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NOW CLOSED: Tell Weetabix about breakfast in your house - you could win a £100 Sainsbury's voucher

257 replies

NewGirlHelenMumsnet · 23/03/2011 16:31

Weetabix would like you to share your top tips for making breakfast time as stress free as possible. What are your top breakfast tips? Can you share your best breakfast stories with them on this thread? For example, do you run round trying to eat and feed the baby at the same time or is it a calm, relaxed affair in your house?

The best tips and stories will feature on their new page on Mumsnet (coming soon).

Everyone who shares a story or tip on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky winner will receive a £100 Sainsbury's voucher, from Weetabix.

Thanks MNHQ

OP posts:
DorisIsAPinkDragon · 25/03/2011 13:14

I bf feed dd3 in bed, dh gets up and does medicines for dd1 and dd2.

I come down and start dd2 physio, dd1 does spellings in kitchen with dh whilst he prepares packed lunches.

I finish physio and start breakfasts, and eat mine with the dd's.

I then wash and change dd's before getting out the door.

The biggest thing which helps with stress is allowing plenty of time (dh has alarm set for 0615) This means the dd's (or DD2 in particular) can take longer to choose eat breakfast (high fat diet essential for her), and more imortantly make me less a screaming fish-wife and more a serene domestic godess.

Getting changed after brekfasts means they can all start the day (at least) smart!

softplay4totsmum · 25/03/2011 13:18

Hi, i have taken photographs of every breakfast and drink possible. Just before the children go to bed i give them the photographs of what i have in and they take their time and choose what they want the following morning. They stick it on with blue tack to a home made placemat with an empty plate and glass on. The next morning i wake the children up and while they are getting dressed i make what they asked for, if the children take ages getting ready then their breakfast will either be cold or soggy, but they are usually quick. As for my 2 year old, all good intentions, but i end up running around with spoonfuls !!! Oh happy mornings !!!

SpitSpot · 25/03/2011 13:45

Healthier cereals in termtime, chocolate sugary ones in school holidays. They know never to nag for the chocolate ones in term time or I wont buy them in the holidays.
Eat at the table, no telly, they can read a book/magazine if they want

missismac · 25/03/2011 14:01

In our house we hit the ground running. DH & I 'leap' Hmm out of bed at 7.15 and hit our relatively small kitchen on autopilot. We then perform a complicated dance similar to the famous breakfast sketch by Morecome & Wise, but without the stripper music - usually. It goes something like this:

I head straight to the fridge to unload the necessary ingredients for 5 completely different, but all healthy and nutritious packed lunches. I then take these across the kitchen and begin assembling the packed lunches on the counter.

Meanwhile DH sets the table for our 4 DC's with bowls, side plates and glasses. He puts different itms on each side plate according to each childs preference. If he's passing & the moment is appropriate I might pass him items such as brioche, or muffins from the bread bin as I'm taking bread or pitta out for the sandwiches. Or it may be vice-versa.

The children arrive and my DH spins backwards and forwards from table to fridge to counter with toast, juice, fruit and cereal. I spin around him collecting paper towels, sandwich bags and tupperware boxes. The dance is conducted in silence on our part and we avoid collision by intuition & 6th sense.

As the children finish they join the dance with their used crockery, circling round us to the dishwasher. By now I am calling to them about homework, clean teeth & uniform, brushed hair and after-school arrangements. DH is still pretty silent.

By 8am the youngest 2 are upstairs getting dressed & cleaning their teeth. The door closes - sometimes a little too firmly depending on the teenage mood - on the "I Love You"s we call as our eldest 2 go off to school, the lunches are all done and either taken, or waiting in their neat boxes on the side. This is the cue for DH & I to sit with a cup of tea (made by him, he makes it 'right') and watch the news. This is often one of the loveliest moments of our day.

At 8.15am the next round of "where's my trousers", "I've got no socks", " I need to have a dragon costume today, but I forgot to tell you" begins & caries on until 8.45 am when a freshly showered & shaved DH cycles or motorbikes off with youngest DC to see if they can overtake the older brother who left 5 minutes earlier (please god with his clarinet) on his bike.

I close the door and sigh with relief & pleasure at a job well done for another day as I head upstairs for a to sort washing, check everyone made their beds & have my own longed for bath or shower before breakfast.

