Could someone please write a book about how to manage your children in the mornings?

[carla]

[cross]

ooo I thought it was just mine. They are particularly bonk-a-loon in the morning. Very hard to calm down and I have to turn the telly on to get a bit of peace - thats where they are now in fact - is there a theory or is it just my loons?

Telly here too. Maybe that's where we're going wrong ....

Drugs.

Failing that TV!

Could be, could be. But is only way I can get bfast without mass sendings to rooms. Dont think a sml amnt does any harm tbh.

ds1 was already sent to stand in the hall by 7.20am today, for hitting baby ds2.
Then he had a fit because I wanted to sit on a chair to have my breakfast.
Oh, joy

.....leave for work at 6.30am when they are asleep and let DH get DS ready!!!

i use tv in morning aswell dd 21 months sits at her table eating breakfast watching cbeebies whilst i give ds 6 months his breakfast and get him changed and washed then its dds turn to gte washed and dressed then we can get on with our day its the easiest way in my opinion.

my dd1 gets to watch a bit of tv in the morning - she has to eat her breakfast and then she has 1/2 between then and when I need to get her dressed and do her hair. So she has to eat up and then she can have the tv on for that time... then it is get sorted and go.

bribery. anyone ready and by the front door by X time gets a chocolate mini egg. anyone not ready doesn't get an egg and goes out as they are.

Mine only get tv once they are dressed and fed and if they are not ready by 8 it doesn't go on.
This worked great until ds3 arrived 6wks ago and I have to fit in bfeeding too, I'm working on it

The kbear cubs get up early (6 ish). They need a slow wake-up time so they watch tv while they eat their breakfast - I drink coffee and make lunches in peace. 7.45 everyone upstairs to get dressed. Hair, faces, teeth, coats, bags. Out the door by 8.15.

Minimum shouting now they know the drill!

No television in the morning.
Clothes/uniform laid out night before.
Dressed before going downstairs.
Breakfast at the table. (Proper breakfast - usually porridge, toast afterwards if still hungry)
Second set of hairbrushes and toothbrushes kept downstairs in the loo so they don't need to go upstairs again (you lose them that way!)
Shoes and coats on, bookbags picked up, out.

We leave the house 40mins after getting up with no shouting or fuss.

Weekends however telly before breakfast is fine, pancakes are made and eaten in pjs, all is very relaxed. They need to learn the difference!

Clothes laid out the night before
TV on BUT if gawping with mouth open and no eating, OFF!
Loo, teeth, face flanneled (is that a word?)
Out!

oo lol at gawping with mouth open at TV! That's my DS1.
We have a new rule here, no TV until b/fast eaten and dressed (that's everybody, so usually no TV).
As PPH, clothes and book bags ready night before, mine too.
I leave at about 7.10 and like them to be well on the way by then (we get up early).
If they are actually ready, I have started leaving a little task eg word search, colouring in book, copy this picture etcfor them all to do. DS2 insists he is included. Keeps em quiet while dh sorts any last bits!

how old are yours carla? Don't want to be offering top tips for bolshy 3 yr olds if yours are 4 & 8!!

No TV, bags packed in the evening so everything to hand for the morning (I keep school socks, tie, tops etc in baskets on the landing). They are up just before 7, come into bed for a quick cuddle, downstairs for breakfast with dh (or me if he's away) back up by 7.20, wash and teeth at 7.30, dress - ds does himself, dd has some help -downstairs for shoes and bags, out of door by 7.50. ds starts at 8.15 and then I'll do dd's hair and read before dropping her off at 8.45

Is it just boys who gawp at the tv? Both my DSs do it too

I also get clothes ready the night before, but make lunch box at the same time as breakfasts.

I'd love to be able to get mine dressed before we came downstairs but DS2 gets more cereal down the front of him than ends up in his mouth (but only 2) Although DS1 isn't much better and he's 9! This includes toothpaste as well so getting dressed is the last thing that is done here or DS1 uniform is filthy.

DS2 is great for getting DS1 out of the house (we live opposite the school so I don't have to get the whole clan ready to get him there in the morning) As soon as I say DS1 get your bag, DS2 gets his coat, shoes and lunchbox for him. Insists he put them on straight away and marches him to the front door! Its great, I have someone to do the nagging on my behalf

Bugsy, they're 6 and 7. I do their lunches before they get up, uniform's already laid out ... but they still throw wobblies at hair/teeth/getting dressed.

I have decided that the only way to have stress-free mornings is for my DH to stay at home so that I can just get myself out of the door and he can deal with the rest. I love it in the school holidays when that happens. Bliss......

Apart from that you need military style efficiency, an alarm that wakes you at dawn and a very loud voice.

lol at gawping at TV. DS does that too as does my husband though he does respond to 'shut your mouth' better than ds. At the mo morning for us is quite relaxed, though I think that is all going to change when ds starts nursery next year.

No TV allowed until they have had breakfast, got dressed, brushed teeth/hair etc

Then they can gawp all the like

So, no 10 minute flop time before you make them get on with hair/dressing/teeth????

nope, I find it encourages the whinging

Plus my kids, like dh wake up horrificaly alert in the morning, unatural to my sleep head!

My eldest is 6 & I supervise/ assist with dressing & tooth brushing. I have found that issueing a request/command without direct supervision leads to it not being done & me being annoyed. If I'm there it takes 5 mins and I do 4 yr old at same time & that's it done.
Breakfast they eat in front of the telly, because they mindlessly shovel the stuff in that way. Lunch & dinner eaten at the table, so not worried about one meal without my pearls of wisdom and stimulating conversation!
Don't know if that is of any help Carla - you may already be supervising/assisting? If my ds was kicking off about it, then I'd probably make him go to school in his pjs, which I did do in the past. I am quite evil though!