How do you manage to get ready in the morning??

[redmimi]

Starting to wonder if I'm expecting too much to have a shower and put a bit of make up on in the morning.

Dd is just 3 and ds 17 months and it seems impossible to look and feel anything but a dogs dinner most days. Getting a bit fed up of it. I'm not really vain but especially on work days when I have meetings I'd just like to feel nicer.

Ds sleep is so unpredictable that whatever time I set my alarm he scuppers my plans. I have tried showering in the evening but feel a bit of a scruff the next day and have horrible hair that needs washing.

More often or not I have a shower with ds emptying the bin, trying to get in the toilet etc...then have to try and dry my hair with ds sat on knee or screaming.

Dh often leaves at 6 so can't help but even if he is around always manages a peaceful shower.

I know there are much worse problems but has anyone got any tips or is this just how it is when you're a Mum? Feeling really frustrated. Thanks.

I refuse to get up before the kids. DS1 was up at 5.15 this morning. He came in to "see if your awake Mummy". Mummy kept her eyes shut and stayed quiet. But didn't drop back off to sleep.
Admittedly DS2 if off visiting in laws in tropical climates atm, but usually we do (with 2 and 4 year old) shifts with DH.

So, all up about 6.15. DH into bathroom. Everyone else down stairs. Breakfasts and lunches made for everyone - I eat my bf much faster than the kids.
DH comes down stairs, and eats bf while kids finish theirs. DH clears kitchen. I'm in the shower at this point.

Then clothes for me and kids.All brush teeth together. Shoes and out the door 7.25.

I don't do make up. And I'm not beyond tying back slightly damp hair.

Without DH to help out, I guess it would be TV babysitting, and hair dryer down stairs.

The DC wake at about 6am.
DP gets up,feeds them,and inevitably falls asleep on the sofa whilst they eat and watch cbeebies.
DD (5) gets herself dressed,I brush her hair.
DP wakes up and rushes about like a mad thing trying to get ready.
He takes DD to school/stagecoach on Saturdays on his way to work.

I crawl out of bed.
I shower. I dress.
I get coffee.

DS runs wild/plays with his octonauts.

I bath and dress the baby.
I dress DS and wipe the snot off his face.

Sometimes I even get to eat.

Ta da!

When I go back to work,I'm screwed,because by the time all this is done,it's normally lunch time.

Lay all outfits/uniforms out for dc the night before.
Lay out what I'm going to wear night before.
Coats,shoes,bags lined up ready to go.
Set alarm for 6.45
creep to bathroom trying not to wake dc
shower,wash hair,make up,dressed,15mins
Lay out breakfast,bowls,juice etc
Wake dc,make beds,help littlest one getting dressed.
Eldest dresses himself.
Breakfast for dc,I grab coffee and packet oatcakes/fruit.
Blast dry hair and go over with babylis big hair.
Teeth brush.
Quickly do dishes and put washing machine on.
Jackets/coats/bags on at front door.
Leave for school run at 8.40ish.10 min walk to school.

It can be done but you have to be organised and quick.I probably shouldn't care as much as I do,but I just feel better after showering and putting on some decent clothes.

Another thing that really helps is putting kids clothes away in "outfits"so you are never searching for individual bits and bobs.

I put a bit of a routine on the blog, but it's more aimed at school aged kids who sleep until a decent hour.

Morning has broken

I might be tempted to have a quick bath with the kids in the morning, so they didn't wreck the house while I was trying to get washed. Containment mechanism.

Also I do a bit of Sunday night organisation to make sure everything is ready for the week ahead.

Sunday night organisation

Remembered another thing I used to do. We got an old fashioned playpen and put all the most exciting noisy toys in there, which was the only place the DCs were allowed to play with them. The DCs used to be gagging to get in there which meant we had a holding bay for when we needed to do something.

Like you OP I feel grubby if I don't have a shower in the morning, and I feel hideous if I don't wear make-up.

Mornings are very stressful!

I'm a single parent so only me to do it, and I plan as much as I can the night before. All clothes, school stuff etc laid out. I have a check list of things that have to be done in the morning, and just work through it, but it's always a mad dash at the end.

It takes a full 2 hours to get all three of us (DSs ages 4 and 8) ready and out.

My biggest problem is that the kids want to play in the morning, and feel it's hugely unfair that their Lego building is interrupted by inconvenient hassles like breakfast, cleaning teeth, getting dressed etc. I would LOVE to have kids who would happily sit and watch TV, but they just won't. And of course they have plenty of little scraps that need my intervention.

I love chilled out weekend mornings!

