AIBU to feel overwhelmed juggling two drop-offs before work by 8?

[wemustbe]

Tomorrow I have to get two children up and dressed, bags ready, and dropped at two different places and then work myself by 8.

Just feeling a bit overwhelmed, don’t even know why. Any tips appreciated.

Not having a proper breakfast or brushing teeth is cutting a corner too far IMO…!

Lack of time for both of these can be resolved by getting up 15 minutes earlier.

You don’t have to get up as late as possible…!

Repeat through gritted teeth at regular intervals "This is only a phase" and "Only 11 more months of this / 10 months / 9 months" etc.

It's not ideal.

How is it you are having to sort food for them ?
My dc were always fed at all the different childcare set ups we had to use over the years. No breakfast to get through, no packed lunches to take. Makes the world of difference.

Thanks all. DC1 has a school lunch so that’s one less task but DC2 has a packed lunch. I’ll do her a chilli in the morning and stick in a banana and a yogurt. So that’s sorted. She also needs waterproofs and wellies and spare clothes, water bottles for both and out of the door by 730!

My friend is going through this right now. Her older boy has moved up to a different school miles away that starts at 8. Her younger boy remains at primary school. At the moment she handles the older boy’s drop off and their nanny does the younger’s drop off. I’ve offered to take her younger boy on my school run (she lives right across my road and both our boys’ schools are just 2 streets away, so no real added time to my school run) and have the nanny do the older boys’ drop off so she can focus on getting herself to work.

If is going to be an ongoing thing, might be worth looking into getting a before and after school nanny, or finding out it any of your children’s classmates live local to you they can go to school together.

The mental craziness of two different locations (eventually became three) in the morning is nuts. Usually I could share the load but on the days I couldn’t… I feel your pain.

however overwhelming this bit feels now, I promise it won’t always be this bad

Sorry?? Forget brushing their teeth and shove them dirty and smelling to school because you have to be up early? Disgusting and neglectful.

Im sure they can just go to bed early and get up for 6 and that way have plenty of time to wash and be properly ready.

Leave the fruit whole. They have teeth. And pack dryer sandwiches like chicken and salad with a little pot or sachet of mayo if they want it. Or cheese and tomato. Never had it go ‘not nice’.

@WavyDaizy that's disgusting - not brushing teeth!!!

My advice would be to get up really early yourself, so you can do all the stuff that you alone have to do before they wake. Then you can focus entirely on getting them ready.

I always found it harder if I was simultaneously getting myself ready and telling them to get ready.

So if I were you I'd get up, shower, dress, prepare breakfast, prepare lunches, put lunches and school bags in the car - then wake them up.

"If I do the fruit is mushy, sandwiches aren’t nice etc so I have to do it all in the morning"

It may be worth checking your fridge temperature - a sandwich in a plastic box should stay perfectly fresh for a couple of days in the fridge (supermarket sandwiches have dates several days out) and fruit certainly shouldn't deteriorate that fast...

I guess if you're peeling it or cutting it up that could be the issue...consider grapes, plums, berries that don't need cutting up (or if your kids are over 2, stop cutting stuff up for them in their packed lunch...)

Can you do the chilli tonight and heat it up in the morning?

Apples don’t go mushy and cheese sandwiches keep for days

Literally all of that can be done tonight apart from the chilli.

In the nicest way plenty of people do this and have done this for years. Strap your big girl pants on and get on with it. If you prep the night before you can be up and out in 40 mins or less.

I was making a list for myself @Happytaytos , there is no need to be rude. It is all done.