How to get dd1 to school on time?

[Biccy]

I just wondered if anyone with experience would share their routines for getting to school? DD starts school next week. We need to leave the house by 08.40 (which isn't that early, I know!), complete with packed lunch.

Our current morning routine (which won't get us there on time!) is:
07.00 (ish) baby wakes and feeds
07.20 (ish) get up, go downstairs, make coffee, change ds's nappy, put away dry dishes & empty dishwasher, make breakfast & drinks for dd, ds and me (she invariably likes porridge, he is baby-led), clean up baby & dress him, clean up kitchen (awful mess due to baby led!), upstairs to get me washed and dressed, get dd dressed, and somewhere amongst this normally put ds down for a nap.

The earliest I have managed to have us all ready to be out is 09.25, so I need to shave off 45 mins.

The only way I can see is for me to get up at 6.15, get myself dressed and do the chores before the children wake up.

But - I'm lazy (and sleep deprived) and I don't want to get up before 7am.

Is there a way?

Can't DS nap in the buggy/car to school?
Can you clean up kitchen when you get back from school run?

PS I have a DP, but he can't help in the mornings.

Take Baby on school run in babygro/pjs

Clean kitchen and do chores after school run

Get up earlier - sorry!

Why cant he help?

Make packed lunch the night before and put in fridge

Set breakfast table night before too

Get DD's uniform/clothes out and train her to get herself dressed as she gets up

Get up and dressed straight away

No chores before school

So get up and dressed and feed baby, dd should come down dressed-ish, breakfast, baby eats half a breakfast, grab lunch, everyone in car, job done

ooh dont dress baby either.......clean nappy into coat, job done

Come back to a mess, coffee and the rest of breakfast

and no one would know if you havent done your teeth!!

when I'm going to work I get up, get showered and dressed before the dds get up
i know you don't want to do this but it might be the only way!
or what others have said, leave the chores, don't get the baby dressed...

leave the dishwasher and cleaning to after schol run
shout and run around like a mad thing!!
oh to have to leave by 0840. my ds1 starts at 0835!
1

Yes, I was planning for DS to nap in buggy on school run. Yes, true, if it's a choice between getting up extra early and doing chores later, I will leave the chores 'til later. Thank you.

I am also now trying to buy clothes for dd that she can put on herself (no school uniform).

Yes to getting packed lunch done the night before, bags packed, everything waiting by the front door.

But yes, basically you're going to have to be up, showered and dressed before the baby wakes at 7. It's a killer, but you'll adapt quickly.

leggings, tshirt, cardi are quite easy....

Ah, this is good help. It seems like my expectations for what can achieved before leaving for school are probably too high, and I need to concentrate on the dressing and eating bits, and forget anything else.

do teh chores after the school run.

i have 4 dd's youngest is babyled weaned and often needs a bath after breakfast.

up at 7
all kids up at teh same time, plonk dd4 down at the table with her porriage, make myself breakfast whilst directing older ones, even dd3 who started reception last sept does her breaskfast.

send them up to get washed and dressed, oldest dd runs dd4 a quick bath, whilst i stack plates up, and feed dogs.

bath dd4 whilst elder dd's faff about, whilet tellign them to get socks on etc.

all uniform is ready for the week o na sunday night. i often iron and hang stuff together so all they have to get is their underwear ready. shoes should be in the shoe cupboard, but invariable one is missing and under the sofa/in a bedorom/garden/playhouse.

i grab a quick 5min shower once dd1 is ready and can keep an eye on dd4.

usually wind up on time but looking ahressed lol.

packed lunches are prepared the night before generally, or is ready to grab and put together on the morning.

was it zebra who did that>?

(To answer question re DP: he just won't get up and TBH I'm better off without him at this time as he is a proverbial sore-headed bear first thing and when I do manage to get him to 'help' things end up more fraught.

And, please no opinions on this, I am reconciled to it and love him anyway, so the rest of the world will just have to live with it! Fighting it only makes me unhappy.)

Yes, ds often needs a bath after breakfast too. And a quick wipe up of the porridge that is splattered on floor, walls, chair etc is preferable to half an hour scrubbing it off once it has set solid...)

Biccy, is there a particular reason why your DP can't help in the mornings? If so then perhaps he could do your DDs uniform and lunchbox the night before so you can get to bed earlier?

Sorry, Biccy, X-post. But def think he could help you more the night before.

That's a good point about getting DP to help more the night before.

Thanks for all your quick responses. Got to go now, but will check in later!

What will happen if you are ill on a school day? Will DD miss school because DP is fragile in the morning?

can you not leave baby with dp in the mornings?

Luxurious, okay so we just have the one but we're out the house about 7.20. I have recently found it preferable to get up earlier and have less of a flap.

Sandwiches night before, up and dressed before getting DS up, although he may be awake in cot he'll just have to wait. He has a bottle first then breakfast at CM. If I were in your shoes he'd have an apple to keep him going and breakfast on return.

get everything ready the night before, including clothes for DD and you, the baby can stay in babygro... chores can wait until you've got home.. if DP is at home, he can take care of the baby.. this sore headed in the morning is not a luxury that he can afford for ever more when children have to be got to school.. unless obviusoly he is unwell .. if it's just he does not like mornings.. well, that's tough.

make packed lunch the night before