breakfast time

[crazylady321]

Getting 4 children ready for school is very chaotic and as im pregnant with a 5th wondering how others manage breakfast time. They all eat so bloody slow. My twins have just started reception was in afternoon nursery before so before the school run before I would just give them a slice of toast to nibble or fruit and then make them a bigger breakfast when we get home. I had been asking tem what they all want and doing the different cereal, toast for another but im fed up already, kids get up at 6.30 im up before to get myself ready, 2 hours should be enough time shouldnt it? arghh

I had the grand idea of making porridge in the slow cooker. I have 4 dcs that all eat at different times of the morning... They will generally all eat porridge though. Of course, one prefers it with yoghurt as opposed to milk, but she's nearly 8 and I am trying to get her to do it herself (she's the shyest and most timid of my lot).

Seems I am frustratingly unable to get porridge in the slow cooker right...

Other than that, I often use the hob timer to let them know that I want them ready... They can all hear that and turn it off if I ask.

We've never been late before, but we are always right on the bell....

porridge is something we do eat alot of especially in the winter, my eldest 2 arent a fan though.

Im thinking of buying a toast rack and sticking it in middle of table with jam etc to put on and let them do it themselves, chops some fruit up and offer just 1 type of cereal per day could do with them all been a bit more independant. Think they are all spoilt aswell when it comes to food.

But seriously though I though I had a decent routine but now all kids in school its just mental think im going to need start getting up at 5.30 instead of 6 just to sort myself and dogs out

Yes, I think that I offer too many alternatives also.... I seem to be cooking different breakfasts for different kids...

There is a thread under food/recipes about healthy breakfasts. Might that be worth a peruse to see if there is anything that may work for you in the morning. I've got Bircher muesli in the fridge tonight - first day of school here tomorrow!

On school days I don't give my four a choice. They have 4 different cereals to choose from and if they faff about they get what they're given.

It sounds harsh but before I took the hard line it was chaos with me rushing to sort breakfast for them, change the toddlers nappy and get him dressed, help dd2 get dressed, supervise teeth brushing and sort both DDs hair.

We have to leave by 8.10 latest and push it most days. They know they have until 7.30 to eat their cereal and then its taken away.

I also get their uniform out and hang it downstairs ready for morning and they get dressed in the living room.

Oh yes my youngest 3 get dressed down stairs dd1 has started going in her room, everything is ready for them they just have to go brush teeth upstairs.

Think putting a time limit on breakfast is the way forward

I make homemade cereal bars at the weekend and the slow ones have them on the way to school. I also make pancakes in bulk as these can be put in the toaster or microwave and be ready very quickly. We don't have cereal as it's junk, messy and slow for the young ones. When we stopped cereal it got a lot easier!

Never thought of making home made cereal bars will have to find a recipe.

I get up at 6am (23mo twins are usually up at 5.30-6am) so I breastfed them and then shower quickly, dress them then me. My eldest is 6yo (today!!) has his own alarm, gets ready and dresses himself. I get dd up after I dress myself. We're all 6.45am. DC1 will either grab a granola ball, cereal or eat what I make the others.

I switch between;
*Porridge w/fruit pieces - mainly weekends.
*Cereal w/fruit or raisins.
*Smoothies - Quick to make, filling, and can be taken on the go for those "late" mornings. Kids prefer these.
*Pancakes.
*Granola/energy balls (sometimes cranberry bites) - I use this recipe and used almond nut butter.
*Toast.
*Yoghurt w/ fruit.

I make no more than 2 different ones on a morning because I refuse to busy around them. Pancakes and porridge are weekend only treats. If they don't finish their breakfast I'll give them a granola ball to eat in the car (or pop one in their bag for break).

My weaner and one my 23mo are slow eaters so I give them smaller potions (or smoothie) and give them some fruit to nibble in the car.

We have to leave the house by 7.15am because the school run takes me 1hr 30m due to different school drops.

Yes to a time limit.
I used a cooker timer (20 mins). My dc quickly learned that if breakfast wasn't gone by the time it pinged then they lost it. It stopped them messing around and made them concentrate on just eating.

For quickness - yes to limiting choice, faffing around choosing wastes time.

Prepare porridge the night before - I used to put in a big plastic container in the fridge overnight and microwave it on school mornings, it's much quicker and you don't need to stand over it. Just add more milk when it's done, it helps cool it down faster.

Have the bowls,spoons,cups ready on the table the night before.