And my kids wake at 6, so no opportunity to do anything while they're asleep, unless I get up earlier, which invariably wakes them!

I have a mirror and a nice looking box with spare make up, toothbrush, floss, toothpaste etc in it by the kitchen sink so I can shower the night before and then try and make myself half reasonable whilst dd is in the highchair/watching tv. However I haven't actually managed to brush my hair all week....I've washed it but it's a bit of a nest

I have never had a shower and washed my hair every morning. Totally unnecessary. Have a wash - just the bits that are actually dirty. Takes about 5 mins. Just as well I wasn't in the habit of daily morning shower & hair wash, because now I'm disabled it takes hours, involving lots of help from dh. I wash the important bits every day and have bath & hair wash once a week. Admittedly, hairwashing was much more frequent when I lived in (filthy) London, but still......

holding bay! Do you kettle them then?

I bath with the DCs the night before, and lay out DS's (5) school uniform. Then in the morning he just gets himself sorted. Lunches made/ bags packed etc the night before too.

I get up at 6.45 and attempt to make coffee before they wake up or else I just ignore DD (2) whilst doing so. I quite often get dressed in the kitchen while coffee's brewing as it's the only warm place in the house. All my work clothes are black so everything goes with everything else which saves time.

Either DD sits in my bed, watching Beebies or she hangs off me wailing while I put on make-up. Then we fight for a bit about what she'll wear.

DCs get bowls, cups etc, I eat toast while sorting their breakfast. They put their own stuff in the dishwasher. We tend to clean teeth in the kitchen too.

It's taken two years to perfect and can be done in approx one hour.

My morning routine (LP with just 3yo DS)-

4:45am DS wakes up and we have the argument about it not being morning yet.

5:30am DS gets into bed with me and sits on my head whilst I try and get a bit more sleep.

6:00am Give up and get up and put cbeebies on.

6:30am DS has to make his own breakfast. Cue chairs being arranged all around the kitchen (by him) so that he can reach the sink, cupboards and toaster.

6:45am Yells from DS 'are my crumpets ready yet?' 'no mummy, I want to put the marmite on.' 'there;s too much marmite on them mummy' 'I need to cut them into 5 pieces.'

7:00am I make an extra strong coffee and DS sits down to watch cbeebies eat breakfast.

7:30am I make noises about going for a shower (never attempt more than a 5 min one). DS protests so I give him my Ipad to play with. I shower, during which time DS will knock on the shower screen shouting he needs a poo about 400 times. Get dressed and brush teeth and hair. Apply make up if feeling adventurous.

8:00am Remember DS is still playing on the Ipad and we have to leave and he still hasn't finished his breakfast. Wipe his face with a wet wipe, brush his teeth whilst he tries to grab the toothbrush and do it himself. Compromise and both do it together. Get him dressed in 3 second stints as he has to have a quick run around, grab a hat, have a wee, moan about his breakfast having been taken away.

8:15am Have the daily coat and shoe argument (both his and mine).

8:20am Leave the house having locked myself out, left handbag indoors etc.

Lots of good advice here. I tend to try to get up before DD usually wakes up dash in the shower and wash my hair. Get changed and do make up etc. If DD wakes up whilst I'm getting ready I stick a DVD on in my bedroom. Take hairdryer in another room to dry hair so as not to dare to disrupt DDs DVD. If she's asleep do it with doors closed and praying the noise doesn't wake her up. I find the more anxious/stressed about being quick and getting ready and being late the slower DD is/more badly behaved she is, so I try to give an aura of calm laid back collectiveness (even though inside I really am not!). Things are easier now DD is a bit older (she's nearly 3) and I only have one which is less complicated. Honestly don't know how mums with multiple young children do it and get to work looking polished every day. Sometimes it feels like I'm tired enough from a day of working hard but I haven't even got to work yet!

Alarm at 6.30, feed 6mth twins.
7am, Dh leaves for work, me shower, hair wash, dry, straightener full make up, dress.
7.30am wash, teeth clean, dress 3 year old
7.40am change,wash dress twins whilst 5 year old dresses himself in school uniform
7.50 all downstairs for breakfast
8.10am wash dishes
8.20am all leave house for school run, childcare and work. Phew!
The way I see it, if I don't feel good, my bad mood will make all other stages unpleasant!

sorry, should have said that how I achieve this is: making sandwiches one day a week and freeze batches, make lunch boxes night before, set out clothes night before, shoes and coats by door, leave babies in cots whilst I have shower, put them on bed next to me when I am getting ready, put kids in front of cbeebies if up before 7.30am, and a little bit of seargent major shouting to move things along... :)

My kids are 18,15 and 8 I'm 36 and just started wearing makeup occasionally as I never had time before in the mornings, I always showered at nights and washed my hair then in the morning I would jump in shower with a shower cap on,
I always got up 30 mins before kids were due to get up just so I could get peace for a half hour before madness started!!

