How do your mornings go with a toddler?

[SkyBlue20]

I wondered if anyone with a toddler could share their morning routines? DH and I really struggle to get the three of us up and out early - I usually get DD ready/give her breakfast etc while DH gets himself ready and then he takes her to nursery while I get ready but by this point it’s at least 8:30 as that’s the earliest she can start (unless we pay extra). We’re both self employed so don’t have a hard 9am start time but would be nice to not always be starting work late!
I can’t decide if we just like sleep too much (probably) or if we’re just being really inefficient but would be so helpful to hear how other people organise their mornings. We have DD2 due in July so would really like to get the current set up sorted before throwing in an extra person to take care of 🙈
thank you!

DD is 2 (26m) by the way!

Our little boy is 26 months also. We have it much easier seeing as he has breakfast at nursery! If we had to factor in breakfast, it would take much longer. All we have to do is get him dressed, brush his teeth and get him in the car.

I get him dressed and ready while husband showers, and he takes him to nursery between 7.30 and 8 on his way to work.

I used to be you. Now I can get 5yo, 3yo and baby twins out of the house all by myself. And have never been late for school.

Get a basket. Put it outside toddler's room. Put clothes and toiletries in there night before.

Do the same for yourself.

Pack any bags and put them in car/pram/bike along with any coats and hats.

As soon as it is time for toddler to get out of bed you change nappy, brush hair, teeth, give medicines and get them dressed. Even shoes and socks. Gets all the battles out of the way. They do not play or leave their room until dressed. But once dressed, they can do what they want, so it is a good incentive.

Breakfast laid out on the table. They eat, they don't, up to them.

When it is time to leave wipe face and hands with a wet flannel pick up toddler and go.

You get a 2 minute shower, hairbrush and throw your pre-prepares clothes and shoes on when you can. Ideally before toddler is up. If not I usually do it while they are engrossed in breakfast. An alternative is to lay out a small game they will like (dolls, trains, tea party) to keep them distracted for 5 mins.

No screens or music in the mornings.

Oh and if they take clothes, coat shoes off, just collect them up and hand half dressed toddler to nursery. Usually a little word from their keyworker about the importance of wearing their shoes dorts it out. And they realise there is no point messing about with their clothes

I have 21 month old DS1, 5 month old DS2 and 8yo DD.

DS2 normally has a feed at around 5.30am then dozes back off to sleep, so I hop in the shower around 6ish while he snoozes. Meanwhile DH gets up with DS1, does his nappy, clothes and teeth and takes him down for his breakfast. After my shower DS2 is normally awake, so I change & dress him, take him downstairs, pop him on the playmat and do my hair and makeup in the kitchen whilst chugging coffee and supervising both boys. DH escapes at this point to shower and head off to work, but sometimes he hangs around a bit longer and helps with breakfast. DD gets herself up at around 7, has a shower, gets herself dressed then comes downstairs for her breakfast. I clean up DS1, have a quick tidy up of the kitchen/chuck stuff in the dishwasher, then leave him with his sister/YouTube for a few minutes while I take DS2 somewhere quiet to feed, when he'll hopefully fall asleep and I can pop him in the buggy ready for the school run. Then I get shoes & coats on the other two, lure DS1 into the buggy with the promise of a snack, and head out of the door at around 8.30. There's normally time to have a quick tidy round of toys/make beds/put a load in the washing machine too, but not always.

Drop DD at school, drop DS1 at nursery, and if I'm lucky enough, DS2 will nap long enough for me to sit down and catch my breath for a few minutes when I get home 😂

Like PP, I get everyone's clothes/bags/water bottles/the buggy etc ready the night before so I can just chuck the kids in and go. It's a bit of a military operation, and obviously we have the odd day where one or more of the kids just isn't cooperating, so on those days I end up legging it to school with 2 screaming babies and a sulking DD. But it normally works ok!

Oh, and when DS2 was newborn (thinking of your DC2 on the way), I just did it all with him in the sling instead of on the mat. I think I am quite lucky though, in that DS2 is quite chilled and DD is basically Mary Poppins in child form!

