How do you manage your morning routines with a baby (nursery run, work...)

[dodi1978]

Hi,

DS has got his first couple of days at nursery this week. He loves it and I have stopped crying (ahem, mostly).

My question is - how do you manage your morning routines to make it to nursery as early as possible? My nursery opens at 8am and I aim to be there as early as I possibly can, although my work is quite flexible... I don't have a fixed start time, unless I am teaching or have a meeting early in the morning. But the earlier I start, the earlier I can have my young man back...

On our first two runs this week, I made it in at 9 am on day 1 and 8.45 on day 2... and would like to bring this forward.

So how do you manage this?

I am getting up with my husband at 5.20 - shower, then get as much housework done as possible as well as own breakfast.

Get young man up at 6.30 at the latest (during the last two days he woke up himself at the right time).

Bottle (problem is, he wants to play in the morning, so it takes a while to get even half of it down).

Breakfast about an hour later (this is the pattern from my maternity leave, but maybe I can shorten the break between bottle and breakfast). The quickest breakfast is Weetabix, but I don't want to do this every day. He also likes semolina, toast fingers, pancakes... but this takes so much time!)

Get both of us into day clothes (definitely NOT before breakfast, ahem!)

Run out of the door...

I don't really know how I can manage to do this quicker.... any suggestions? After Easter I want to start cycling to nursery / work as well, so that will take even longer.

I think once you have been doing it for a few weeks you will naturally start to find a good routine and start to cut things down. 3 hours 40 mins to get out of the house in the morning is a long time so I am sure you will find ways of reducing this.

Multi tasking and getting everything ready and by the door night before is the key. I get a baby, a 4 year old and myself up and out the house by 7.20am to arrive at nursery by 7.30am. It takes me approx an hour and 15 mins (or more if I want a more relaxing morning). That includes giving both dc a bit of brekkie although nursery will give them some more at 8am.

Routine for baby goes - get baby up and give bottle whilst i have coffee. Get baby dressed/ change nappy, go downstairs and give toast fingers which he will then eat himself whilst i make toast to take with me and pack the car. Toast makes less mess so only need big bib really. Then out of the door.

Shame about nursery not doing breakfast as this is a lifesaver for me! In all honesty you'll get there and find your own tricks and routine that works best for you as the nursery run is a shock to start with! DH and I were literally only the other day laughing about the fact we used to struggle to get ourselves up dressed and to work before half nine when we had no kids and it was just us! Lol! Then we used to struggle to get dd1 to nursery before nine in the beginning. Now we seem to have cracked getting dd1 and dd2 there for 8am but with dc3 due in 10 weeks I just know everything is going to go Pete tong again and be out of control! Am dreading he start of the school run in September...

A nursery that didn't serve breakfast would have been crossed off the list in my world. I wonder why they don't- other parents must have same issues?

Our routine is:
7am me up & in shower etc
7.30 wake DS if hes not already awake
Bottle, dressed, leave house at 8am.
Nursery at 8.05, arrive work 8.25am.

Bags packed night before, I eat breakfast at work.

I think once you're back at work, you may find it easier to let the housework slide. Firstly, you'll be more tired so you'll have less energy to do it. Second, there'll be fewer jobs to do, as your and your ds won't have been at home all day, so there won't be the same number of dirty dishes, food-smeared high chairs and the like. So hopefully you will find it easier to do what needs doing during the evening and won't feel the need to get up so early.

But I also agree with what the offers have said - if you can afford it, get a cleaner.

we don't have nursery and often not breakfast until 9.30. dd2 is nearly 8 months and often doesn't have any as she is napping. what does this snack consist of? maybe that is enough for a little while?

Hello again

god, you are making me feel so inefficient :--))

Just for explanation, DH can't help much in the morning because he is dashing out for work at six am. It really isn't worth me rolling over in bed again when his alarm rings. I am awake anyway.

In the evening, DH can't help much either... we bought a shell of a house a couple of years ago and still don't have a living room, so DH spends every our off finally making that happen. So all the housework, cooking etc. is on me. He is really working hard by the way!!!

I really don't have high standards, but I want a reasonably healthy and varied diet and the things I do in the morning are just to keep as much free time as possible for the evening.

Yesterday - which was meant to be my first day at work and DSs' first full day at nursery - we managed the morning run a bit quicker... only to have to return home because DS has caught his first nursery bug and threw up in the car. Lovely.

I think, in the future though, I should manage to leave the house by about quarter to eight, so we should be ok! I have to drive by the way - nursery is too far away to walk (unfortunately).

Never heard of a nursery that doesn't do breakfast, so you have a big disadvantage there! I shower the night before I I defo have to leave on time at 7.45 am. Lunches and bags all done night before and by door with coats. Lay the kids clothes x2 out the night before so just a case of grabbing them and throwing them on them - scruffy clothes for nursery. I know people who take DC in pjs and get nursery to change them if they are late. About 15 min jobs if there is time - we all tend to be up by 6.45

I can see your point that it is a disadvantage that the nursery doesn't serve breakfast. However, it is my workplace nursery and I can fully salary-sacrifice the fees... and that is a huuuge advantage!

As I said, yesterday went quite well, and if it hadn't been for the fact that DS was unwell I probably would have made it to the nursery for 8.15. I am aiming for at least one 8 o clock drop off next week!

I have a 17mo, she wakes around 6,30, sometimes earlier but happy to chat in her cot until then. My DP gets her out and gives her some milk in bed with him, and they play on the ipad or read books while I get dressed and sort her bag out for childminder. one of us then gets her dressed, and pop her in a highchair with half a piece of toast while I eat breakfast - my DP gets up at this point for his shower or has breakfast too.
She might play for 10 minutes, or it might all take ages and we fly out the door at 7.30 - I work 45 mins away and she goes to CM near my work so we drive up there for 8.15 - the CM gives her some cereal when she gets there.

It is a bit of a mission but perfectly manageable.

I would just turn milk and breakfast into one thing - and Not worry too much about intake - porridge can have lots of milk on it ..

I am awed that anyone would voluntarily get up at 520!!!

I leave th house at ten to 8 with 2 year old and don't get up till 630/7 - breakfast is sometimes hurried!

But I am far too lazy to do housework at 5am ... !

my nursery doesn't serve breakfast, but if children are there by 8.30 they will give them (brought in) breakfast- but they didn't advertise this.