How do you get ready with a toddler?

[TinnedTom]

Usually DH and I tag team in the mornings so one of us will get ready while the other looks after our 2 year old then we swap. However, DH is going away for work soon so I’ll be on my own - this might sound like a silly question but how do I manage to get showered and dressed? I could get up before DS but would rather not as he wakes at 5 usually!

Just put them somewhere safe and get ready 🤷🏼‍♀️

Cot, playpen, TV, stairgate. Whatever works!

This 🤦🏼‍♀️

Do people really not leave their kids alone in a room for more than a couple of minutes? I leave my 2 (nearly 3) year old in the living room downstairs with a stair gate at the door, door open & nip upstairs to quickly get ready, this normally only takes me about 15 mins really. The living room is safe with all his toys so he just plays & I put something on the tv for him. I can always hear him & if he was being particularly fussy that day I’d leave him playing in his own room with the baby gate at his door.

No way would I leave mine unsupervised for any more than 60 seconds!

OP shower the night before, or can you pop the highchair (or buy a second cheap one) in the bathroom?

I couldn't have left DS alone as a toddler. He was about 8 before I was able to leave him for a few minutes. He is autistic, but I didn't know that when he was 2, I just knew he needed an adult present always.

See if I put mine in a high chair and went off to shower he’d roar like a caged lion and probably tip himself over in the desperate attempt to clamber out. So that would be way more dangerous.

Mine too.

One thing I have noticed with MN is that nearly every thread regarding toddlers gets replies insinuating the OP is an idiot. Maybe toddlers bring out the worst in everybody.

Just bring him everywhere with you. Do your makeup wherever he is eating breakfast. Get dressed whilst he tries and fails to get himself dressed then dress him. It will be fine 😊

But… couldn’t you just bring her in to the bathroom with you and let her play with loo rolls / chat to her / let her wipe down the glass etc etc?

im not suggesting leaving the toddler on another floor, but I do think it’s a bit madness not to be able to do anything without absolute hands on supervision at every moment

It depends @ShirleyPhallus . If the bathroom isn’t safe or can’t be contained or whatever. Just different toddlers and houses and all the rest of it, isn’t it?

Shower the night before. Have bags packed/clothes ready the night before. Do hair/make up in the dining room whilst DS is in his high chair having breakfast. Sorted DH works shifts so most days I have to get ready on my own with DS in the mornings.

I don't find this a problem, I just get ready. He plays, I shower and get dressed.

At two he would have just played with puzzles or lego or something like he find when I cooked, though I did wake up an hour before him so it wasn't necessary. At one year old that hour was essential! One reason I could have never coped with early bedtimes and 5am wake ups no time to myself.

I used to keep LO in the bathroom with me, blanket on floor with some toys to play with. Was fine for a short shower. It gets easier i promise 😊

It really is

We have a gate so the toddler can't go in the kitchen, and he will just play with toys by himself. He's not left for long periods but can be enough for a quick shower. Check back in. Then finish getting ready. How else would you ever get anything done?? Get a camera if you're very worried

Evening shower. Morning - use cot / screen time and keep it quick e.g 5 minute make up.

I just put the tv on….

I've always has a bath or shower at night so I haven't changed my routine with my toddler.

He runs around like a mad thing while I get washed and ready and listens to his 3 favourite Mr Tumble songs on Alexa while I do my make up.

I have books and toys upstairs as well but usually something like dragging a towel around or climbing on and off the bed is much more appealing. Or trying to squeeze between my legs while I brush my hair.

My daughter is 15 months and my other half works away so I’m often on my own. I couldn’t leave her anywhere on her own while I had a shower as she would lose it big time (of course the rest of the time she spends running away from me/trying to escape from wherever we are). I also shower the night before and look out all my clothes and put on a hanger in the bathroom. Then I take her into the bathroom with me and I can just get completely ready, dressed makeup, tooth brushing etc without having to go from room to room/look for stuff.

Every thread regarding everything.

Mine sits on my bed with YouTube on the TV and I keep the door open whilst showering.

Ds and dd when she was younger just came upstairs and roamed while i take a quick shower. Sometimes I let ds have my phone to keep him out of trouble.
I then get dressed and sit with them in the kitchen and do my make up while they have breakfast. I have never considered it to be an issue.

I shower while they are in the bathroom with me, mucking around with bath toys and books or playing some sort of peekaboo game.

While I'm getting dressed, doing hair and makeup etc they will either play near me in my room or theirs (right next to my room) or if they are being whingy I will plonk them on my bed to watch 15 mins of Peppa or Bluey or whatever on my phone. I have absolutely no guilt for resorting to screen time while I get ready; if I can't leave the house feeling at least a little decent then I'm miserable for the whole day.

Agree. I wonder if this is the reason kids have so many issues these days. Is it really that thw child can't be left for 5 minutes or that the parent is too anxious, it's worth questioning. I say this myself as I'm very overprotective but luckily DH balances things out which makes me relax my (unreasonable) boundaries