can someone sort me out with a morning routine please? I am new to this nursery malarky

[Fillyjonk]

and i am not good on routines

I need 2 kids aged 2 and 3 1/2 washed, dressed and breakfasted and out of the house
by 8.30 at latest

breakfast needs to be cooked (porridge).

I get up at around 6 with kids but am knackered because I go to bed way too late (mainly because its my only time to study). So priority #1 is coffee and coming to on MN for me.

So I have 2.5 hours, which should be enough really, but I am always rushing

you lot seem organised, suggestions please.

(you are going to say "put clothes out the night before" aren't you? oh dear)

And maybe leave MN till all the children , and YOU are ready!!!

Set times that you need to be doing things by. For example, I aim to be giving the children breakfast at 7.30. We need to leave at 8.30 too.

oh lol

but then I'd NEVER go on MN

ok heres my OTHER problem though

if i get them ready too early, they are running around and taking their clothes off (well the little one is)

I can't quite get my head around this one, I KNOW I sound bloody daft, but mornings really defeat me

I am worrying about a similar thing, but my problem is being able to get up early enough! My children don't wake until 7.30ish, and i find it impossible to wake myself any earlier.

I can't believe you have MN listed as your priority! Scrap that straight away and save it til your peaceful evenings. Yes put clothes out the night before and tell the older one to put them on before they even come out of their room (it may work some days!)

could you make muesli that can be soaked over-night rather than porridge?
yes - you do have to get clothes out the night before and bags packed ... i have to be out of the house by 7.25 am to get DS to nursery and i find it is DH that holds everything up TBH
Agree with PP about getting targets in mind ...

bags ready by the front door the night before
clothes out the night before
can you cook porridge the night before? Does it have to be porridge?
breakfast table set the night before
no TV/Mumsnet until everyone is ready

Yes, we are! Put your clothes out for all of you the night before. Also, where's your dh/dp (if you have one) in this? He needs to pull his weight too imo.

Right, you need to get the children dressed before you do ANYTHING else. Can they dress themselves? Teach them asap if not.

Then breakfast (or other way round if it will make a mess on their clothes, do breakfast then clothes) Does it HAVE to be porridge? That involves cooking, which is a pita in the mornings I find, things are much better in our house since the children started havnig cereal, which they can get themselves, instead of boiled egg, which dh or I had to make.

School bags by the door night before

any lunches MUST be made the night before

toothbrushes downstairs by the sink (get some extra if needed) so no nagging to go upstairs

And you need to be dressed with everyone ready before mumsnet, sorry, I have to make tihs rule for myself as it's possible to while away hours I haven't got otherwise.

And if you're knackered then you must just go to bed earlier, sorry to state the obvious.

"you lot seem organised" LOL, I think the clue is in "seem" You can hide a lot behind a MN name and an authoratative typing style...

Personally, I'd do coffee and MN first, then have a cut off point, say 7am. give yourself time to get yourself ready, then the rest of it to concentrate on breakfast, washing, clothes, etc with the children. Would that work? (or have I forgotten what it's like to have toddlers???)

oh lol, the MN thing was a joke really, don't get distracted by that.

I don't HAVE peaceful evenings. If the kids are not with me, I study. I only go on here on non nursery mornings or if the kids are up late/dp is around.

Make up bags for tomorrow as you empty them when you come in, dont go downstairs till everybody is dressed and ready, make micro porridge, drink coffee while kids are having breakfast, once all done turn on TV to cbeebies have 10 mins MN

oh jesus its all night before stuff isn't it

jesus

oh dp does pull his weight but needs to be out by about 7 so we can have the car (we need the car to get to and from nursery atm. this will change. long story)

i can't think a whole DAY in advance

still lol at "peaceful evenings". none of those chez filly

no microwave

porridge is easy enoug, actually

bung in oven when coffee being made

take out 30 minutes later all cooked

ok have plan

1. go downstairs and make coffee and make porridge

1. come upstairs and dress dcs using clothes put out the night before

1. come back downstairs and eat porridge

THEN what do we do? that only takes us to 7.30

Telly for them while you mn
that's what happens with any spare time in our house

They won't watch telly

this is, in many ways, the bane of my existance

hmm

ah they can just play freely with their imaginations

hmm

Thats a great plan Filly.

You'll be suprised that even though that should only take you to 7.30 somedays it will take alot longer than that.
What about days when you need to wash your hair and dry/straighten it?
Will you do that before you put the coffee and porridge on?

at 'they won't watch telly'!
Baby mozart?
Not even come outside or pokaloo or whatever he's called?

Have they got dolly babies?
Maybe that last bit you could task them with getting their dolly babies ready?

There are times when you NEED telly I think. filly you need to work harder on this.

Though we do have a "no TV on school mornings" rule cos otherwise I'd never get him out of the house...

Yes, you need to work on the telly thing.

I can do it in 45 mins with and almost 5 year old and a 2 year old on the days that i work

Packed lunches, clothes, my work bags and clothes ready the night before (sorry )

Up. SIt at table for breakfast - usually cereal or toast. They have about 10 mins to eat then the dishes go in the sink. I have toast and coffee while they are at the table and get my clothes on. Then we have a race where they have to take all of their clothes off before I get my make up on and brush my hair (afraid morning showers are a thing of the past - add have a shower to your night time list!!)
Then ds1 gets ready and tries to beat me and ds2 - nappy and clothes for him.

Once dressed they can have the tv on. Face cloth and tootbrushes are downstairs and I am afraid I wash and clean their teeth whilst they are sat still watching tv. Quick hair brush and shoes on.

ah they dont watch TV - ok so they can come with you to the kitchen / downstairs bathroom to wash and clean teeth. DO NOT RETURN UPSTAIRS!!!!

no downstairs bathroom

so have to go upstairs

its the bloody PLAYING that gets me

especially since they like to play at taking clothes on and off

aaargh

no downstairs bathroom

so have to go upstairs

its the bloody PLAYING that gets me

especially since they like to play at taking clothes on and off

aaargh

no no kitchen sink for teeth, you don't have to go back up that way

I have to get three ready by 8, admitted they're older but I've always worked. DH usually gets up first at 6.30, me at 6.45 then the boys at around 7am. School things are sorted out the night before. I get as much ready the night before, clothes out, shoes out etc. You could even get out breakfast things if that would help. Part of my routine as well is to stick a load of washing in late and take it out ready to hang out in the morning. Getting things ready the night before takes 5/10 mins and saves so much hassle in the morning. BTW I wouldn't go on MN in the morning, none of us would be ready!