I have a toddler and a baby (3 and 1 a couple of months ago).

Usually get up at 6:30am and start trying to wake the kids. My 3yr old is hard to wake so takes 10-15 mins usually. I quickly get her dressed, brush her teeth and put her in her high chair (she's very small - and I need her contained) to have breakfast.
Then I go back upstairs and grab the baby, bring him down, nappy change etc and dress him ready for nursery. Then he has his milk and by the time he's had that the toddler is finished so I clean her up and let her either play or help feed the baby his breakfast. Kids leave as close to 7:30am as possible as nursery opens at 7:45am.

We have to pay for breakfast at nursery but my DD won't eat it so has to have hers at home. My DS will also have a breakfast at nursery despite having had milk and breakfast at home.

If my DP is at home we'll do one kid each or he'll do both and I'll log on if I'm WFH. If I'm in the office that day I'll get ready for work while DP does the nursery run and then leave when he returns.

To make it quicker, all showers and bags are done the night before. It's a pain when DP works nights as he doesn't get home until at least 8:30am so kids need larger breakfasts and I can't work until he's home.

Everything and I mean everything out night before for all of us. DH downstairs with both kids and breakfast done etc whilst I get showered and ready. Swap places and I dress kids. Done!

I've just had Baby2 and it has flipped our morning routine completely.

Before baby arrived, DH would get up and shove on clothes (having showerrd the evening before) then head to bathroom and do his teeth whilst I woke toddler up and get toddler clothes out - toddler choice from limited selection offered (e.g. this t-shirt or this one?). Toddler and I then join DH in bathroom where I'd jump in shower (and draw pictures on request in the steam on the shower door) whilst DH changed toddler nappy and got toddler dressed/face washed/hair brushed. Then I'd get out shower, brush mine and toddlers teeth while DH heads to kitchen to get breakfast ready and stick the kettle on. Toddler would then either head down to breakfast or keep me company while I got dressed. Then we'd eat together and DH would take toddler to nursery, I'd commute to work, and DH then would WFH. Takes about 40min to turn us all around from first getting up.

However since baby arrived (less than 2weeks ago so we're still adjusting), I shower night before after both babies asleep. First thing in the morning I feed then change baby while DH shoves clothes on and gets toddler up, dressed and washed. I hand baby to DH who takes both toddler and baby down to prepare breakfast while I shove clothes on and brush teeth/hair. Toddler gets the cereal out and DH sticks the kettle on. I join them and finish getting breakfast, then we play tag holding the baby while we all sit to eat breakfast together. It is perfectly manageable with 2 adults at the moment but will be interesting to see how I manage when DH is away next week!

Thank you everyone, this is so helpful. I think our main issues are that she can’t start nursery until 8:30 and that we’re all very much not morning people and it takes us a while to get going! DH MUST have his shower in the morning, too, rather than at night (I’m a night showerer), so it takes him a while to get ready. we’re pretty quick at getting DD ready and teeth brushed etc but she doesn’t half drag out her breakfast! Am going to assess and see how I think we can become more efficient else I just don’t see how we’ll ever leave the house with two of them!

I shower the night before. Get up at 6:30 ish and spend about half an hour getting ready. DH only needs about 15-20 minutes so gets up at 6:45, which means I’ve used the bathroom already. We get DS up at 7ish and leave ourselves 40 or so minutes to let him wake up, play and get him ready. If the weather is bad or I’m feeling lazy we all hop in the car at 7:45, I’m dropped at work at 8ish, DS at nursery at 8:10ish and DH gets to work for 8:30. Otherwise I’ll cycle and DH will leave a bit later with DS and sometimes walk. We don’t do breakfast at home on nursery days and as per lots of PPs, bags are packed in the car/on the bike/under the pushchair ready to go the night before.

Who are all these people having to wake their babies up?! 😂😭

Our day starts (involuntarily) at 5:30am, almost like clockwork. Nursery opens at 7:30 so we have two hours to fill. It's like the opposite problem!

