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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To get up at 5am every day?

102 replies

mum677778 · 16/10/2021 22:08

I’m a mum to one lovely toddler. He’s in nursery for two days a week (whilst I work part time) and the rest of the week he’s home with me.

I really want to retrain and take my career in a new direction, and need to find some work/study time in between looking after my son, the part time job, cooking, cleaning and general life admin.

How hard would it be to get up at 5am every day to work/study for a solid 1.75 hours before my son gets up at 7? I would then work for another hour or two in the evening when he’s gone to bed.

Is it doable or will I be a dead woman walking?

OP posts:

fibeee · 16/10/2021 23:22

I think this is doable under certain conditions. My DH has been getting up at 5am for work for as long as I’ve known him. He is very good at prepping everything for the next day the night before, goes to bed early and is one of these types who is asleep within 2 minutes of hitting the pillow. He’s very good at forcing himself to be disciplined. I think if any of this rings a bell or seems doable then it should be no problem.

Wheresmrpenguin · 16/10/2021 23:23

Does your ds nap during the day?

I'm currently a sahm of a 1.5 year old but returning to work in November, I study and volunteer for a charity remotely. I find atm I only have during my DD nap time during the day or an evening. When I'm in work it will be the evening only so have a similar amount of time. 1-2 hours.
No way would I be awake enough in the morning. Its very hard. I don't get much time to do it. But even starting the studying has made my job prospects (and helped me get into my curreny new job) so its worth doing.

Hunkydory99 · 16/10/2021 23:42

I think it depends on you and your child. I tried something similar but had to give up. Doesn’t mean you’ll have to but I’ll share my experience! DD was just an unreliable sleeper so I’d ear mark time to work and she’d wake up and need settling To make up for missed time I started working on date night or time set aside for me and husband which leant to resentment. Mornings no better, nothing worse than getting up at 5 am when you'd already had a bad night and those few hours were all the sleep you’d get. This was all from a previously good sleeper (Dh shift worker so some evenings on my own no choice but to be the parent). Good luck whatever you decide xx

toocold54 · 16/10/2021 23:46

I get up at 5:30am every day and leave the house at 7 for work.
I spend about 30mins going through my emails and post, paying bills etc as I’m more productive in the mornings than I am in the evenings. If I didn’t have to get ready for work then I’d get loads done.
It just depends on how productive you are early morning/evenings. You could try it without doing a course and see how you are. If you struggle then maybe look into college/uni and see if you can get any help with childcare.

Reviewer123456 · 17/10/2021 00:03

Doable, what are you thinking of doing? I think the length of the course and the content would be a decider for me.

Howshouldibehave · 17/10/2021 00:07

Doable if you really want it! What’s the news career?!

Strokethefurrywall · 17/10/2021 03:47

Absolutely doable. I’m up before 5am most days, sometimes 4am.
I leave the house with my kids by 7.15am for school.
I use that time to practice yoga, exercise, practice piano, read, drink my coffee, get myself ready etc.

If you really want that time you’ll make it happen. I go to bed early, sometimes by 8pm so I can get 8 hours rest as I don’t function well on much less!

DoesHePlayTheFiddle · 17/10/2021 03:51

I did it, years ago. Up at 4 to study. My toddler started getting up and joining me.

Cherryana · 17/10/2021 06:05

I used to get up at 5am to go to an exercise class and I did it for almost two years. What you learn when you do it is - nothing happens. You get up and get on with your day and it’s all very normal. Other people are super impressed though!

Cuntness · 17/10/2021 06:05

I used to get up at that time, get into work for 6, and then study for two hours before work started. I also worked full time with a baby/toddler.

It was bloody difficult but I did it for three years.

traumatisednoodle · 17/10/2021 06:14

I studied for professional exams on the train between 6-7am, you just have to make yourself do it. This book is very good.

NoraLuka · 17/10/2021 06:17

Totally doable if you want it to be. You mentioned working in the evening too, I don’t think morning and evening is sustainable long term. You need to make sure you have regular downtime or you might burn out. Good luck!

SaltySheepdog · 17/10/2021 06:21

I used to get up at 5am and run every morning, then meditate for 10 minutes in candle light. My body clock got used to it and I enjoyed the quietness and time alone. It was blissful.

It could potentially be an enriching time, coffee in hand, wrapped in a blanket, fire on, books out, silence, dawn breaking.

