contact lenses and a little powder make up and mascara) all help loads. I work from home some days so am a slob on those days 🙈.

I still get up before my 14 year old. Just so I can have a quiet cuppa and watch the headlines before the whirlwind descends . Learnt to do this from when she was very young!

I agree no breakfast until dressed and ready. That's the only way !

I'm a single mum with two under 7, younger DC with additional needs so unable to do anything for themselves, and I have to support them with everything. Plus have the older DC morning that younger gets everything done for them so I have to help there too. I couldn't get myself AND them ready at the same time.

I'm out of bed at 5.30am every day, though occasionally if I'm feeling lazy, I lie in until 5.45/6am, but then I'm rushing around, which I hate. I get myself showered and ready, then check everything needed for the day is where it should be before waking the DC up with warm milk. I brush DC teeth, shower them and into uniforms before going down to breakfast at 7.15. Nanny arrives at 7.30am to take over as I have to rush out the door (or start work if working from home).

I lay out all clothes, shoes, kit and bags (both DC and mine), out the night before. Always. It can be a pain, but at times when younger DC has had a bad night and we all oversleep, getting ready in a hurry is not as bad. On the rare occasion I don't prepare in this way, it's a complete nightmare (e.g. I have to take younger DC in the shower with me as they cannot be left alone for any length of time while awake), and I remember why I do it.