Toddler Morning Routine/ TV

[amidsummernightsdream]

What do you all do with your toddler first thing in the morning?

I have a 21 month old, who wakes up 5.30/ 6. I’m not great first thing. We have a little chat, cup of milk and nappy change but then I’ll sit in the sofa and if im honest watch tv with her or mumsnet for an hour until we make breakfast at 7ish.

She will either sit with me and watch tv (bing, gruffalo, disney film) but mostly will play with her toys with tv on in background. I will talk with her about what she’s doing- but from the sofa with a brew.

I feel insanely guilty about this.

At 7, we’ll make breakfast together. We have one of those helper towers snd she likes to join in.

We then return to sofa until 8ish, we don’t usually have to leave the house until 9 (i work part time from home and childminder lives on our street). We’re then upstairs to get ready and up and out for the day.

Basically i feel guilty about the tv in these first 2 hours but I’m knackered!

Is this normal? What is everyone else doing?

It sounds pretty idyllic to me. Not being funny but if this was your second child you wouldn't be worrying, the eldest would watching TV and you wouldn't be able to stop the baby/ toddler joining in from much younger. It doesn't sound like mindless zombie type viewing. You seriously don't need to feel guilty.

Thank you, I suppose that’s what I was looking for reassurance on.

I think it’s because I’m sat on my phone too, which is a separate issue as i spend too much time on my phone in general.

That’s fine! It’s nice to have a chill morning where you don’t have to be rushing about like a mad thing.

Dd is six and currently eating her toast in front of Bluey so definitely no judgement here!

I did this with my early rising eldest. Except I only put cbeebies on rather than taking requests. Mummy doesn't play before breakfast.

This is what I do with my daughter as well, she's 18 months. I'd say we watch 45 mins of peppa every morning before I'm even ready to face the day

That’s what I do; I’m half asleep and I don’t feel guilty about it to be honest

Yes we used to do just cbeebies but have recently given in to taking requests. I dont mind unless it’s something with a song in the middle as she insists I get up and dance 🙈

Thanks for replying, it is really reassuring. I do think it’s pretty normal but you see a lot (on here especially) about the evils of screentime, it does make you feel guilty.

@Lkydfju you’ve got the right idea, this is where I need to get to- lose the guilt. I’m so tired!

We have cbeebies on in the morning. 20 minutes and then we get dressed/brush teeth wash face(after hey duggee) have snack/drink whilst go Jetters is on and then leave the house at 7:50.
It helps with our routine and he knows when it’s time to leave.
he’s usually playing with toys too

Don’t feel guilty. It’s not as though it’s all day!

It sounds like you are doing a great job op

I do exactly the same, DD rises any time between 4:30- 5:30. Could not be dealing with playing games on the floor at that hour! I rationalise it by thinking it's just a couple of hours of relaxed time and then she's up and out for the whole day at nursery/ doing activities etc so in the grand scheme of things it isn't much at all.

Thanks @Stag82 💙

Isn’t this what everyone does? Mine used to watch channel 5 when they were little. They knew what time things had to be done by by the program that was on. End of Thomas the Tank Engine meant it was time to leave the house!

Me and DD do the sane. Up at 6, I get a coffee and cuddles in bed for an hour. Then I chase her round the house trying to get her dressed / teeth brushed / shoes on before going to CM. I posted earlier about not being happy at a change of schedule on milkshake in the morning. My first response was IABU for letting a 2 year old watch an hour of TV. Do I feel guilty?? Not at all, I need my coffee and quiet time in the morning to start the day. The rest of the time DD has no interest in TV at all and tends to play with her toys / dolls or we go out when we are at home. If it's a CM day then she gets lots of stimulation their too, so I'm really not concerned about an hour of TV.

Yep, same here. Are we meant to sit in silence? DD doesnt want to play first thing either - we get up, stick on something not annoying for her while we wake up and have breakfast. We get washed and dressed at 8 which is when she then wants to play with her toys etc.

I am all about not making things unnecessarily difficult!

Personally for me I don’t think anybody, kids especially, should be watching any screen when they wake up! My LO has 15 minutes a day and that’s in the afternoon.

But we are all different and do what’s right for us

@EJRB I’m very interested to know what your morning routine looks like without any TV.
What time do you get up? And what do you and your little one do before you get ready and out for the day?

I’d really like to hear a different perspective

My little one is only 5 months but we don't have a TV at all and don't plan on getting one, so I guess mornings will have to work without! 😉😅

(Not fussed about giving a little child a tablet either)

It’s totally normal

@Batbatbatty I think if you’re used to not having a TV that’s a bit different as it’s not part of your lifestyle anyway.
I’ve always had tv on in background and like to chill first thing. That’s why it is difficult to see an alternative.

so what do you do first thing? I’d be interested to know

Our two year old is up at seven. My husband showers and then wakes the boy. I get a shower whilst he does our son's potty time then nappy and getting dressed. I join them downstairs for breakfast then play with my son whilst my husband brushes his teeth. We then swap as I start work (from home) at 8am and my husband takes the boy to his childminder for 8.30 then carries on to his office.

You can appreciate that my mornings right now look quite different as my DS is so small😂

First thing however I drink a cuppa in bed with him playing next to me, we look at a couple of books, do tummy time and sing a bit and then it's already time for first nap 😴

I suppose we will continue with lots of reading. We're early birds anyway and when he is one he'll start full time daycare, so there won't be time in the mornings for much other than getting ready!

Hm it becomes a different ball game when they are toddlers, up at 5.30 and, if not distracted, likely to kill themselves in some way by climbing the furniture

You’re living the dream OP.
My 21 month old screams if I don’t immediately make his breakfast when we get up, and then is full speed ahead.
So after I’ve given him breakfast and wrestled him to do his nappy we usually unload the dishwasher together and then he plays in his toy kitchen (in the kitchen) and I stand and have a coffee.

Not against watching TV but it doesn’t really interest DS so it just ends up annoying me and he’s not even watching it.

Yep, normal in my world hence why DD3 knows all the songs in every Disney movie and there’s not an episode of Peppa we’ve not seen 😂 she’s perfectly well adjusted, knows all the numbers/letters, spoke in sentences since turning 2. So don’t let people scare you that some morning TV will ruin her.