We get up at 6am and leave the house at 7:30. Childcare opens at 7:45/8am. DH gets 2 year old up, dressed and breakfasted, makes her packed lunch some days, packs drinks and snacks and has his own breakfast. 8 year old gets herself up. Whilst this goes on I shower and dress then do 8 year old's hair. DH showers whilst I sort laundry (cloth nappies) or other chores. Then all out the house.

All outfits out and bags packed (except food and drink) the night before.

Alarm at 6.50 if DD (24m) still asleep then quickly get ready, I shower night before, and load the car. Then get toddler up and ready and ideally head off 7.25am to be at nursery for it opening. Often we are later than this... really should get up earlier.

If she's up then DH takes her downstairs for milk and getting her on the potty (potty training adds complexity as really want her to go before she's in the car!) And I get ready, then do her.

As much as you want to collapse on an evening everything is so much easier with bags packed by the door and outfits laid out for everyone. If they can breakfast at nursery it's so much easier, might it be worth sucking up the extra cost?

Up at 7:30 and get myself ready, DD eats her breakfast between 7:45-8, then i get her dressed and we're out the house at 8:20. If she hasn't finished breakfast by 8 then tough luck as we have to leave at 8:20. She knows now to concentrate and eat

My DD (3yo) goes to MIL’s on my work days so I get up at 5:40am and get myself ready. Wake DD at 6:10, get her dressed, teeth, washed etc down for breakfast and a cup of milk. She usually doesn’t eat anything at that time but it’s offered while I eat mine. Out the door at 7:15, a 1 hour commute to drop her.

I get all bags, lunches etc ready the night before, saves a lot of time.

I have two rules that seem to make a difference:

1. Teeth brushed and fully clothed before going downstairs
2. TV only allowed after breakfast, if there’s a bit of time to spare

Awake 6 (not by choice)
6-7.45 breakfast play
7.45 parent 1 showers and dress
8.15 parent 2 showers while parent 1 dresses dd
8.45 parent 2 takes dd to CM while parent 1 tidies up
9am both work from home

I have a just over 2 yo. We always get her up at 7 (or max 7.15) so that helps with routine. Nappy change and get into her clothes and hair brushed straight away. On weekends she comes into bed with us for half an hour or so. On nursery days, we go straight to breakfast about 7.30. Breakfast takes about 20-30 mins then teeth brushed, shoes on, grab her bag (prepped the night before) and go. Normally I have to also get ds 11 ready for school so we leave 8.30 but could leave at 8 am if it is just dd.

Just realised I haven’t mentioned getting myself ready. I either get up at 6.30 to get ready before she wakes up or if a wfh day I just throw on clothes before going downstairs and brush my teeth at the same time as I do DD’s.

Dh does mornings because I'm totally useless

Generally DS3 (1.5) will wake up between 6-7am. DS2 (4) wakes up closer to 7 and has a gro clock and won't come out of his room before 7. We have a teenager as well. DH just pokes his head into his room and makes sure he's moving. He leaves just before 7 so has to sort himself out.

DH tends to get DS3 up and if he hears DS2 awake he'll let him know it's OK to come out, and he'll dress/change DS3, unless he's staying at home with me, then he'll leave him in pyjamas. DS2 gets himself dressed, we've been doing a reward chart for it. DH assembles them a snacky breakfast (stuff like fruit, bread, cheese, sometimes mini waffles) and they eat that in front of the TV while he jumps in the shower and then gets dressed. Then they get shoes on and go. They both go to the same nursery and it's next door to DH's work. They have a chance to eat breakfast at nursery as well so it doesn't matter if they don't eat much in the morning - I think he just does that to keep them in one place rather than getting into toys, and in case they're extra hungry. They leave at about 7:40 ideally, sometimes it's closer to 8.

At weekends I get up first and generally I just make myself a coffee and them the breakfast snack plate and if they want the TV on they can have it on or they just get toys out. I'm a zombie until about 9am.

I’m self employed, DH has flexible mornings so could start any time most days & we have a toddler (3) in nursery. We manage to get back n working for 9am.

