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Parenting

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Original poster

school-age children plus newborn - how do you get out of the house for school?

41 replies

dinny · 15/03/2009 21:15

dd2 is 2 weeks old, my mum has just left and dh is back at work.... am so daunted, how the hell do you get to school on time? have two other children age 6 and 4...

also, how do you do bathtime, meals etc etc! seems impossible to fit it all in amongst bf-ing and nappies

thanks!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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LackaDAISYcal · 15/03/2009 21:55

second the getting as much as possible done the night before. lay out clothes for the older two and vbribe them into getting themselves dressed if necessary.

DH gets up and showers with my toddler contained in the bathroom while I feed the baby. Then he gets breakfast organised while I'm in the shower. If we sleep late and I don't grab a shower when he is still at home, then i have no chance until the young ones are sleeping later in the day.
once DH has left for work, I have a quick bite to eat and get the toddler ready.

By this time DS should have gotten himslef dressed and then we have about 20 mins before we need to leave the house. The baby is usually in his pjs until after we get back from the school run, unless we are off to toddlers straight after the school run.

The bedtime routine is getting better, and again DH is key to it all happening here. I get DD ready whilst he does some reading with DS1 who then gets to watch a bit of TV while DD is being put to bed. DH then reads him a story while I get the baby ready. We don't have a bath/bedtime routine as such any more as DS1 and DD often have a shower in the morning now, and the baby gets bathed at odd times of the day whenever we have time to fit it in...or when he has puked/pood everywhere!

That's the theory of it anyway....most evenings it all goes b elly up and DD is put to bed straight after tea as she hasn't slept in the day and is inconsolable and DS1 has been cheeky/gobby/aggressive so is sent to bed early in disgrace, and the baby has been colicky and troublesome and recently poorly so has been downstairs until my bedtime more often than not in his 19 week life.

DH and I have no issues getting ourselves in bed by 10 though as we are usually too bloody knackered for much else!!

Burstingattheseams · 15/03/2009 21:55

Dinny - stop trying to be a "supermum" and relax and become a super mum instead!

I have four chiildren under the age of 6, the youngest has just turned 9 months and i feel I have missed out on her baby time as i was constantly battling to get everyone out of the house by 8am to get the oldst to school and second one to preschool.

I wish I had spent more time cajoling rather than shouting.

The school should understand. It won't be forever - its all got much easier for me now (though it got worse for a bit in between when I had to wean and had real trouble fitting that in!!!)

Sorr not much practical help - don't get baby dressed in am is probably best bit!!

MrsMattie · 15/03/2009 21:56

Oh definitely not every night, no. I forgot to say that. I stopped bathing DS every night when I was pregnant. It was just too knackering and time consuming. He has a bath every 2-3 days now if he's lucky , and I often do it in the late afternoon, now, or whenever DD is napping.

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LackaDAISYcal · 15/03/2009 21:59

I often either have DD washed and dressed and me in whatever I threw on and a hat on to cover my uncombed just out of bed hair, or me washed and dressed and DD still in her pamjams with the baby.

I hope the BFing carries on getting better dinny.

scienceteacher · 15/03/2009 22:00

If it takes a while to get ready in the morning, you just have to start earlier. It is easier now that it is getting lighter.

Original poster

dinny · 15/03/2009 22:00

actually, dd is leaving our current school in Sept, so being late matters even less I suppose

the problem I have is that dh leaves really early am and is usually back after bedtime, so have to do it myself

some excellent tips here....thank you all

OP posts:

seeker · 15/03/2009 22:00

Here's what I did. You make sure that school bags and lunches are done the night before and uniforms and pe kits are ready. You buy a fleecy snow suit for the baby. Then, in the morning, you do the absolute minimum for the baby - nappy, milk then fleece suit on over whatever it's wearing for bed. Then get the others to school, come home, make coffee and attend to the baby. The one person who can survive happily on neglect is the baby!

LackaDAISYcal · 15/03/2009 22:01

I'm sitting here desperately trying to think when was the last time the baby actually had a bath

Older two never more than three times a week, usually only two and swimming at the weekend

PlumBumMum · 15/03/2009 22:04

Dinny Iused to bring my dd(no3) to school still in her babygro and her wee all in one suit, get dcs to school then go home get baby settles and then organise myself for rest of day,

just relax its still early days don't be worrying about housework etc, relax and enjoy your new baby, mine 2.4 now it has flew by
Try a nipple shield for sore side, I had tried them before and didn't work but worked with no 3, and like you say tried to use sore side when settled at home

congrats btw

Sorrento · 15/03/2009 22:29

Surely you have 6 hours a day to do all the bathing etc with the little one and just carry on as normal routine for the older ones ?
That's what I was hoping would happen anyway.

acebaby · 16/03/2009 09:31

It is so hard isn't it? I had trouble with bfing as well. I had to get DS1 to pre-school when DS2 was newborn (DS2 is 10 months now). My top tip is get a sling and a dummy. I don't like dummies, but for those first few months it made life a lot easier. Put the baby in the sling with the dummy and you will be able to put off all feeding/changing, and you'll have your hands free. I didn't get anywhere with actually feeding using the sling, but some people can do this as well.

Also, I found taht the pre-school were incredibly understanding about us being late, DS1 turning up with no socks/pants, forgetting to fill in forms and so on.

good luck! Only a couple of weeks until easter...

Original poster

dinny · 16/03/2009 10:01

mmm, suppose so sorrento - had it in my head the baby should have bath in evening, not sure why really!

OP posts:

Sorrento · 16/03/2009 10:18

My plan of action should I ever actually get pregnant is to feed bubs between 6.30 and 7am, get the others dressed and off to school whilst bubs kicks happily under the play mat thing, do the school run, bubs will sleep beautifully for that bit.
Come home have a shower, breakfast and then get the baby up washed and dressed and begin our day.
Naturally it will fall asleep again around 3.15 and nap until I have cooked tea.
Yes that is exactly how it will work every day !

seeker · 16/03/2009 11:35

I used to either have a bath with the baby during the day (that was lovely!) or dunk the baby in his big sister's bath - they both loved that!

TheProvincialLady · 16/03/2009 12:01

My DS2 is 12 weeks and only gets a bath when he has pooed as far as his armpits Other than that he just gets topped and tailed. Why make life hard for yourself? Save it for when they actually get dirty.

I have just gone from 1 to 2 and I am rapidly learning that doing the bare minimum is the way forward. There are so many things that we do every day without thinking and lots of them aren't necessary. Like daily bathing for children - my brother and I were bathed on a Sunday night and that was it. I bath DS1 more often than that but never every day.

stitchtime · 16/03/2009 12:05

congratulations dinny, i didnt even know you were pregnant!
i had a lovely neighbour who did themorning school fun fo rme till dd was over a year old.

suggestions that have already been posted.
bath the 6 and 4 year old together in the eveing, every other evening only. the baby can have a bath during the day when they are at school. baby only needs to be in a clean nappy before you leave the house. otherwise it doesnt matter what she is wearing, as long as it is warm.
the older children need to be dressing themselves a this time. unless you feel the four year old will feel left out. in that case, leave the newborn safe, and deal with him.
breastfeed. much easier and simpler
lots of luck, and positive vibes for you.

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