Advice on calming a morning beast needed

[nw10liz]

We need advice on how to make mornings less fraught in our house. My DD (3.5) has just started full time nursery, which she loves. All her friends are there, she never complains about going, it's all good.

Despite that, she is a nightmare in the mornings. My poor dh has to get her up and out by 8.00, as well as getting our ds (10 months) ready for the childminder. And all the kit and caboodle that goes with it (food, spare clothes, you know the score).

Luckily for me I'm out of the house before anyone is even up, but I do have to deal with a very grumpy husband. Refusing to get out of bed, taking hours over choosing something to wear, throwing tantrums over which shoes to wear today.... and that's just him. Arf. But seriously, she's being an absolute nightmare.

I know this is what being 3 and a half is all about. But I wonder if any of you wise people have developed strategies for making it a little easier?

Thanks!

you may have already done this but limit the number of choices available, ie ''would you like these shoes ot those ones'' Talk to her often about ''right, first we will have breakfast and then we get dressed. Then we go to nursery.
Make sure everything is ready the night before (including the kit for childminders)
Set the alarm 20 mins earlier if neccessary. ANd maybe give her a special alarm clock.
Make sure she goes to bed early enough to get enough sleep.

And remember, this is a phase.

Breakfast (preferably high protein) as soon as she gets up. No telly. Doubtless others will have advice but this has helped DS be less of a pill in the morning.

I agree with having her eat as soon as she is awake - she may be extra grumpy/difficult if her blood sugar is low. You could try giving her a bowl of cereal or some toast last thing before she goes to bed as that might help.

That's a good idea re breakfast - we usually try to get her dressed first, so we'll try that. Alarm clock also good - thank you!

xx

I'd definitely get things ready the night before - get her to help choose what she is wearing. We also always do breakfast before dressing or they would go out the door with breakfast all down them!!

My dd was just like this in the morning - bouts of wailing and thrashing about if you made any false move - so stressful when you are in a hurry. She is now 4 1/2 and seems (tempt fate) to have grown out of it. I never really managed to sort it out, but one thing that sometimes pre-empted it was having a cuddle first thing in the morning and a low key discussion about having a really lovely morning with no shouting. If I could get her to agree that that would be lovely it seemed to defuse her a bit. Good luck.

Thanks everyone, it's really appreciated. It's going to be all change in this house come Monday morning ;)

def no TV....the moment it goes on any battle is lost

so what's your new regime then?

Sorry fullmoonfiend, I haven't logged on for ages, just seen this!

It's a weird thing.... but she seems to have gotten over herself with not a great deal of help from us.

She is going to bed on time every night, and about half an hour earlier than she used to. And she's having breakfast as soon as she's up - so these are definitely helping. But I think she actually got bored of being shouted at.

So far so good!

xx