It gets easier even if it takes years

I am amazed at how many people try to get a shower in before their DC get up (amazed, and impressed, and slightly horrified, I could never be that disciplined).

After years of managing the school run routine I think I've now just about got it sorted...we have three DC aged 9, 4 and 1, get up at 6:45 and leave the house by 8:25, so we have an hour and 40 minutes. I always have a shower and put on a bit of makeup (have to or I feel revolting all day), sometimes get time to dry my hair but usually leave it to dry naturally, always make the beds (DS1 does his own), and most mornings will manage to get a load into the washing machine too before we leave. Plus I test DS1 on spellings/times tables every morning during breakfast and get the guinea pigs fed and get the washing up done and baby bottles sterilised. I kind of go onto autopilot and it just all gets done.

My top tips would be

Do as much as you can the night before (homework and any other admin type stuff ready for school, packed lunches prepared, uniforms laid out).

No TV in the morning EVER (in our case if I ever allowed it we'd never get anyone dressed or manage to get out of the house). I do allow DS1 a bit of time on the nintendo or computer though - he often does maths or typing practice in the mornings whilst I'm getting ready.

Get your baby used to playing in their cot for 10 minutes every morning whilst you have a shower. I've done this with all three of mine and it's a sanity saver!

Have a general timetable of deadlines for the morning and keep reminding the children to keep them on track - for example I start prompting my older two to get dressed at 7:45, we have breakfast at 8, start getting ready to leave at 8:20 etc etc).

Don't rely on any other adult help! My DH works very long hours and is almost never around to help in the mornings - so I am just used to flying solo and this works better for us. If I ever do have adult help (ie DH or my mum around) everything seems to fall apart.

Get up before the children, go downstairs, make cup of tea, finish off the packed lunches, put them by the door.
Make a piece of toast, eat while getting ready upstairs
Wake the dc up, nag them ten times to move
Quick bath/shower for me, occasionally wash hair
Quick bath/shower if one of the dc has wet the bed
I get dressed, they get dressed (uniforms hanging ready) with lots of help, sleeves, tights etc., me flitting between three rooms
Clean teeth
No one is allowed downstairs until ready
I put very basic make-up on, finish off when I get to work!
Dc known to be in the car for 5-10 minutes while I rush around doing last minute faffing
Literally run out to car, sit in exhausted

Oranges, most certainly did kettle them when they were little. The best playpen had a cover that made it look like a play house, and you could buy a rocket version as well. What's not to like??

Other things that help:

School lunch, so no sandwiches to make.
Spare set of uniform in parental wardrobe in case you can't find a set for some reason, or someone gets theirs all messed up when leaving the house.
Quick breakfast is bread rolls with spreadable butter and a glass of milk.
Tell your hairdresser about your hair maintenance problems and get a cut that is easier to fluff up and primp in the mornings.
For older kids who dawdle, tell them you have had enough and now will stop nagging, and one morning engineer it so that their procrastination ends up leaving them in pyjamas on the driveway. They soon learn to get dressed in a timely manner.

TheCunkOfPhilomena

Are you me?

Sounds like mine and 3yo DS's exact morning routine

I think they first thing you need to identify is who wakes who. If the kids are up early doors, read the posts that start with "kids jump on my head at silly o'clock". If you've got kids who need booting out of bed, start with the posts "get up before the kids". Don't bother with the other half of the posts. They aren't going to work in your house.
There is no way I will be getting up before my kids.

Haha MrJolly, glad to hear I'm not alone

very interesting reading. .I may pick up some tips...have a 4 and a half year old, 2 yr old and 3 month old whom I have to all get ready and in the car for school run by 8.20 every morning.... first i sort baby and put her in car seat so shes sorted ....have to put sons bedroom light on half hour before he needs to wake up and STILL have to sometimes physically drag him to the bathroom...end up dressing and feeding him breakfast at the same time...while dressing the 2 year old...usually just about.on time every day unless baby wanta a feed just before we leave...that ends up meaning we are late AGAIN...still dreaming of having a soak in the bath whilst reading Good Housekeeping magazine..one day maybe
I know I should have uniform etc night before but can't face being that organised..old habits die hard! !!

I could of written this lol