How do you get ready in the morning?

[Jemima14]

Maybe this is an extremely silly question. Logically, it doesn't sound like an impossible task, but I'm struggling with this big time. I have a 5 month old daughter who is high need & getting out in the morning is a mammoth task.

I feed her, change her, play with her & then try to get myself showered, breakfast, dressed, hair (thrown up) - I do the absolute basics & usually look a wreck - but this is all done to the background of her crying usually as she hardly stays by herself for any time, I usually do one thing then run bk & play with her & carry her from room to room with me, I will change where she sits, playmat, boucer, give plenty of toys etc, put the tv on (not great I know!) - but by the time I get all of this done, pack bags get her changed again & fed & coats on, its about 12 or 1 o'clock. I feel like I haven't stopped running around yet haven't got anywhere...

What do people do, literally.... I would like to find a bit of a routine that works better than this... lately I've just avoided leaving the house if I can help it!!

I'm breastfeeding too, which has all been babyled so far & that is constantly throwing me, sometimes she wants to go on every hour, or wants to go on for an hour at a time. Any suggestions?

[crystal85]

Hey Hun sorry If someone has already said the same didn't read every pervious answer.

My DS is 6.5 months and husband leaves at 5am and get home at 5pm so I battle the day alone as well.
Normal routine is if we getting up early I will shower night before. On an average day I don't get son out of bed till 8am.
So this gives me time to get up at 7 shower and spray curly spray in hair (as only have time to straighten it if going out posh etc lol) put dressing gown on get son up he has a bath every night before bed so wet wipe wash in morning with bum change and new clothes downstairs for 8:10 he has baby porridge for breakfast. Then we go up stairs he sits in the middle of our bed pillows either side and plays with goofy and Pluto teddys (only pays with them if sat on our bed the live on my bedside table) and I finish getting dressed and sometimes even get to blow dry my hair. We are normally ready just after 9. He has a bottle at 10am and a nap so if going out tend to leave just b4 nap time and give him bottle in pushchair where he can nap as well. Or if shopping is being delivered I book that 10-11 so can do it during nap time.
He's also got into the habit of snack time at 12 so mean I get to sit with him at the table while he picks at tomato and cucumber etc I can have coffee and a sandwich or if we're out can stop and get a coffee and get his snacks out his bag.
I'm not saying my ways best but it works for us and might give you ideas also we always have 2pm nap in his bed so this allowed me to start preparing dinner or get house work done. Xx

[squizita]

I shower the night before, put my clothes out plus sprays, make up and brush.
She watches me get dressed and I do it to music "here we go round the mulberry bush" style. Basically she thinks it's for her entertainment!

[Artandco]

I used to just take sheepskin rug and few toys into bathroom. Lay baby on rug, give toy if old enough. Shower and get ready. Close bathroom door once crawling so they can't escape

[Hobby2014]

Jumperoo.
Whenever I have anything to do, DS (5 months) goes in jumperoo.

[WeGotThere]

Hi, when my dd was a baby I wondered at these mythical babies who played their cots/bouncers/bathriom floor while mums showered - mine couldn't last 2 mins so like you my shower was to the music of her crying! Getting ready involved a lot of singing and dancing! But now my ds (9m) is the easiest baby ever and has been since birth so if I didn't have a bossy 2.9 yr old I totally see how you could leave him.
Anyway similar to everyone else this is how we do it. Bags, clothes etc... all ready when they're in bed night before. I am up at 6.10 to shower and throw clothes on. Dd wakes while I'm in shower and comes in to chat to me. Ds wakes at 6.30 and dd gets dressed while I race her getting ds changed (and usually get some makeup on while she struggles with tricky bits). Then they both read stories/play on my bed while I blast my hair. Hair, teeth and faces done and down to breakfast. Out door by 7.20 absolute latest! Or on my day off we put cbeebies on while I have 2nd (or third!) cup of coffee as a treat! It does get easier. Xx

[Imperialleather2]

I second getting up before they wake amd doing stuff the night before. I have 41/2 year old and 14 month old and I'm on my own all week. The only way j manage is to get up before them so my alarm goes off at 6 to leave at 8 for the school run.

Clothes are laid out
Bags packed
School bag in the car
Shoes out

The only problem I have with people saying put them in the bathroom is that once they're toddling its a nightmare, especially with a tiled floor it's just too slippery to have themwalking about in there and then they try and luck the toilet.

I think even of you've have a bad night just getting up and dressed makes you feel better, you can always have a nap later on. I went through a stage where dd woke at 4:30 every night. Time I faffed around resettled her I had about 1/2 before my alarm went off so I would just get up then and have a nap later.

[cinnamongirl1976]

My DD is older (2), but I've always showered in the evening. Much easier. When she was about the same age as your DD we got a jumperoo and it was a great place to leave her safely while I got a few bits done! It does get easier, although we are now getting used to not having a daytime nap, which is when I used to do a lot of things!

[Binglesplodge]

Depending on what time her morning nap is, and where she sleeps, can you face waiting until then to shower/dress and then you can do it in peace and quiet? I haven't yet mastered getting my 14 week old DS to nap anywhere other than on me but as soon as I do I'm looking forward to having my shower without the background wailing...

[Littlef00t]

I don't know if your dd would put up with this, but I have always showered with dd in the bathroom. First lying on a change mat, then dressing gown on the floor when rolling etc. she loved the noise and I'd play peekaboo etc through the glass.