For the slower eaters, yes to smaller portions then give a piece of fruit on the way out of the door.

Sometimes I'd make big batches of flapjack to last the week so those weeks they would have toast for breakfast with a drink of milk. Then flapjack as we walked to school.

Now and then they'd ask for pancakes so I'd make them the night before and put them in the fridge - it doesn't take long to reheat in the pan. Or make crepes with them - spread some nutella or jam or fill with fruit, roll them and serve cold.

Thanks. Still struggled this morning. I prepped all the clothes night before, sorted pack lunches for eldest too etc.

Alarm was set for 5.45 always takes me a while to come round so was up at 6.00 went straight down to let dogs have a run around in garden dished out their food, I then went for a shower I then went to get dressed and woke all the kids between 6.30-6.45. DD (8) is very good she goes has a wash and gets ready off her own back. I then gave little ones a wash down and went down for breakfast I put a plate of toast out for them this morning and a yoghurt for 2 of them only the other 2 wanted cereal so they sat there half an hour. Was 7.30 when finally got round to doing the girls hair and then getting them dressed everything is such a farce. 8.10am I finally got round to going upstairs and sorting my own hair and make up out. 8.30 brushed their teeth followed by coats and shoes another long and frustrating task for the youngest 3.

School bell goes at 8.50 ideally we should be setting off at 8.35 as we used to last term as its only 5 min walk for me but they walk so slow all week its been 8.40-8.45. I am going to start setting alarm for 5.30 ive decided thats a deffinate that 15 mins makes all the difference.

Just cannot understand the mums who say they havent got up until 7.30-8pm I dont know how they do it

I think prepping as much as possible the night before is key. Before I go to bed I make sure uniforms are ironed, packed lunches made, bags packed and put by the door with shoes and coats and table set for breakfast. Kids shower at night so it doesn't need doing in the morning.

My morning routine is:

7.30 - wake everyone up, make myself a cup of tea and make sure everyone has something for breakfast (cereal or toast and a piece of fruit)

7.40 - get myself showered and dressed while kids eat

7.50 - feed baby

8.00 - kids upstairs to brush teeth and wash

8.10 - make sure all kids are dressed (including baby)

8.30 - Ds sets off for school, I brush my hair and put some make up the do the girls' hair

8.45 - shoes and coats on and set off for school

8.46 - arrive at school ready for the bell at 8.50

8.51 - get home and find cold cup of tea that I forgot to drink and survey the chaos in the kitchen!

You could try getting them dressed first with shoes and then breakfast. And I know it sounds mental but I use those painting aprons so they don't spill food all over their clothes.

We also use the downstairs sink for teeth brushing. I also don't bother with make-up (I just slap on some CC cream) but then again I drive and really don't care if the other mama's see my awful hairstyle .

Crazy, this is perhaps a little controversial, but don't wash the kids every day. Especially the younger ones?

I have three now at school, do dd4 doesn't get hair gone and face washed til after the school run. I have 2 dds with long hair. Thankfully the other is a very short bob, no faffing around.

Also, I think I expect every morning will be rushed, and I guess once I accept that, it stresses me out less.

Could try aprons for breakfast, I have to wash my eldest ds as he bed wets and the twins occasionly have accidents so I also have bedding to sort at least 2 times per week.

Oh I cant not wear make up I waslk there and back and occasionally go elswhere after

3 of my kids slept out last night just dd didnt want to so I only had her to get ready we was out the door at 8.30 got up at 6.30 and had loads of spare time

Would your dcs reliably sit at the table and eat breakfast while you get yourself ready in the morning? I normally get my little 2 up at the same time as me 6am (if they are not already up) and then once I have sat them down to eat breakfast I quickly get myself ready, so I can then help them do their teeth, hair and get dressed as soon as they have eaten/run out of time. I do have to limit breakfast time or they would be there for over an hr. There is always mess to clear up because they weren't closely supervised while eating, but that can be cleared up after the school run. I have to leave the house at 7am for the school run, so know getting ready in the morning can be a major rush. I refuse to get up before 6am!

Hope your mornings are getting easier. I know this sounds an odd suggestion but have you ever thought that you're actually giving yourself too much time to get ready.I only say this because if we're up earlier than normal time of 7.45 we have too much time and are always cutting it fine with the school bell. We also have to divide and conquer, dds get dressed before breakfast while ds has breakfast then gets dressed, cuts down on the time they have to mess around