To wonder how parents of toddlers manage to look perfectly groomed!

[Anon8604]

Being a complete scruff myself I often notice that other mums at the playground or play groups seem to look a lot smarter than me. I see them chasing around their toddlers with perfectly blow dried hair and a full face of make up (the mums, not the toddlers ) and I can't help wondering how the they're managing it?

If I try to put on make up or blow dry my hair in my toddler's presence it will most likely lead to make up spilled on the floor and me sporting a pair of panda eyes thanks to dodgily applied mascara. My DH looks after DS in the morning while I shower and get dressed but he has to go out to work so I wouldn't expect him to hang around for ages while I do my hair and make up. These two facts combined tend to mean I wear no make up and my idea of doing my hair is to put it up in a ponytail!

So, given that I imagine my circumstances aren't unusual, how are all these other mums managing to look so unreasonably smart while in charge of a small person?

I don't look perfectly groomed by any stretch but I bathe the night before so that when I hear dd stirring I have 10ish minutes to do hair and make up before I get her out of her room.

I don't actually wear make up much but I normally get dressed for 10 mins while I sole charge of 3 under 5. They just play or harass me with endless arguments and chatter

I don't see why it is so hard?

I wouldnt say i was overly groomed.

But i would always get up before the kids usual wake up time if i wanted to do my hair and make up.

When i went back to work my day woukd start at 5 so i could get ready in peace.

I have to admit to not bothering really these days but I used to get a Brazilian Blow Dry kit off Amazon for around £25 and one treatment lasted around three months; it made me look as if I had freshly blown dry my hair all the time, despite the reality of washing it and leaving it to dry naturally.

Judicious use of paw patrol probably

I take very little time getting ready.

I don't look perfectly groomed but wear make up every day. I do it in the car! (Parked)

I don't look "groomed"- it's not my style- but I always put a full face on everyday.

Helps that we live in a flat I reckon. I leave the bathroom door open, and DD3 just potters under my feet at leisure.

My DH looks after DS in the morning while I shower and get dressed but he has to go out to work so I wouldn't expect him to hang around for ages while I do my hair and make up.

Why not? How long does hair and make up take? Try a few different looks that take 10-15 mins to do. YouTube is really helpful for quick and easy tips. (I won't say hacks as don't want to get flamed )

Honestly though, why are your expectations so low of your DH. He's capable of getting up 15 mins earlier.

No tips here since I'm a complete scruffbucket, just wanted to say you're not alone! (Someone at work complimented my hair - I'd brushed it properly for once )

In the morning dh gets up and gives the babies breakfast while I shower and blow dry my hair & get dressed.

Dh goes to work and the babies watch tv for a bit while I do my make up ( just blusher, mascara & lipstick)

Spray of perfume and I'm ready for the day 😃

But to be fair notthecoolmum, I wouldn't want to get up much earlier so my partner could do unnecessary things with straighteners. I won't get up earlier most days to beautify myself (I prioritize sleep) so wouldn't do it for someone else every day...

I straighten my hair most days, and do my make up every day. Like tea I bathe in the evening, so it's less time getting ready in the morning. It's one little thing I get to do for myself, and makes me feel 100 times better about myself. I usually do my make up when DS (2) is eating breakfast, then il straighten my hair upstairs with DS playing in his bedroom. The trick is to make sure he is entertained enough to not pester me, although it doesn't always work that way and can sometimes take twice as long to do.

But also yeah, if my clothes are clean I consider that a win. However, on the rare occasion I do want to make myself look groomed, putting on paw patrol for the toddler is definately there easiest way.

Stick 'em in front of the telly.

I have a toddler and look like I slept in a bush most days. But that is because I am a scruff bag and don't really care. If I wanted to I could do hair and make up easily. Some toddlers just aren't that hard work!

I think that the people who do the whole 'oooh, how on earth does someone get time to groom themselves?' thing were probably not the best groomed before they had kids. It's just priorities and natural inclination.

I have a 20 month old. I wash my hair twice a week (in the evening when he's in bed) and blow dry it then, so in the morning it's a body shower, straighten hair (if it's the day I need to wash it then it tends to be dry shampoo and a ponytail), apply mascara, primer, foundation and bronzer/powder. I use bare minerals make up on my skin which is very quick and I only wear mascara on my eyes day to day, no eyeliner etc. I jump in the shower before getting DS so he's just in his cot chatting, then let him just roam the upstairs with a cup of milk once I've straightened my hair and the GHDs are out of reach. Yes he ransacks my stuff but I do my make up standing up so he can't grab things out of my hand. It's easily done!

I'm not 'groomed' as such, but I do shower every morning, blow dry my hair (when I say blow dry I mean blow it dry and brush it, not a hairdresser style blow dry) and put basic make up on. I do this by sticking DD in the jumperoo for five minutes in the bathroom doorway (even though she's far too big, it literally is five minutes and keeps her contained - she just stands up in it and plays with the lights) . Then into our room and put my make up on with the mirror on the windowsill so she can't reach it or my make up and she potters around between this room, the landing and her room (all safe, stairgates etc and I can see her). She runs in when I'm drying my hair as she loves a blast on the cool setting herself. Just build it into your daily routine. I'm done from start to finish in about 20/25 minutes tops.

Can you have a little box of toys upstairs that he plays with while you do your hair and make up?
Or put the telly on for him to watch?

I would guess people do it the same way as when they are cooking dinner/doing washing or something - hope toddler plays nicely, if not try to distract them/give them something to occupy them, might have to stop halfway through to see to them, rush when they are getting really fed up, etc.

There were a couple of women who attended the same toddler group as me when DS1 was little.

Every week, they both wore spotless white jeans with never so much as a mark on them. High heels, brown leather jackets, swishy hair, full make up and bling too but it was the white jeans that messed with my head!

DS1 is 22 and I still remember them!

I potter about in my pjs in the morning then have a nice long shower when DS naps, we tend to go out after lunch...makes the whole day feel less rushed.

@user1andonly maybe they wore tracksuit bottoms/leggings at home and then got changed into their white jeans just before going out. All my glamorous Italian cousins just live in sportswear and slippers at home then get changed to go out then back into their sportswear when they get home...

I have 3 under 4 and manahe to shower, do hair and apply make up every morning. I put the baby outside the shower door and usually leave the other 2 to play or watch tv in my room next to the shower. To be fair I am very quick at doing it all and often get interrupted but there is no way I would leave the house without a shower and make up

I think it depends on the child too. DD and DS will play happily while I do my makeup in the morning. I do it in the sitting room so I can keep an eye on them, or sometimes while they're having breakfast. Not saying I am perfectly groomed though!

I might be one of those people.
Dd goes to childminders or her dads at 8 so I can be in work for 9/10 (some days I start at 9 some at 10)
I like to get up at four, have a quick shower and breakfast, then do my make up which takes me to 4:30, then I slob about checking social media and mn like I'm doing right now until about 6am yes I'm behind schedule
I then get dressed, straighten my hair and add any finishing touches to my makeup eg lip pencil and a matte lipstick. Get dd up and she sort of dresses herself (can do undies and socks and sometimes t shirts but she sometimes struggles with t shirts and needs help with bottoms) while I make her a bowl of cereal or some toast. She can make her own cereal but she tends to pour the milk fucking everywhere By this point it's about 7am.
Then she sits and watches tv or uses my phone to text her dad (she likes to do this some mornings) while I get food for tea out to defrost/chuck something in the slow cooker and have a wipe down.
I don't get dressed properly until I'm at work for hygiene reasons.
Hope this helps.
Dd is 3 nearly 4.
I'm always asleep by 9pm