[dashoflime]

At 5 months I used to contain Ds in the bathtub (without water obviously!) while I showered.
Agree with pp re the rest: you either need to have everything ready the night before or get up before DC to do it.
I'm a bit skanky so wasn't adverse to leaving the house with Ds still in his sleep suit at that age. I had a change of clothes in a bag and used to put him into a "daytime outfit"at the same time as her next nappy change while I was out. Or more often, wait until sick or poonamie nessecitated it.

[mrsmugoo]

I bathe in the evenings. On work days I get up half an hour earlier than DS to get dressed/made-up. On non work days I get dressed when he goes down for his morning nap.

When he drops the morning nap I guess it will be getting up earlier to do it.

[TheGirlAtTheRockShow]

I second all those saying wash in the evenings! Makes mornings much less stressful.
In the morning I feed DD, change her nappy and get her dressed. She then goes in cot with mobile or in bedroom with me on the bed while I get dressed. Then we have breakfast and get ready to walk the dog. She'll have her morning nap in the sling. Home and ready to start the day properly at around 10.

[confusedandemployed]

My tip would be to take the baby into the bathroom with you as you are a lone parent.

When DP had gone to work I used to stick DD on the floor on a towel, supported by a horseshoe-shaped breastfeeding pillow. I spent as long as I liked in the shower and she was happy to watch me.

She's nearly two now and I have a load of toys in the bathroom to entertain her now!

[GoldfishSpy]

Pack bag, bath, do everything the night before.
Clothes out for me. DS has a bath and clean clothes the night before.

Alarm at 6.30am. Dress, makeup etc. Wake baby if he isn't awake.

7am Feed baby. Change him into a clean nappy.

7.20 Take him downstairs. We have breakfast together (he is nearly 6 mo so has some goop and toast) He is well covered up with a teatowel round him.

7.45 I leave for work. Hand DS to DH. If DS was coming with me we would just go.

[sillymillyb]

I am a lone parent too - and having a shower and getting ready was my nemesis! I think I had a thread on here on how the hell I could manage it!

My tips are similar to everyone else's to be honest. I had a basket in every room (babies / mine and living room) that had clothes for us both in, nappies / wipes etc. Mini deoderant and moisteriser and any essential make up (so I had a concealer and mascara) It was a bit of an outlay but I swear it was worth its weight in gold!

I would then put DS in his bouncy chair in the bathroom or the jumperoo on the landing with the door open so he could see me, or on the floor with some toys or in his bath seat in the bath with me while I had the quickest shower known to man. I could then go into any of the rooms and would have enough stuff there to help me finish getting ready. It was not a quick process, and the one thing I craved more than anything else was a long shower alone.

Once I was dressed I would tackle DS as I was always more productive and less stressed that way.

Good luck! Oh! And always have a bag packed and ready to go. That made things a million times easier too :)

[Redling]

Shower the night before, lay out your clothes in the living room and get dressed downstairs, or pop her in the cot with mobile on while you get dressed in the room. I manage to straighten my hair while DS has his morning chat to Tigger and Winnie :) dress her when you do her morning nappy change of you have a morning thing to go to, I do so DS is ready to go after his first nap. Otherwise I leave him in sleepsuit until after.

[GotToBeInItToWinIt]

Whens unfortunately DD didn't read Gina Ford's book so regardless of when I tried to do them, she wanted to do them differently

[flanjabelle]

At that age I put dd in her bouncy chair in the bathroom with me and kept talkingn to her and playing peekaboo while I got ready. I would have a stack of toys that I didn't usually give her to keep passing her to keep her interested.

Now she is older she goes in her travel cot with lots of toys while I get ready.

[Cupcakes123]

I have a 5 month old DS. The only way I can be ready is by getting up an hour before DP. He has the baby in bed, feeds him and spends some time with him before he goes off to work.
I then run around like a mad woman sterilising, tidying, packing bags and getting showered and dressed. Then I take over from DP and can get DS dressed and ready.
If for whatever reason I don't get my hour, it's quite likely I'll still be in my pjamas by lunchtime

[Whensmyturn]

I followed Gina Ford routine as she describes when to do what and how.

[SASASI]

Can I ask a question to those who BF & shower before baby wakes - do you lose a lot of milk in the shower?!

My DS sleeps all night (not a stealth boast!) and when I wake much boobs are so full of milk I've usually leaked & DS is 5 months.

Some mornings if I'm up before he wishes I pump & freeze just to give me done relief. I would hate to see it literally go down the drain?!

[TwiggyHeart]

On a nursery day I have a shower/hair wash the night before, clothes for all of us out the night before, bags packed and lunches all done before bed. I get up about 6:45, wash, dress, tidy up, windows opened etc. 7:30 feed baby while toddler plays/looks at books. DH leaves any time between 7:00-7:45 so try to do as much as I can before he goes.

[ch1134]

Have a nice relaxing bath the night before instead of a shower in the morning. Have a chair you can strap baby into while you get jobs done. Minimise racing up and down stairs by planning what you'll bring with you.. for example, I always get totally dressed in the morning, including socks so I won't have to run back up for a jumper/ scarf/ socks...Don't take too much out with you: nappies, wipes, spare set of clothes and a muslin can stay in the change bag, no need to pack or unpack...

[GotToBeInItToWinIt]

I shower before DH leaves for work. It's like a military operation . I get up at 6.45am, shower and dress, downstairs for 7.15am. DH takes DD downstairs and entertains her until I'm down at 7.15, then he gets ready for work and leaves at around 8am. Nappy bag always ready/all stocks replenished the night before.