That's breakfast in our house.

aftereight · 25/03/2011 14:49

Give children choice of 2 cereals, serve, and use the time whilst they are eating to make packed lunch, water bottle, empty dishwasher. Children can leave table only after finishing their drinks.
Children go off to watch cbeebies whilst I put washing on and makeup, then shoes/hair/coats and off to school..

dweezle · 25/03/2011 15:06

Eat at the table. Have all food laid out on the table for everyone to help themselves - this week it's rice krispies or cornflakes, bananas and pain au chocolat, OJ or milk to drink. Do not, ever, ever turn the TV on - it might seem the answer to your prayers in the short term but becomes a dangerous narcotic over time and it's impossible to wean the addicts off.

All dishes in dish washer when finished.

Fillybuster · 25/03/2011 15:47

Breakfast time is tightly co-ordinated: we all descend on the kitchen together, after everyone is dressed and ready for work/school. On a good day, DH will have remembered the take the bread out of the breadmaker about 30mins earlier, so that it is cool and ready for cutting.

DH gets the older 2 dcs their cereal (daily choice) and a drink of water before pouring himself some muesli. I make up dd2's Weetabix with formula and a little fruit puree and feed her whilst I try to drink a cup of tea and avoid getting soggy weetabix sprayed all over me.

Post-cereal, its bread/toast and cream cheese/marmite/peanut butter/hoummous for DH and the 3 dcs, then out of the kitchen and off to school.

The whole process (except clearing up!) takes about 20 minutes and is pretty stress free as its the same every day!

It would be a lot harder if I tried to eat breakfast, of course...Hmm

cakeforbrains · 25/03/2011 15:51

DS 1 & 2 have breakfast with Dh while I get ready. I then come down, make porridge for myself and the boys both appear with spoons and eat half of it. Good for them, maybe less good for me Hmm

angrywoman · 25/03/2011 15:59

Being not-a-morning-person I leave the selection of cereal on the dining table the night before with bowls and spoons. My children are very capable at getting the milk from the fridge and pouring on their breakfast, with small spillages. They are often eating already when I appear to switch on the kettle for my tea.

JackieNo · 25/03/2011 16:20

Weekday breakfasts are very routine - both DCs in pyjamas usually. Choice of cereal or toast (or a bit of both). I have breakfast at the same time as them, DH tends to be a bit later, or wander down while we're eating. Then it's teeth, get dressed, off to school (but leaving time for unexpected emergencies, like forgotten homework).

Weekends are much more relaxed - usually have something more special, like crumpets, or muffins, or croissants, real coffee for the adults, and a nice leisurely time. Breakfast is definitely my favourite meal of the day, I think.

Top tips: make sure you leave plenty of time, and get into a routine so you are less likely to get whinging about having breakfast, or what to have.

freshmint · 25/03/2011 16:51

Train your older children to make breakfast for the younger ones is my top tip. Then as soon as your oldest is about 4 you don't have to worry about it any more!

Porridge, Ready Brek, Weetabix, Shreddies Muesli to start. No junk.
Toast or bagels or croissants after if they want.
Pancakes/eggs/bacon only on weekends (as requires adult input!)
Everyone has to put their plate/bowl/cutlery when they finish (yes even 2 year olds can do this).

Tadaaahhhh

My 10 year old can now work the nespresso machine and make a mean cappuccino for me to drink slowly while contemplating the rest of the day...

weegiemum · 25/03/2011 17:56

My top tip isto allow the children to have their breakfast when it suits in the morning. Its theone meal we don't sit down together to - noone in our house is in any fit state to socialise at that time of day during the week - we need to get up at 7 for the school bus at 8.

So my ds has his breakfast (Krispies or weetabix or cornflakes with milk) before he gets dressed - the 2 dds prefer to get ready first and then have theirs. Dd1 doesn't like milk so her breakfast tends to be toast/fruit/yoghurt, dd2 chops and changes.

Chocolate cereal allowed at the weekend, along with pancakes/bacon rolls/other unhealthy options. I just don't have time to do the more elaborate things through the week!

Earwiggo · 25/03/2011 20:11

Bitesized cereal for toddlers to pick up, saves trying to help them or watching them tip it down themselves when distracted.

latte7770 · 25/03/2011 20:16

Get up 15 minutes before the kids, have a coffee and sit and relax - enjoy the peace and quiet before world war three breaks out when they get up.

flippinggorgeous · 25/03/2011 20:22

My girls have juice and either cereal, toast or a pastry. My top tip is to NOT let them put the TV on while they eat or they eat really, really slowly and then I am late for work. I tend to prefer cereal as an evening snack rather than breakfast.

smileyhappymummy · 25/03/2011 20:29

I am not the person to ask for tips about how to make breakfast go smoothly!
But I do LOVE weekend breakfasts... we have a cooked breakfast one day at the weekend and take turns choosing what we have to eat. Looking forward to it keeps me sane through the week.

kalo12 · 25/03/2011 20:38

my ds (3yrs) gets full so quickly so I always give breakfast in order of most nutritious so omelette, pineapple, porridge, buckwheat pancake, cup of cocoa, jam on toast last resort!

my dh does the opposite! Ggrrr!!

