Filling the time before the school run?

[Likeaburstcouch]

DC are 5 and 1.5 and both early risers - the toddler's preferred start to the day is by screaming the house down at 6am latest, and often 5am. By 7.30 we're all basically ready to leave and toddler starts incessantly whingeing, which he continues at increasing volume until we get out of the house. He's at the very awkward age where he just wants to wander around doing age inappropriate things like handling boiling water and operating the dishwasher and not bothered about the tv for more than 20 mins. I'm not a morning person so will not be setting up montessori activities at this time. Is there anything we can do?

Should just add that we can't leave the house until 8.15 giving us 45 mins to kill.

We set off earlier and go to the park on the way to burn off the toddler's energy a bit. It was hellish until we started doing that. I appreciate there might not be a handy park you can do this with.

Sorry X post, can you get them in the garden instead?

The park would be just about doable but is slightly in the wrong direction and at the bottom of a hill. But might give it a go, thank you.

Go to the park,or if you were intending to do a top up shop nip to the supermarket first while it's quiet.

Mini picnic at the park playground. You have a coffee, they have some chopped fruit. You can sit on a bench while they go as wild as they want to. No chaos to come home to. Probably counts as ‘quality time’.

Our school do an early risers / breakfast club for £4 a session.
It's not just for working parents. Is there something like that at your 5yo's school to give you one or two mornings of peace?

Ooh coffee at the park does sound slightly more appealing thanks @Bbbhhhvfbxb

Trying to avoid additional paid childcare as we're already spending eye watering amounts!

Walk a long way round to school. Bonus points if you can go by a coffee shop for you and a building site with heavy machinery running or fire station etc for the dc. Streams or ponds with ducks or somewhere with lots of steps or low walls for them to run around on also work

Can you set something up the night before? (It doesn't have to be perfect and Instagramable fiveminutemum.com/games-and-activities/the-treasure-hunt )

We crack through school reading books before school too as we found there's less drama about it then.

100% just get out of the house and go to a park/walk the long way.

If you absolutely have to stay in some days, a basket of laundry or a handbag full of gubbins used to keep my son amused for ages at that age. Handbag and a couple of purses from a charity shop, fill with odds and ends like keys, old club cards/ library cards, remote controls without batteries etc etc. Any household stuff that's safe for him to investigate.

@user478 argh that looks intriguing but I refuse to browse a website that doesn't let me turn down its cookies! Maybe she's got a book I can get instead..

@fistsoffury I'm assembling a gubbin bag this afternoon. I imagine it's the kind of thing you have to vary every so often?

I put together a big box of general shite 😅 some stuff bought from the local hardware shops/odds-and-ends shops (all safe to investigate), and some just gathered from around the house.

Then rotate it every now and again into an old handbag or something they can cart about. Like a busy board in a bag. I had an old brick mobile phone that I could still charge and be loved pressing the buttons and hearing it beep. Never bothered with these crappy toy phones you get that kids don't even like. Keys, phones, purses, club cards, remotes, things with buckles and poppers, switches and so on are great, as well as different fabrics, particular silk scarves.

Have they got to eat breakfast before school? If so this can easily go to the park with you - e.g. rolls filled with cheese and tomato, wrapped in a napkin, plus a satsuma They will enjoy being outside and nothing to clear up at home.
An early morning coffee while the kids run wild and nothing is broken is the best start. Bring it from home to save the cash/queueing/plastic waste.

I treat anything before 7am as night waking and tell them to go back to sleep.

Are you putting them to bed very early at night?

I'd rather they were up at night than in the morning!

Telly

I'd eke it out longer tbh. So tv/ipad in be up at 630 leisurely breakfast/tv. 715 go play upstairs 730 get dressed 8 tv while getting everything together

Bath? Not every day obviously, but my kids used to love unscheduled "play" baths.