5 year year old not a morning person!

[feb1982]

My wonderful and very active 5 year old DD usually wakes up very grumpy and whiney and this can quickly descend into a major tantrum set off by pretty much anything. It makes mornings so fraught, with everyone treading on eggshells and her younger sister (3) has now also started playing up too, I think in an attempt to reclaim some of the attention which I don’t blame her for! DD (5) is usually much better once she’s eaten but getting her to decide what to eat is not easy and often leads to a tantrum. She’s not picky usually but it’s like she’s too hungry to think straight. We’ve tried giving her a snack before bedtime (e.g an apple and some milk) but is there something she could grab/we could feed her as soon as she wakes up to help her? Any suggestions very welcome!

We discreetly put an oatcake and a cup of milk outside our 4 year old's bedroom for when he wakes up.

Thanks @BarnacleBeasleyI think that something like this could be the answer. She’s pretty much always the first to wake up so we’d just need to remember to put it there the night before!

I ask my kids the night before what they want for breakfast, and I just prepare it in the morning.

I keep a box of breadsticks in my nightstand for my kids early morning snacks

Reminds me of a TV show, I think motherland...mum one complains about them not deciding what to have for breakfast. Mum 2 doesn't give them a choice. My youngest can be grumpy before breakfast too, he always has egg for breakfast.

My DC gets a choice but he pretty much always chooses either peanut butter toast or cereal (all the cereals in the house mixed together) or both. However, like OP's DD, he's basically too hangry to operate first thing so leaving some food in a prominent place near his room (not actually suggesting out loud that he eats/drinks it!) is what gets him functioning enough to have a wee, brush his teeth, get dressed, and get downstairs for breakfast.

Try a banana or spoonfull of PB (maybe dip apple in peanut butter?) before bed, I swear by it for all 5 of my DC to help them sleep better and wake up better. Leave a snack outside her door/somewhere she'll see it when she wakes up (but not before) so she can help herself.

Choosing breakfast before bedtime is a good idea, but give her limited options each day i.e. tomorrow is Jam on toast or cheerios day. Maybe a physical reminder e.g. photos to choose between would help.

Lots of things she could have as a very quick snack- cereal bar, oatcakes, fruit, yoghurt.
But I’m wondering if she’s getting enough sleep if she’s waking up this grumpy? Maybe needs a wee half hour earlier in bed.