Please tell me how I can keep my temper in check when ....

[sandyballs]

.... it is 8.35am on a school day, both my 5 year olds are dressed in their uniforms, coats on standing by the door ready to go ... I pop to the loo and return to find one of them standing there in her pants and vest because "her uniform is too scratchy" .

I lost it big time, lots of shouting (on my part) and tears (on hers). She's nearly 6, not 3, and I really thought she would have come out of this bloody annoying "phase" .

Oh poor you! (bighug emoticon here). I have a 5 year old also nearly 6 and she winds me up with getting dressed for school. I ask her to get dress but she's too busy reading or doing something else and in the end I have to dress her myself. Try putting tights on a 5 year old is just as bad as putting one on 18month old! By 8.30 I'm like so flustered and not in the mood for small talk trying to herd my two girls out the front door. I'm constantly asking DD1 to put her coat on, shoes on etc. and still she plays about. I keep thinking she will grow out of it. Just hope the little one doesn't copy her!!

Know exactly what you mean by the tights . I find it peculiar that she could put her own tights on at 4 but can't now she's nearly 6. Can't be bothered more like!

I would just like our mornings to be more mellow and chatty, not full of aggro like they are now.

I have to admit that I found your post amusing as I pictured the scene....BUT, I do know exactly where you are coming from. Our dd (2.8) is a nightmare for getting out the house....for 7.30am, goodness knows what she will be like at that age!
I hope you don't think I'm not being sympathetic but it has really made me smile....'too scratchy'!

Mine tried that ...

... until I took them to school one day dressed just as they had thought was enough .

i only had to get them to the car before they begged to get dressed propserly

Much better since, but still have thier days

Mind you they refused to leave school the other day until I got in the car and 'drove off' and left them (not really just moved the car down the car park). Still feel bad about that tho - know I should not have lost it but with two running in different directions and giggling I had had enough!

Oh how funny - in a sad way ! I came on here to have a moan about my just 6 yr old dd and her terrible morning rituals ! And lo and behold - you've got one at it too !!

I just feel so stressed out every day - mine refuses to get dressed point blank some days, other days she puts different clothes on not the uniform I have laid out - some days she is fine with clothes but will have a tantrum about something else !! mainly I think she doesn't like "having to do" anything - she just wants to do her own thing in her own time !

I really did think by now we would have the morning routine tapped !!

So - sympathy and I'll keeo watching to see if you get any good advice !

Oh forgot to say - mine can't even put ankle socks on now - having regressed about 4 yrs !!

I am sorry but I thought that was quite funny.

I know it wouldn't have been for you. Do you have everyone ready at least 10 mins earlier than you need them to be? I have 3 to get ready and it definitely helps as someone always needs the loo or sorting out again.

BTW My 5 year old wouldn't stand still so I asked him he wanted to go to school like that? (trousers and pants round his ankles). He could tell I meant it and stood very still.

If she does it again maybe say you will take her like that. I have even go so far as putting all the other kids in the car and started to lock the door with the misbehaving child still in the house. It is amazing how quickly they can fall in to line when you do that........

I also used to use the oven beeper so they knew when it went off they had to stop what they were doing and either get ready fully or go and get their shoes and coats.

DH was looking after our twins (nearly 4) the other day, 5 minutes before it was time to go and get DS1 from school - both were fully dressed including shoes. DH nipped off to do something elsewhere in the house - when he came back 3 minutes later both were totally starkers and "couldn't find" their clothes.

DH was not best pleased.

So no help, but sympathy and solidarity.

Throckenholt - .
This is making me smile and cheering up my day no end.
Standing in solidarity too.

Thanks, nice to know I'm not alone in these things .

She's always had a thing about clothes, about the material and the fit, and has always stroked fabric since a very young age, god she sounds weird reading this back , bless her. She lives in her own little dream world, floating around with no sense of urgency or any idea of what to do next. She'd rather be reading or drawing, both of which she is very good at, but she seems to have no common sense. For instance she'll still wander across roads without looking, her mind on far greater things perhaps .

Is she a Pices (sp?) by any chance SandyB?
Sounds spookily like my dd!

God, yes she is a pisces, how funny .

Mmmmm - apparently they're dreamers with their heads in the clouds. I'm reliably informed by my mum.....who is a Pisces, along with my nephew. Bless 'em all!

Oh not a valid excuse for mine - she's a Libra and I thought they were meant to be very level and balanced - not mine - very up and down - although maybe that is like a scales - I need to look up my astrology methinks

Lol! My DD1 is Pisces I think (dob 26th Feb). Explains a lot if she is!