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How do you get two adults and a 10 month old ready to leave the house by 7.30 every morning?

53 replies

peakaboo · 05/08/2008 07:55

I'm going back to work in two weeks and have no idea how we are going to all get clean, fed and dressed without getting up at 4am (although that's often when dd wakes so it might be the start of our day ) and without having tears from any of us. How do other families manage this?

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themoon66 · 20/08/2008 12:48

DH worked away for five years. I got up school age DD and baby DS and worked full time.

One 10 month old will be a piece of piss once you get into a routine. Honest.

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milfAKAmonkeymonkeymoomoo · 20/08/2008 12:48

Get everything ready the night before i.e. clothes (for all of you), bags for nursery/CM/work all packed, shower in the evening rather than the morning. If possible have the baby have his/her breakfast at the CM/nursery and pack a breakfast for you in your work bag.

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madeindevon2 · 20/08/2008 12:46

its doable. i get up at 6.10. get myself ready then baby (14 months) ready, breakfast then leave house. we leave at 7am....
no time to mess about tho but its doable.
have to say im quite low maintance tho....my hair is quickly dried and i dont bother with makeup!

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hana · 19/08/2008 15:38

this reminds me I am not looking forward to the term starting again and getting all 3 ready for school/preschool/childminder and me too to leave by 730.

wahhhhhh!!

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peakaboo · 19/08/2008 15:36

Thanks so much for all your suggestions - we are on the second week of going back and it is manageable (as you all said ). Showering the night before is the key for us, I think. On the downside, starting nursery has been so stressful for dd that she is now waking 8-12 times a night and is always up before 5...so getting ready is suddenly not my main worry.

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blueshoes · 13/08/2008 09:07

peakaboo, agree that the anticipation is worse than the reality. But then you get into the swing of things. It WILL be the most stressful time of your day. I do feel I have climbed Mt Everest by the time I sink gratefully into the comfy chair at work and switch on my pc.

dh and I used to wake at 6 am and were out of the house (dh at 7 am, me at 7:30am) with both dcs 4 and 1, dressed for nursery and in school uniform and we have only one bathroom in our house. Then we got an aupair and she got ds dressed so that I could leave the house with dd earlier.

The mornings were run on a military schedule, especially re: the use of the bathroom.

On your dd waking at 4 am, is there any way you can put her to bed later? Ideally, she should wake after you and dh so that both of you get dressed before she does. I shower in the evening to save time. Dh showers in the morning because he is smellier.

Dh gets up first because he takes longer to get ready. Then I wake 10 minutes later. We just have a cup of tea at home but breakfast in the office. Definitely use your nursery for breakfast. You can give your dd a cracker to munch in the meantime if she is hungry.

If the baby wakes during this time, we take turns to hold him whilst the other rushes their routine. We build 15 minutes' grace into the routine.

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Gateau · 13/08/2008 08:40

BTW, fine to have shower and wash hair the night before. I often do this the night before my day off with DS. It's not as if you're gonna run any mareathons in your sleep that will get you all sticky and sweaty.

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Gateau · 13/08/2008 08:39

I'm lucky. I only have to really get myself out the door in the morning as I leave at 7.15 and DS doesn't get up until 7ish. My DH gets DS up, fed, dressed and out to nursery. Bless him. And he has his shower and shave before getting DS up, then puts on 'old' clothes while he feeds him etc..
Having said that, I have DS's bag packed the night before and his clothes out.

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dinkyboysmum · 12/08/2008 21:07

same here...
a lot of the leg work can be done the night before: getting all change bags ready/lunches prepared/laying out clothes for the morning, even lay breakfast table. we wake are woken by ds1 (now 13 months) at 6.30 and have a mad scramble to get out the house by 7.20. similar routine ensues for the eveing, we return at 5.30 and both know our 'jobs' to get ds in bed for seven. then collapse in a heap! its all about teamwork.
i'm a teacher, so the madness only happens in term times. now i'm on summer holiday, ds is waking at 8am bless...not sure how to manage it all again when september hits! it is definitly much easier now he is starting to feed himself. when he was 6mo it took ages getting his bottle down him.

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BananaSkin · 07/08/2008 13:40

I've not gone back to work but have to get three small children out for 8.30am. We have found our booster highchair invaluable - it is a cheap plastic high-chair booster (Mothercare do them) that you are meant to strap on to another chair. You could stick it on the floor upstairs on a wipeable mat so that your DD can self feed while you rush around getting dressed/doing makeup etc.

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anniemac · 07/08/2008 10:48

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findtheriver · 05/08/2008 23:23

That;s so true whatdayisit! A baby is so much easier than a toddler. My eldest used to run away and hide when i tried to dress her in the mornings. Nightmare with me trying to get to work. Luckily I had a very understanding CM who didnt bat an eyelid when I turned up on occasions totally flustered with dd in her jimjams!

