If you're one of those mums with a small baby and you do your hair and full make up every day

[memoo]

Can you please tell me how you manage it because at the moment I am feeling like a real slummy mummy rather than the yummy mummy I want to be!

Sometimes I turn up at DC's school to pick them up and I'm embarressed by the way I look after a long day with a 4 month old!

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I'm actually getting something right then!!

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Drop your standards!

Full makeup for me now is mascara and under eye concealer to hide the shadows. Lip gloss if I am really going for it and have a spare 5 seconds.)
My short hair style requires drying. Where possible I blow dry my hair when it is nearly dry to style it.

DD happy to admire herself in the mirror whilst I do it!

However, this is relative to how I used to look, and people looking at me may not consider me groomed!

Well I may not be popular but I do it.

I have a 5 month old, 2 year old and 5 year old.

DH tends to get breakfast for the older 2 whilst I have a quick bath and hairwash. Baby stays in her cot after her bf.

I then put make up on whilst chatting to her - takes about 3 mins for foundation, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara and blusher.

Then dry hair whilst she watches and then get us both dressed. Then dress they boys and we're ready to go.

Does mean I don't get breakfast myself till after the school run.

Seriously it probably takes me a total of half an hour to get myself ready and I like to do it first thing so get up at 6.30am and leave house at 8am.

Just makes me feel better to be made up - oh and I lay out all clothes the night before.

Quick shower (you can wash your hair and yourself in about 5 mins if you don't mess about shaving legs etc), 5 mins to blow dry, or brush and let it air dry, tinted moisturiser (then you don't need to worry about moisturiser, foundation, etc etc), quick flick of mascara. Takes 15 mins tops and can all be done in 10 if needs be. I do it because it makes me feel better. DS (now nearly 11mths old) crawls around on floor and empties my underwear drawer whilst I'm doing all this, so he's happy too.

Having said that, that's just what I do. You don't have to do any of that and I certainly would not look askance at someone with a small baby who hasn't.

Why set your standards so high?

I used to be amazed at mums who got out of the house with their baby when I had DS1.

However I went back to work at 3.5mths and so had to look reasonable, you manage.

Can you aim to just put a bit of mascara on (if necessary keep it in your bag and just whip it on before you get out of the car and before you unstrap the baby).

It only takes 30 seconds to put mascara on and I think it makes a difference.

I don't use make up every day, only if I am going out etc.

I do dye my eye lashes though (with black dye), as the ends of my lashes are really light. I do it myself, but I only dye the very ends as I am terrified of getting he stuff in my eyes. It's not that hard. It last about 6 weeks and takes 15 min. I can thoroughly recommend it if you have light lashes but if they are dark, it makes no difference, your lashes don't get thicker.

I shower at night so I can take my time and shave my legs etc. My hair is longish so I just brush it in the morning. I like to lay out my clothes at night as well.

Yes, lay out EVERYONE'S clothes at night.

You could lay the table for breakfast if you wanted the night before (my mum does).

I hate showering the night before but it might be your best option with a small baby and school age children to ferry about.

I shower at night and dry my hair then and I keep downstairs my straighteners and make-up so while the kids are eating there breakfast I'll spend a couple of minutes putting a bit of make-up on.

I love this weather for the fact that on the school run in the morning we look organised on the outside with our lovely big winter coats but underneath the youngest 3 are still in their pyjamas

I think showering at night may well be the answer at the mo. Then DH can hold the baby. She's at the stage where she doesn't want to be put down for a second. Have tried sitting her in her chair in the bathroom while I shower but she just whines the whole time.

meant youngest 2

When I had DS1 whos now 6 I didnt see make-up for 2 years.

With DS2 & 3 I made myself do my hair and put some simple make up on I felt so much better

My DD used to whine all the time if I didn't carry her. TBH I used to lie her on the bathroom floor whilst I had a shower and talked to her. I knew she was safe, she could hear and see me and I could have a quick shower for my sanity. It didn't stop her whining or crying but I knew it wasn't going to kill her.

