Morning routine for drop off

[BoopBop]

DD is due to start nursery in three weeks. Two questions: what are your top tips before she starts? People talk of comforters?

Also a major concern: what does your morning look like!? Nursery is five mins drive away 7:30 am drop off for me and then mad dash to work. I can't even begin to imagine what time I will have to get up to get us both ready, please share with me your mornings so I can plan

Hi, I have a two year old and before COVID I used to drop him off for a 8am nursery start and rush to work which was half an hour away (sometimes longer due to traffic). Some tips I picked up are

1. have everything prepared. His bag would be ready with nappies, wipes and spare clothes. Water bottle ready by the sink. Same with my bag and lunch. All prepped the night before.
2. I would also have clothes prepared for the week -I would have some idea of what DS would wear and with what.
3. keep calm. I found that because I was rushing my little one would act up picking up on my anxiety.
4. I would always try and get up before DS and get ready. Didn't always work though due to him being an early riser.
5. Yes definitely send a comforter. I sent and owl and his water bottle which helped.

My morning would go like this:
Wake up
Have a shower whilst baby watches some TV if awake.
Take DS downstairs for breakfast (always have breakfast before putting fresh clothes on him)
Come up and get him changed
Playtime if we have time.
Collect bags and lunch and leave.

It's always so tough to leave them but try not to show your anxiety as they will pick up on it which makes leaving so much more difficult.

My only tip is to get up first and get yourself ready (in things you chose the night before) and then put a dressing gown over it so you stay clean.
Then sort baby.
Drop off is just one of those times where you have to be brave. Good luck x

If your DD is starting at 7:30am will nursery be providing breakfast? If they are that might make mornings a bit easier.

Agree to have everything prepared the night before. So bag with wellies, spare clothes, hat and anything else that is needed packed ready to grab in the morning. Clothes (for both of us) and nappies sorted out the night before. Also see if your nursery will let you keep a pack of nappies and wipes there so you only have to worry every few weeks when they ask for a new pack.

I aim to get up before DS (though doesn't always happen) and get myself washed and dressed. I shower the night before to make things faster. As soon as he is awake I sit him on my bed to watch cartoons whilst I finish getting ready. Once I am sorted, I get him dressed and teeth cleaned. Then it is straight downstairs, shoes and coat on, grab his bag and out the door. Nursery feed him breakfast and I (used to) eat at work.

Whilst he is watching cartoons I give him warning, e.g. telling him I will be getting him dressed as soon as bing has finished. That way it's not as much of a shock when I turn the tv off.

And yes to a comforter. He takes his monkey comforter with him. In the first couple of weeks of starting nursery the monkey would come home wet (water table) or covered in sand (sand box) as monkey stayed by his side, but eventually monkey started going into his bag as soon as he got to nursery for a "sleep" and would stay their all day. That way he has his monkey if he really needs him, he always knows monkey is there but monkey is safe.

I get up at 7:30, get dressed, then get dd up and dressed. Out the door at 7:45, drop off at nursery at 8am. Then into work.

You don't have to get up that early, depends what you want to do before you leave.

Just a word of warning on comforters - our nursery currently aren't allowing anything in from home, so this might not be allowed. Check before you get her used to the idea...

I would just check with nursery that they are allowing comforters at this time. Ours have said they are no longer allowed (but my daughter is in preschool)

We've always had a pretty tight routine in the morning. I get up at 6 and shower, daughter up at 6:30 if not awake before. TV or tablet while I finish getting ready with a small bowl of hoops (dry) get daughter dressed then grab bags on the way out. We leave at 7:10.

All bags packed the night before, my lunch and breakfast in the fridge ready to grab. I eat breakfast at work.

Our routine hasn't changed much from before, I suppose a few extra minutes to dress DS! I've always aimed to have my lunch made the night before. Nursery is slightly out of our way but really just means I tend to get to work bang on 8 instead of a bit early, as can't drop DS until 7:30, and we're often a bit after that.
Obviously if there's a bag to pack do that the night before but often there's nothing to do; just replacing the spare change of clothes if they've been used. Never sent a comforter (he never really had one) and as PP said, probably not permitted right now.
If I'm swimming before work seems a lifetime ago I'll leave clothes out for DS then everything else is in DH's hands.
No need to do breakfast (presuming they're fed at nursery) but we do tend to give DS a bit to keep him occupied eg I'll scramble an extra egg and give him some.
We didn't have a TV upstairs before but you'll find C5/Cbeebies is your friend while you're getting ready. When he was younger often he'd stay asleep and we just woke him once we were ready to dress him and go! Fat chance now, regular 6am Peppa.

Thank you everyone! I've booked her in a week early so I can practice all your fab advice and not stress when I'm actually back in work as going back will be stressful enough!