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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to refuse to have breakfast at 5am?

82 replies

Kveta · 21/09/2014 06:47

DC have been up since before 5, as per usual. They are ratty, I am ratty, DH is getting his second lie in of the weekend because I couldn't get back to sleep.

Anyway, they are pestering me for breakfast, and I am refusing, on the basis that 7am is as early as I can cope with anything handling food at the weekend. They have had a mug of milk each already btw.

DS (4) thinks I am being deeply unreasonable, and DD (2) agrees with anything he says anyway.

Since they have been unreasonable and comprehensively ignored the gro clock, and woken us all up anyway, am I being unreasonable to not make porridge before 7 a.m.?

OP posts:
whatsagoodusername · 21/09/2014 06:51

YANBU. But I leave dry cereal in toddler height cupboards so they can forage if they're really hungry.

tiddleypompom · 21/09/2014 06:53

If yabu then so am I. Distracting with juice & three grapes each till 7am having woken at 5.30. I didn't let them out of bed till 6am either - they have to stay & look at books. Meanie that I am.

AdmitYouKnowImRight · 21/09/2014 06:55

if they are hungry, then they are hungry. This is why they have woken up.

AndThisIsTrue · 21/09/2014 06:57

YANBU! 5am is too early for food. I try to hold off until 7 although I usually chuck some cheerios and blueberries in a bowl for DS then go back to sitting dozing on the sofa.

Sirzy · 21/09/2014 06:57

I would do something for DS, if he is asking for food he is normally hungry (he isn't a food pesterer!) and it's easier to do a quick slice of toast than listen to him complain!

Impatientwino · 21/09/2014 06:57

I always try and keep breakfast to 7am even if ds wakes early like today (thanks ds) because otherwise it throws the rest of the days meals off and we end up with him wanting lunch at 11!

Original poster
Kveta · 21/09/2014 06:58

we can't leave easily accessible food in the cupboards unfortunately, since we had a rodent infestation.

tiddley we have tried the 'stay in your bed until X time' thing, and they either scream, or fight and scream, or sing loudly, so it has been easier to just decamp to the sofa and ignore them until I feel more awake.

I wish my DC would sleep more though. They were awake until 8.30 last night, and will be yawning by lunchtime, but won't nap, and they are both shattered! However, they are the cards I've been dealt I suppose.

better go and make breakfast at this slightly more reasonable hour though...

OP posts:
purplemurple1 · 21/09/2014 06:59

I give mine some dry cereal and raisins and he can get to Apple's if needed.

yabu not to let them eat but yanbu not to make porridge.

Original poster
Kveta · 21/09/2014 07:00

oh, and I can GUARANTEE that they won't eat their breakfast anyway. Especially if I make them something complicated like pancakes or eggs or porridge.

OP posts:
Impatientwino · 21/09/2014 07:03

I always give him water and a banana as soon as we come downstairs but proper sit at the table breakfast is at 7 I suppose is actually what I mean.

startwig1982 · 21/09/2014 07:04

Ds (3) comes in around about 6 and always has a bowl of dry bran flakes to keep him going until proper breakfast time.

Explored · 21/09/2014 07:04

I wouldn't be cooking them anything fancy but I couldn't say no to 4 & 2 yos who were telling me they were hungry.

When mine were this age I (eventually) found the best way to cope deal with it was to accept that days do start at 5am. It does pass. Ds1 is 13yo now and we probably will have to wake him up for lunch, but there was one point when getting him to stay in bed til 5am was a result. I kind of miss those early mornings. We were often out in the fields for a walk by 8am on a Sunday morning. It was lovely.

gastrognome · 21/09/2014 07:12

I give mine biscuits for breakfast if they get up that early.

EverythingCounts · 21/09/2014 07:14

I would feed them rather than listen to them moan though I agree it should be something quicker than porridge.

I would go and get your DH to swap now. You might by now be able to get back to sleep and even if not, you get some quiet time in your bedroom.

insanityscratching · 21/09/2014 07:14

I would have given them breakfast rather than listen to them whinge tbh. Chances are they woke because they were hungry as it wasn't even light at 5am. My youngest is 11 now and so I usually have to wake them all for lunch now but did years and years (5dc with 16 years between oldest and youngest) of 5am starts. So much so that I wake at 5am anyway now and have the morning to myself.It becomes easier when you just accept that the day starts early tbh. I used to give mine breakfast as soon as they woke and a small snack just before 9am and then they'd be on course for normal lunch and dinner times.

Ledkr · 21/09/2014 07:17

Dd and I are in bed after 6.30 wake up. I have the and she has milk and bananas.

IAmNotAPrincessIAmAKahleesi · 21/09/2014 07:18

YANBU

5am is just too early to start the day, we have never let ours up and about that early and thank goodness none of them now wake till at least 7am (later on the weekends)

Just do what you need to to get by, lack of sleep is no fun at all. And yes definitely go back to bed and relax for a bit if its your turn for a lie in, even if you can't sleep

Willabywallaby · 21/09/2014 07:20

I didn't give mine breakfast at that age until 8am, otherwise all the meals for the day have to be earlier.

I would give a bottle of milk and they seemed to last. I think 7am is very reasonable.

LatteLoverLovesLattes · 21/09/2014 07:21

Do you give them supper? I would try a banana and some milk before bedtime, it can often help them sleep better/longer.

Brew

I would give them something to eat if they were hungry, but something boring until breakfast time - you don't want them to think if they get up early it's all fun, milk & cookies. TV doesn't go on either if you want to break the habit! Reward staying in bed until 'rabbit' says it's morning - make it chocolate if you have to!

Anewmeanewname · 21/09/2014 07:22

If they really are getting up at 5am every day, could you try putting them to bed later?

formerbabe · 21/09/2014 07:23

5am is still nighttime as far as I'm concerned...

slightlyconfused85 · 21/09/2014 07:24

Yanbu. I'm sure they were well fed for tea and if they've had a cup of milk then they will be fine. Perhaps they will soon understand that 5am is unreasonable for.getting you up! My dd wakes at 6ish but is not allowed up till 6.30, she still makes enough noise to wake the whole city anyway. We have breakfast at 7.30 onwards but she has milk early.

backbystealth · 21/09/2014 07:25

Warm milk and telly should keep them occupied til 7am. Sod the 'no telly' rule on the weekends - it was my sanity on Sats and Sundays.

3littlefrogs · 21/09/2014 07:33

Mine got up at around 5.30 at that age.
They were hungry.

I made porridge the night before, heated them a bowl each, drink of milk plus banana and some TV/Video (no Cbeebies or DVDs back then), out of the house to the park by 8am.
Early lunch at 12.00 then a nap usually.

DH worked very long hours/away so wasn't around for one whole week out of every 2, including the weekend. The weekend he was home he was so shattered he just slept most of the time.

It did pass - as does everything eventually.
Little tummies need filling frequently IME.

Explored · 21/09/2014 07:37

I don't get the go back to bed thing. Once you're awake, you're awake. You may as well get up and MN do something useful. Laying in bed cross that you're awake isn't going to make anyone feel better.