I've got a nice coat (from Zara, didn't cost the earth) and some nice boots. I also have low maintenance hair (long and straight, wear it up almost always). Whatever I've got on underneath, if I throw on the coat and boots, put my hair up neatly and wear a bit of bronzer and lippie (takes under five minutes) I look alright and don't feel like a tramp on the school run etc.

Don't be too hard on yourself, though. Four months in is early days.

I think by 4 months I was leaving them in their bed or car seat whilst I got ready.

Shower in the evening is a good time saver , then makeup only takes 5 minutes.

I feel shit if I haven't done my hair or makeup - really does affect the way i feel.Like brushing my teeth.

I don't think you should be too hard on yourself either. I'm not sure I'm all that qualified to comment as only have one child at the moment who is 16 months but I remember asking my friends this same question - how do you get ready with a young baby! She too hated being put down and at that stage I used to sit her in her Bumbo (best things ever!) on my dressing table whilst I did my hair and make up but of course I didn't have other children to get off to school.

As she got older and hated the hairdryer going I had to do it all on a night but I was so shattered by then and it ate into time with my husband but it did mean I look ok in the morning!

I have also got up half an earlier sometimes so I know she'll wake at 6.30 earliest so would get up at 6 and get showered then.

Know how you feel though as you feel blooming (usually) when your pregnant and then look so shit with a big tummy and lactating boobs for however long after with bags under your eyes. My confidence took such a dive. You know when things are returning to normal when you actually care that you look shit!!

"You know when things are returning to normal when you actually care that you look shit!!"

So true! I could not have cared less for about 3 months, then started looking in a mirror occasionally and realised how awful I really looked. Am sure that most people look better four months in than I did though.

oh come on dont be a poof

Keep lippy and hairbrush in car/handbag and/or pushchair for last minute slick/coiff!

i have ds 7 wks old and dd 3.5.

ds wakes at 6.30 and has a bf until 7am, when he nods off again and goes back in his basket. i then have half an hour until 7.30 which is when dd's timer fairies switch her light on and she comes up to my room. that half hour is for me to dress, wash my face and do my make up. 7.30 til 7.45 i get ds ready and dd helps. then 7.45 til 8 i help dd get herself ready. 8 til 8.15 it's fifi. then it's time to go. i shower in the evening when dh is here. my hair is curly so doesn't need drying as such, plus i mostly just tie it up wet. easy peasy. we're out the door by 8.15 to take dd to nursery.

dd has breakfast at nursery btw..she doesn't just starve!

I have 3 yr old and 10 month twins and always wear makeup and blow dry hair (albeit very quickly). It helps that some mornings dh is around - if he is I do twins bottles/breakfast/wash/dress between 7am and 8, then do myself while dh gets 3 yr old up, dressed and fed. If he's not here, I get up about 6.30 and sort myself out then. Clean hair and a bit of makeup (powder foundation, mascara, tinted lip balm) just makes me feelbright-eyed, bushy-tailed and "together".

There are lots of us who do find the time but I am sure there are far more who don't so don't feel like everyone else does from this thread iyswim .

I only have one LO who is almost 20 months. She runs about while I shower which usually means bringing me toys she puts in the shower with me. I have long straight hair I wash everyday but only blow dry maybe once a week. Most days I leave it to dry and tie it up in a knot. I do my makeup with dd - she sits and plays with it while I spent 5 minutes putting on foundation, blusher, mascara. I just fit it in whenever I can. I have been known to spend a very quick two minutes in the bathroom removing yesterday's makeup and reapplying with no shower when in a major rush .

monkeysmama - the OP asked for those mums that did, how we managed it. I think most of us were answering in that vain.

memoo - don't feel bad about yourself if you don't manage it. It really isn't a competition and everyone understands. As long as your clean, so is baby and everyone is fed and watered, that's really all you need to worry about. But if you want to do a little more then there are some great tips here.