ThirdElephant · 17/10/2021 06:27

Ha. I've gotten up at half five every day for the last three years, thanks to a long commute and early-rising DC.

You get used to it.

Daisychainsandglitter · 17/10/2021 06:31

Doable if you have a sleeper. I'm naturally an early riser anyway and DD1 was a good sleeper as a baby. I used to get up at around 5 and study until around 7 when she woke.
It was the last module of my advanced diploma though so the end was in sight. Not sure if I would have wanted to have done it any longer than the six months I was studying that module for.

thingymaboob · 17/10/2021 06:44

Wait until he's 3 and get the 30 or 15 hours "free" childcare and put him in childcare an extra day and use that to study.
I'm planning to do a part time masters degree and we have saved enough to put our child in for one extra day when they're two so I can start masters and then we will use the "free" hours when 3. I work 3 days a week front line NHS so there's not a chance in hell I'll have time or energy to get up early or work late as I'll be knackered.
Think you'll be really pushing it to do it that way. Plus, if your child is anything like mine, there's no guarantee they'll get up at 7!

shouldistop · 17/10/2021 06:45

I'm awake from 5 most mornings and up in the night with the baby. If I had undisturbed sleep until 5am I'd feel well rested

WhatAWasteOfOranges · 17/10/2021 06:46

I would say it’ll be more sustainable to put your son in nursery for an extra half day/ full day and have that as your time to study.
My son wakes up at 5 sometimes and it’s not a great start to the day…

speakout · 17/10/2021 06:46

Absoloutely doable- the discipline required will be to go to bed and sleep at 9pm every night though- not the 5am start.
A 5 am start is easy if you have had 8 hours sleep.
Not so easy if you have had 5 hours.

I am a morning person anyway, I am up at 6am because I love that time.
I shower, do yoga, meditate. The house is quiet - I love the peace.

Your OP is a toddler OP- so not long until he is in a more formal nursery setting? I donlt know about where you live but at 3 years old children here are in nursery for half a day 5 days a week- paid for by the government in a pre -school setting.
How much longer until your toddler reaches that stage?
It may be easier to wait a year or so before starting your studies?

SaltySheepdog · 17/10/2021 06:47

Having a study day might be better if dc goes to nursery

UnsuitableHat · 17/10/2021 06:48

Getting up at 5 works for me- my brain is more alive then and I can get work done easily and without distraction (am a teacher). I haven’t got kids though so not sure about that aspect! If you can get early nights it could work.

YouHaveNoAuthorityHereJackie · 17/10/2021 06:51

I think it depends as much on your child’s temperament as you tbh. I was at university when I had my first and the feeling in my department was that I would drop out. I had, on reflection, the easiest baby in the world, as well as a fantastic on-site nursery, and my studies really weren’t affected at all and I graduated on time when she was 2. I then was lucky enough to get a job who were understanding of my situation and allowed me to leave a little early to collect her, and do an hours work at home in the evenings. My current toddler however has been hard work since she was born and there’s no way I’d have been able to keep up my studies. I’d recommend an extra day at nursery if at all financially possible, and assuming she enjoys it. It’ll just take that feeling of pressure off. Good luck with it all whatever you decide

CatWarbler · 17/10/2021 06:58

I think how easy it will be depends on whether you are naturally a lark or an owl. I'm always asleep by 10pm and wake up naturally around 5.30am. As such I tend to have my most productive hours before breakfast (I am now toddler free though)
Take a look at this: zenhabits.net/early/

Offmyfence · 17/10/2021 07:05

@mum677778

I’m a mum to one lovely toddler. He’s in nursery for two days a week (whilst I work part time) and the rest of the week he’s home with me.

I really want to retrain and take my career in a new direction, and need to find some work/study time in between looking after my son, the part time job, cooking, cleaning and general life admin.

How hard would it be to get up at 5am every day to work/study for a solid 1.75 hours before my son gets up at 7? I would then work for another hour or two in the evening when he’s gone to bed.

Is it doable or will I be a dead woman walking?

Absolutely I did this, I now have a great career and it was totally worth it!

I'm a morning person and evening study just wasn't for me.

Good luck.

Sparklehead · 17/10/2021 07:10

I think it’s tough, but doable. I did this for 2 years when I retrained as an Occupational Therapist. I found early morning was when I worked best, night time was much harder. I think if you’re motivated you can do it. Good luck!

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