Early hours with young children

[nooriginalnameshere]

My ds wakes at around 6am. He's wide awake and wanting attention. I'm invariably completely knackered. AIBU to wonder what parents do with their young kids between the hours of 6am-9/10am on a weekend, particularly for kids not allowed tv....

My 5 and 3 year olds share a room and the rule is they play in their room until the gro clock comes on at 7 (obviously they come out for the toilet etc!).
They read books/play a game with their cuddly toys etc.

If my DS1 17 months wakes up that early we go downstairs, put The Wiggles on whilst I drink coffee, I’ll do breakfast for 7:30-8 which is when he normally has it at nursery. He absolutely loves The Wiggles and is usually dancing in front of the tv, then he’s wide awake and wants to play with toys, by which time I’ve woken up enough to join in I agree with the PP there’s nothing wrong with a bit of tv and also no shame in being tired. So many martyrs on this site. The OP asked for advice of what to do considering she’s tired, not helpful telling someone to suck it up.

My D's would wake up.for the day between 4.30am and 5.30 am until he was about 3.

We used TV!!!. DH and I would take turns to lie on the sofa with him for about an hour. I still remember the sodding Fimbles which in the those days (12-13) years ago was the first thing on CBeebies at about 5.30am

DH also found a local cafe (well about 30 mins walk) which opened at 7am on a Saturday and at the weekends would take DS there I'm a pushchair for breakfast to give me a break. He got to know the owner well but DH is much more of a morning person than I am

DS sometimes watched a dvd on a portable player in my bed while I dozed as well . Particularly if we were on holiday or staying somewhere that getting up at an ungodly hour and waking people was not very sociable.

With my eldest I was martyr and got up myself or made DP get up and play with DS. I think that this engagement with him exacerbated the problem. Three children down and an early riser is pretty much ignored. They can get into our bed but are told to shush and lie still until 6:30. Though actually DP is now the early riser. I hate early mornings and yes I think 6:00 is early.

DD2 is usually up by 6:30, she colours, builds, plays with her jigsaws with the tv on in the background. She's currently eating toast while watching CBeebies

Everyone else is still in bed. I enjoy our quiet 1 on 1 time in the mornings

6am is not early is it for that age?
Tv on, coffee, then do their breakfast.
Play for a bit.
More tv while I shower, then park about 10.
Why make life more difficult for yourself?

My son wakes up at about 6:30, he comes into my room and gets in bed, he knows I won’t get out of bed until 7am to make his breakfast (gro clock). I also have a little pile of toys in the corner of the room that he can play with without being really noisy etc.

At 7ish we watch a video together on the ipad for about half an hour, then as it’s the weekend I make breakfast and then we eat it in bed together.

Some of my happiest memories of children being young was during those early dark hours. We watched every Disney movie under the sun on the sofa eating breakfast and chatting (singing along! ) etc! Still talk about it now they're grown and left home. They were happy times, not time wasted (know every disney song, character, plot) and we all survived with no harm done. Enjoy it, it's just a short time in the exciting journey that is growing up.

@Anushka everything you describe doesn't have to have at 5am

@Pissoffbranthebroken

DS only seems to wake up early at weekends. He's nearly 3 and I usually have to wake him at 7 during the week. This weekend though he has been up early both days. I've told him he's got it the wrong way round!

I admit, we watch milkshake in the morning and he has breakfast. Then we'll play with some toys or read some books before heading out to do something cos DP and I don't like staying indoors!

I'm looking forward to when he's old enough to pour his own cereal and turn on the TV without help lol

Ds (5)woke at 6.05 this morning which is a bit early for him but not too bad I don't think. I put the TV on and snooze on the sofa, he played with his lego. Dd woke at 7.15 and joined in with the lego.

14 months. Awake at 7.15 today, though it can be as early as 6.15. Had boob in bed, played with some teddies in bed, then I filed his ridiculously sharp claws and did a nappy change. Down on the floor to run up and down the room wildly, pausing to draw on his sketcher then play xylophone and drum. 8.15am we all go downstairs, make and eat breakfast; he "read" a book and rang his bell while breakfast was made. Now back upstairs running around putting all his toys into random drawers while I wait for him to bring me a book when he's ready for his nap.

All the 'suck it up' s, and 'i had it much harder', get over yourselves. OP asked for options and support. This kind of behaviour really bores me on mumsnet.

@Lazypuppy I know it didn't have to be at 5:30am, but it did because that's what time she got up (and still does 🤣) and that's how we got through it. I was trying to point out it doesn't have to be seen as a bad thing and for me (possibly with the passage of time and rose tinted glasses) happy memories.

I chuck enough toys in bed with my 2.5 year old that she gets distracted coming to find me and leaves me alone til 6.45 😎

He's now throwing toys off the balcony by his stair gate or slotting them through the slats instead of putting them in drawers like before. I'd stop him, but throwing and slotting are developmental at this stage, so I guess he'll get bored of this game in a few months and at least he doesn't get hurt nor break anything doing this.

4.5yo awake at 5, 2yo awake at 6. After initial whining for the TV, they've played really well together. I've put lunch in the slow cooker, unloaded the dishwasher, cleaned the downstairs loo. Then we made 2 batches of muffins together. However, yesterday was a different story as I mostly shouted and then cried a bit. Accepting getting up at 6 at the weekend (if not earlier) will never be easy!

Mine are 2 and 4 - both early riser and the youngest has always been a crappy sleeper at night too.
On weekends, ours get up and have breakfast, then they pretty much have free reign when it comes to toys/tv/books etc for an hour just to give me and DH the chance to rise from the dead and have some coffee!!

Nothing wrong with a bit of TV. It can stimulate and inspire as well as give you a rest! My two were watching the Gruffalo at 7am. They are now making Gruffalo books and trying to read to each other.

6am seems pretty decent to me. We just start the day - downstairs for breakfast, bit of telly, play in the garden, head to town / shops if we are going for 9am as it's quieter. Park or softplay opens at 9.30am if it's raining. Just crack on.

Oh God, I remember those 'stupid o'clock' mornings - I felt no guilt whatsoever for letting him watch TV & play with his train track while I lay on the sofa, guzzling coffee!! Give yourself a break - it's fine!! Our son is now a perfectly intelligent, well adjusted, active 12yr old who still only sleeps till 6-6.30am every day but at least he amuses himself on a weekend till we get up a bit later, these days!!

I'm really surprised how many people watch TV in the mornings, did you usually put it on yourselves without kids for the news or whatever in the morning too? We aren't anti-TV at all, DS loves his song cartoons for 20-30 minutes as part of his bedtime routine after dinner and we usually watch TV ourselves after he's gone to bed and we've had dinner; it just isn't part of our daytime routine.

MRex. I’m really surprised you allow TV before bed. It’s no TV after dinner in our house.