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whatdayisit · 05/08/2008 22:33

I find it's best to send DH out at 6am, that way I only have to get me and Dc's ready and he's not under my feet. Like everything it's all about routine. At least a baby won't come and wipe it's nose all over your smart work trousers while you're drying your hair

Having as much as poss laid out the night before is a big help.

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megcleary · 05/08/2008 22:09

our house up at 6:20 dd is always awake! 11mo

i give her a wash get her dressed while warm her bottle and make us tea while dh has shower he then comes down geive her botlle while i have shower

all going well we have toast and she has breakfast at nursery

Everything is laid out the night before for nursey and our clothes as well leave at 7.30 and all thats been working for last two months

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cookiemonstress · 05/08/2008 22:02

I have 2 under 3 and we leave 7.15 am. As everyone says, be prepared, if the nursery gives breakfast opt for that and just give milk, finger snacks. Easy clothes for baby to dress in (i.e. no buttons etc).. I try and wear dresses to work so don't have to do whole matching business. Dress yourself first and do make-up etc then baby. Really not as bad as it sounds. The thought of going back to work is worse than the reality.

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JT · 05/08/2008 17:47

get up early

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WilfSell · 05/08/2008 14:05

Ps I also keep in my office for when I'm REALLY late:

spare make-up bag
face wipes (also do for underarms and, er, fanjo if really scummy...)
deodorant and cologne spray
gas-powered styling bursh/tongs combo (which can also be used as straighteners if you run them down through hair)
mirror

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HandbagAddiction · 05/08/2008 13:06

You will find this a lot easier than you think. I have for the last 2 years managed to get two ready for nursery and be out of the house at 7:40 - having only woken them up at 7....we even have time for story reading in the morning just so that they don't feel everything is rushed.

I get up at 6:30 - shower and wash hair - I get completely ready myself - apart from dressing - before waking them up with milk. We sit down and have stories whilst drinking milk and then I get them both dressed (one is still in nappies and a stroppy 2 year old...so this can be quite tricky). They then have 5 minutes play while I get dressed, put lipstick on, etc. Then it's downstairs for coats / shoes and a snack for the car. They have breakfast at 8:15 at nursery but have a few dry cheerios/shreddies or cornflakes in a bowl for the journey to nursery - my car is always a complete mess though!!

I'm at nursry for 8, drop them both off and then on the 8:25 train to London with a newspaper and a latte!

Surprisingly, I never feel rushed - bags are packed the night before and because it has become routine - you just get on and do it. There's nothing like knowing that you're aiming for a specific train to get you moving in the morning!

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pepperrabbit · 05/08/2008 13:04

Ditto to the organisation the night before. I also had an old shirt of DHs I wore over my work clothes until the very last minute (admittedly sometimes this was as I ran for the train!)
That meant I wasn't caught out by banana/milk/sick/snot etc. Well, in theory anyway

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WilfSell · 05/08/2008 13:00

wot everyone else said: it will fall into place with practice. But for those desperate rush moments, some tips:

  1. when you've washed hair night before, get some dry shampoo. Good spray, good brush, if you need to restyle somewhat, quick spray of water after dry shampooing can help.


Also can I recommend that deodorant that works for 48 hours - can't remember what it's called. And if you are a bit whiffy and have no time for a shower, there's nothing a baby wipe can't sort out when you're in a rush.

  1. You could also dress your baby the night before if you're in a REAL rush one morning. Honestly they don't sweat at that age! And if you then get a large t-shirt over the tip in the morning for breakfast and a bib over that, then just whip off the bib, keep t-shirt on until nursery: ta da - clean baby!


  1. You could even give a non-drip cup and finger food in the car if in a real rush, though obv keep the coverup on and make sure it's food they're confident with to avoid choking...


  1. prepare all baby food/milk etc night before. Use ready made cartons if on formula. Take a stash into nursery to store to save you having to remember them each day. Do this also with all other things: spare clothes, nappies etc...


Honestly, it will come.
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ghosty · 05/08/2008 12:51

at popsy and her straight lovely hair

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pointydog · 05/08/2008 12:35

dh and I have always alternated morning showers. Is fine but you have the option of showeing night before.

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pointydog · 05/08/2008 12:35

You do it because you have a deadline. Two adults - which tasks will you each do in teh morning? Bish, bash, bosh - soon you'll be doing it with your eyes closed.

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OrmIrian · 05/08/2008 12:23

Well if you've got two adults, of course you'll manage. Will be a piece of proverbial. Honest. Just get organised the night before and never sleep through the alarm!

Try 3 DCs and one adult. Now that is challenging

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QueenyEisGotTheBall · 05/08/2008 12:21

perkin i do this aswell
i shower in the evening and blowdry hair and i have wild wavy hair which doesnt sit flat but i have found a product which saves the mad morning hair from happening ( and i have a good cut too) i also make sure my DD has her bath at night before bed and iron and lay out her clothes for the next day aswell as my own my DH gets himself ready before we get up and so he dresses DD while i get dressed and our CM gives her breakfast
it is all about finding your own routine that works for you. it doesnt have to be anything we suggest but its a start to try some out
good luck
xx ei xx

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