Noraginz · 25/03/2011 20:44

My DS3 recently had a crisp sandwich for breakfast. (I let him as he is on medication for ADHD and needs to eat with it, but doesn't normally eat breakfast!), Then I got called from school because he had chest pains, which were very probably indigestion! Blush

MandiandPops · 25/03/2011 20:57

TIP! Start with your own tea or coffee!:)

Then DH takes the 3 nippers downstairs to feed them breakfast (very often Weetabix!) whilst I lay out the clothes for the day and have my shower then we swap and I direct the dressing whilst DH has his shower and gets dressed. Then the nasty bit is up to me......the dreaded shoe finding and putting on. How on earth can it take as long the rest of the morning routine just to get the shoes sorted! Heehee. Then I take a deep breath before the school walk especially if we're using the scooters. Wink

FreakoidOrganisoid · 25/03/2011 21:12

My tip would be to get up on time Grin

We get up and go downstairs still in pjs (saves having to change clothes twice when they drop weetabix down themselves). I put kettle on, dc issue commands tell me which cereal and drink they would like. Prepare cereal and drinks. We all sit at the table to eat but I eat faster and get up and start washing up/filling water bottles whilst they finish. Then I pour my tea and drink it whilst we all get dressed. DS usually freaks out a bit when I pour my tea and says "I am hurrurring up mummy don't put my breakfast in the bin" (I did that once when he was messing around with it but it seems to have become a routine for him to say it)

treedelivery · 25/03/2011 21:20

I do a solo school run, with a 6yo and 2yo. Routine is everything! I leave clothes out, bowls and spoons out, cereal out.....it takes 45 mins.

7.30 - begin trying to convince dd1 to get up. DD2 may have been up hours, or may also be refusing to move.
7.45 - drag any body still in bed, out.
7.55 - nappy&clothes done, uniform on, me dressed.
8.00 - family visit to the loo Hmm with teeth, faces and hands
8.05 - hit downstairs and under no circumstances ever allow them upstairs or near a tv again. If we are early [unlikely] we pop an audio book on, to listen whilst they eat.
8.10 - dd1 hair and shoes on.
8.15 - 2 bowls, 2 spons, 2 cups, jar of wheetabix or soaked porridge ready to go on work top. No choices except on drinks - milk/juice/warm water. Whilst they eat I sling my makeup on.
8.20 - dd2 has 3 spoons of weetabix and is done, so shoes on and I grab coats.
8.25 - dd1 takes about 10 mins to have 2 weetabix, so she's ready for coat and little look out the door at the weather/examine what's in packed lunch etc
8.30 - out the door. Book bag hangs on the door handle, violin/other important stuff leaning against door so impossible to forget Grin

I only offer weetabix or porridge, am very grumpy. It's the only way I can get us out with no arguments, tears and on time. No sugar is offered, but honey or fruit or yogurt. These are declined daily Hmm

The only time dd1 had anything other than weetabix or porridge I worried she'd be hungry at school. I know she is full and won't have an energy crash with weetabix or oats.

treedelivery · 25/03/2011 21:23

My other top morning tip is [apart from leaving the bowls and spoons out] is to put dc's in an apron. My dd1 isn't amused by being asked to wear a bib, but will wear her baking apron to catch the blobs Grin

Oh - and always soak the weetabix bowl. Or it will be concrete in 1 hr Grin

Overtiredmum · 25/03/2011 21:36

Get up and DS (5 years) have breakfast whilst I get DD (2) and myself ready for the school run. DD and I then have our breakfast when we get back from school run. Very relaxed affairs and no tears.

Now, when DH does their breakfast its a totally different result Grin

Tobermory · 25/03/2011 21:43

We (me, DH, DD1 - 3 and DD2 - 9 months) have to be out of our house by 7.40 4 mornings a week. Speed, being prepared and getting up at least 165 mins before the kids is the only way to go.

My top tip is to get the next days clothes out the night before. Both my DDs have a little pile of clothes, coats, hair brushes etc so getting them dressed is a bit less painful and a bit speedier.

Slambang · 25/03/2011 21:49

Tip: Always refer to the highly sugary toffee-crunchy-chocky-pops type cereals as 'birthday breakfast' so that the dcs learn from very young that those are just for special occasions.
So when in the supermarket with the -muuum can we have this? they accept 'No, that's just birthday breakfast.'