I get up at 6am & work til around 7.15am. Usually DH and toddler get up around 7am and DH comes and sorts breakfast.

he’ll get in shower after breakfast and if he hasn’t done breakfast pots, I will.

When he’s done, he takes dog for a walk. By this time it’s around 7.45am - 8am. I take DD and myself upstairs to get us both washed & dressed. She’ll read books on bathroom floor while I shower. I then give her a wash and put on her dressing gown, get myself dressed, then her.

around 8.20 I’ll come down, give her a snack if she didn’t eat much breakfast (so she doesn’t get too hangry!) put on her shoes and coat, and get her out the door. DH takes her to nursery around 8.35. He drops her off and is back home before 9am. Kettle on, sat at desk for 9am.

when mine were little, 3 under 5, I use to meet the child minder in the school playground and she took over from there until I picked them up again from the school playground. I use to have her children on a Saturday so no actual money crossed hands 😁.

working from home has some benefits, an office in one of the bedrooms.

night before - clean kitchen, make lunches, lay out breakfast and any other kitchen things that need doing, including laying shoes and coats with school bags ready by door. Upstairs tidy 🙄, and lay out clothing for the morning. We had a long banister and I would start with mine at one end to smallest at the other. I would shower and clean the bathroom in the evening.

morning, always works best if you can get up first,I would be up by 6.30 not easy I know but. I would wash clean teeth and dress in the bathroom, then lay out toothbrushes with toothpaste on ready.

kids would be up by now in various states of chaos, downstairs breakfast, forgot to mention I would set the coffee on timer night before. Must have coffee to get through breakfast. Two boys upstairs to clean teeth wash dress, I would sort toddler in her bedroom, leave her on mat or in a sling I would make beds and chase around boys until we all fell downstairs, normally running late now, shoes on, toddler in pushchair bags everything ready in pushchair waiting out the door and try a nice walk to school 🙄, kiss on heads quick hug hand over and run home, I only lived 5 minutes walk away. In through kitchen door, washing in machine, dishes in dish washer wipe round, more coffee, set more on then upstairs by 9.30. Hubby whilst I was running to school/breakfast will have showered dressed had coffee and made our bed and taken laundry down, picking up any jobs I didn’t manage. He would be at his desk for 9 me 9,30. This would be the first time we speak in the morning 🙄. Work until 3.10 run to school collect boys and meet minder who will have collected toddler from nursery. Home - do homework/chores/try and find time to play/cook dinner, sit children at the table for 5.30 hubby comes down then and takes over, I go back to work for an hour or so, hubby brings children up at 7, I stop work and all hands on for bed time, 8 ish all in bed. Hubby cooks our dinner whilst I start getting ready for the morning, collapse in bed for 11 ish

hard work but doable, just need routine and stick to it. Sunday was the hardest believe it or not,

Up at 6.00 (sometimes 5.30 - not by choice) - DH changes, dresses DS, teeth then downstairs to start breakfast. I get myself ready in this time. We then switch at 6.30 and I finish breakfast, play and get on DS coat whilst DH gets himself ready. We both leave house 7.00 to take to nursery then drive to work to start 8.30. Actually runs like clockwork so far!

We have a 2.5 year old and this is our weekday morning:

6.45: Husband gets up and has a shower.

6.50: I get up and wake up the toddler. I then take him into the bathroom and read him a book whilst he's on the toilet.

7.00: Husband and I swap. He finishes the book and then dresses the toddler and makes everyone breakfast whilst I have a shower. After my shower I pack my son's bag for going to the childminder. Lunch is made the night before so I just grab it from the fridge along with his bag of spare pants and trousers.

7.30: Generally by this time everyone is dressed and at the table having breakfast.

7.45: Husband goes to brush his teeth and finish any bathroom stuff (gel his hair etc) whilst I play with our son.

7.55: Husband comes back and I brush my teeth and blow dry my hair.

8.00: I sit in my office and start work whilst husband brushes son's teeth then plays with him.

8.15: I come down and help them with leaving the house. Sometimes son is not happy about putting shoes on etc.

8.20: Husband leaves with son and drops him at the childminder before going on to work.