What's your before-school routine (young kids)?

[koalabearboombox]

I have a 4.5yo who is in reception and a 7 month old baby. 4.5yo wants to watch TV from the second their eyes pop open, to the second we leave for school. We've been quite relaxed about it whilst baby is small but realised it's becoming a hindrance rather than a help. E.g. they now refuse to eat breakfast because they can't bear to leave the screen, then asks for snacks on the way to school because they're hungry.

I'd really love to know how others manage mornings before school. And also how on earth you get ready without distracting DC with the TV. There's two of us parents available but it just feels impossible to manage getting both of us ready, both kids, feed everyone, and normally we have to put the baby down for a nap at some point during this time as she wakes at 5am most days.

DS wakes at 6am so he is allowed on screens at this time. I wake DD at 7am. They're allowed TV or screens during this time while breakfast is being ate and hair is being done.
Screens go off at 7.30 as its then time to brush teeth, get changed, pack bags etc.

Never allowed screens before school. Up, wash, dress and breakfast together at the kitchen table.

I don’t allow screens before school as it’s more hassle.

5 year up is up around 6.30am. He has to get dressed, teeth, hair upstairs before even going down. So that’s done if all else goes pear shaped

Cup of Milk and some food at table in kitchen whilst I prep lunch box he has to take. He can draw/ or play with toys if time.

We leave around 7.30am for 7.50am start ( not uk).
He home by 1pm and is allowed tv any time in the afternoon if he wants and we are home, so I’m not restricting on tv in general

Mine are older but this is the routine we've had for years. I get up at 6.15, shower, get dressed, unpack dishwasher, make a coffee, prep snacks/lunches and school bags. DC usually up between 6.45-7am, they can have TV then but its CBBC or Cbeebies so I can keep an eye on the clock. Screen off and breakfast at 7.30. Get them dressed then out the door at 8.25.

We tried no TV but they wouldn't give me a second to get anything done and it just made it more stressful!

No screens before school. I don't think it helps behaviour or learning preparedness for the teacher to have a room full of kids who have already spent an hour plus starring at a screen.

They play between waking and 7am. Then downstairs for breakfast and getting school bags ready. Then upstairs to do teeth and get dressed. Then reading (they're always too tired after-school so it has to be mornings). Leave at 8:10/20am.

They're both (5 and 8) pretty good at getting themselves dressed, brushing their own teeth etc. so we can all get ready at the same time (obviously much more difficult with a seven month old!).

No screen time before school. We’re pretty relaxed about it otherwise. It would distract 5 year old ds too much. With 2 adults the morning is manageable without tv

We also have a 1 year old ds

I only have one ds atm hes 4½ (new baby will be here in a few weeks) so god nos what our routine will look like then haha.

We get up at half 6 -7. Breakfast and screen time untill its time to get ready which is 7.45. We get ready up stairs with no tellys. Then if hes quick getting ready he has time for some more screen time before we leave for school at 8.20 xxx

I have a 6 yr old and a 3 yr old (who goes to pre school).

We allow tv before school but only once totally ready to go - breakfast eaten, uniform on, teeth brushed, hair up, shoes on, book bag sorted and water bottle ready. And if we ever had any whinging about turning it off when it’s time to leave (which to be fair we have never once had), we’d rethink.

ETA - realistically this gives them about 5 mins of tv before we leave.

No screens before school. When youngest was a baby my husband got up at 6am, got baby ready, helped older DD do her teeth and fed them both breakfast whilst I showered. Then I went downstairs breastfed youngest whilst husband showered, oldest could read her book to me or play then we were out by 7:30, I might do some laundry. Sometimes I didn't get breakfast; if I was back at work I ate it at my desk if not I ate breakfast after the school run.

No screens before school. DD7 is simply too easily distracted and would never be ready to leave. If she has any spare time in the mornings she can read. Mind you, I'm a total scrooge with screen time - TV only after supper and before bathtime!

This is what we do as well. My two are NOT early risers so there isn't really any extra time to fill before school.

They are allowed screens once totally ready for school, DS1 (age 7) gets 10-15 minutes if he really pulls his finger out. DS2 (age 5) gets closer to 5 minutes.

We find it works for us as the DC are in one place while whichever parent is doing dropoff does last minute things like packing our own basg for work, defrosting the car etc. It was actually harder to get them out the door when we said no screens and they'd potter off to their bedrooms and start a long and complicated game with all their toys.

Never had screens before school, I can’t imagine how that would help mine get ready. Come down, they eat breakfast, they go up and get dressed, do teeth and brush their hair while we make lunches and prep bags. Then when they come down any needed helping with hair, school tie etc. If there’s fun stuff they want to do or even reading etc, they can do it if they are totally ready and there’s time left.

They are 7 and 9 though and obviously takes time to build up this level of independence. Can 4.5yr old dress themselves yet? If not then work on that. Have school clothes laid out. Maybe one of you on baby duty and one on older one?

8 and 5 year old. No screens before school. It is more hassle, and a distraction from getting the jobs done that need doing ie eating, dressing, getting out the door in good time.

I prefer to do not screens before school and wake up DS so he's just got enough time to brush teeth, get dressed, and eat breakfast so there's no time to want screens but these days I'm gone to work long before he gets up. OH brushes his teeth and gets him dressed and then allows him to watch tv while he eats breakfast until his alarm tells him its time to go to school. Think it really helps to get all the essential things done first, then you can let them chill while you get yourself ready.

Youngest is 7. He wakes up usually between 6-7:30am (we get up at 7). He can pretty much watch whatever tv he wants, he just has to turn it on himself. Only thing he can’t do in front of the tv is eat breakfast if it’s messy (cereal), but sometimes he will have something not messy while watching tv.

I think making it into not a big battle has made it not all that enticing. Some mornings he watches it, some he doesn’t. Like this morning he spent an hour and half looking at a book about WW2 tanks and never turned the tv on. 🤷🏻‍♀️

We were the same with our older one (12) and she almost never watches tv. Definitely not in the mornings and only rarely any other time.

One thing we definitely do not allow in the morning or any time without supervision is a hand held screen. No tablet (we don’t own one), no gaming console. He is occasionally allowed on the switch to play Minecraft, for example, but never in the mornings or when he could be doing something better instead, like going outside.

I think mornings are chaotic. I don’t think you have to do them perfectly. You just have to get everyone where they need to be, fed, dressed and happy enough.