Getting Ready in the Morning?

i have one young child and its literally impossible to get ready in the morning! I found what has worked is a walker and a play pen.

I usually dont get my son up until i just about walk out the door. But i am a nanny and he goes with me, so he doesnt need to be out of his pjs for any reason until after his first nap. good luck!

Hello Susan,
When my kids were small,(I had three close in age, ages 4, 2 & 1)) I used a playpen with a few of their toys for the younger ones and sometimes the highchair would work for a short period of time, until my daughter learned how to go limp and slide out of the highchair...
I remember those days, they were filled with lots of fun and activity. Never a dull moment.

I know this is old, but I just have to put my two cents in!

I am a much older mother and I have a hard time understanding why today's mothers are so against restraining the children with play pens and gates.

Your main focus should be their safety, not their momentary happiness. If you start early, they accept it just as they do their carseat.

God bless you all!!
Great-grandma D.

When my daughter was younger, I simply brought her in the shower with me. After that, a pack n play works just fine, although I didn't have trouble with her dropping things in the toilet lol. It doesn't take me very long to get ready either, as I have long hair but I don't blow dry it. Would it work for you to put the 1 year old in a high chair or booster with a lock in tray at the table with a snack while you get ready? It takes my daughter longer than 5 minutes to eat a snack, and if she's hungry, it occupies her just fine. Of course now she's five and we both get ready pretty early so I can take her to school.

Just put the one year old in a playpen (pack n play) so
he is safe and you can get ready.

The brushing of teeth with mascara is hilarious!!!
I only have 1 (1 year old) boy, but I get ready super quick with him in the bathroom. He won't lift the toilet lid anymore - thank God. I used to literally put 1 foot on top of it while looking in the mirror and getting ready. The advantage of having a small bathroom I guess. A couple times I stuck him in the bath (without any water). I used to hand him things to keep him occupied - mascara (he couldn't open it), a comb, a clip, whatever I could. Today, he figured out how to open the deodorant! I guess I can't really use that technique anymore. It's all about entertaining them I guess. Can you put the little one in a highchair with breakfast while you get ready?
On the weekends, I get ready during his nap or wear no makeup.
Best of luck to you!

We have the portable gates all over our house, sometimes we don't want them in the kitchen so we use it there, sometimes when we're in the bathroom we want to see what they are doing so we use it at the bathroom door. We use them and step over them ourselves and the older kids can step over them too. You could also use them at the ends of hallways to contain the kid's to a safe area while you get ready. The bottom line is you can choose what works best for your family. Another thought is that the toilet lock can be used only when you're in there so the 3 year old has access at other times.

Hello S.: I have 5 children and raised foster children as well, so I have to say that if it were not for the fact that I needed to get some of them out the door and off to school I would most likely never have gotten out of my pj's til 9 am!
What I found worked best for me, was to plan( key word) to get up and shower and dress 1 hour before the children got up in the morning that was easy enough to figure out and work around. This also made me have to get organized the night before and into bed so that I could fulfill all my obligations. I have to say that this habit has helped me a lot in the years since. Often I didn't bother with makeup at all and lived to tell the story as my children would say. When you have young children simple and easy is the name of the game.
Please keep in mind that since you are working from home and get to set your own hours consider all that you are trying to do in any given hour and see what you can change so that your whole family morning can be successful.
My daughter just told me that what she does is shower and dress then gets the little ones up and while they eat breakfast she does makeup and hair. Then has their stuff organized for the sitter so she can get to work on time. Good Luck, Nana G

Hello S.,
OMG!!! your situation is JUST like mine. I thought I was reading about me. I have a 3.5yr old and a just turned 13 month old. both boys also and they are BUSY little bees. My little one was walking before 8 months and is just go go go. I can't take either of them to the bathroom with me when Im trying to get ready because my older son likes to reorginze my entire make up drawer and his little brother wants to put it all him his mouth. Or better yet, they fight over my stuff. It becomes more exhausting just dealing with that then trying to get ready. My 1 year old doesn't like toys or being left in his crib to hang out unless his big brother is in ther with him. Which I have done many times. Plus,my 1 yr old is a climber and will get on top of my counters. Ugh!!! I too can't lock the toilets down because my 3yr old is on the potty training thing as well. It is so hard and Im glad that im not alone with this challenage. I read some of the posts and believe me, hats off to you moms that get up before the kids. My 1 year old is up by 6:30 and my older son depends. anywhere from 6-8am. If the little one is up with me before his big brother, he will wake him up with all the yelling and excitment of being up. I say to myself. Im waiting for the day the boys don't care if im in the room. LOL. I just go with the flow. I do what i can to get ready and sometimes Im lucky if i get my day clothes on and put it together. It is what it is. If my husband is around still, I have him entertain the boys for 10 mins so i can get ready with out juggling them.

Speaking of, I better get some clothes on to get my son to school in 30 mins. Still in my jammies and daddy is in LA LMAO

Hang in there.

SAHM/zombie 2 amazing, funny little boys. Love my job and watching my children grow.

As was suggested, getting mostly ready before your kid(s) are up is best. My oldest (4) gets up between 6 and 6:30, so I try to be at least showered by them. I try to keep him in his room until 7. I tell him it's too early and I'll get him at 7 so he can play (and change out of his PJs). My youngest (2) stays in his crib unitl I am ready to get him. He usually wakes up at about 7 and will be in bed for about 15 min without crying. If I need him in bed longer, I will let him cry (it's what kids do) for a few minutes. Don't be afraid to use the crib or playpen as a useful tool. I think it's better to have your children confined while you are getting ready, because it makes things run much smoother. I am not having to stop every minute or two to keep them out of the toilet/drawers/tub, so I get ready much faster.

I have a very similar situation, my boys hang out with me in our bathroom the entire morning routine. One now gets into the shower every morning. One thing that works for me to distract them is to fill the sink with hot water and then let them each have one of those sponges in the gelatin capsule. You can buy them at dollar stores, drug stores, etc. They stir their capsule around with a chop stick or something else and wait to see what animal or vehicle will emerge.

S.,

I know "playpen" is a dirty word these days, but this is what they are for. What do you do with Malcolm when you are carrying in groceries from the car? If I had to keep my son out of trouble (?) for a few minutes, I would put him in his playpen with some toys.

E.

I get everything ready at night - put out clothes, make lunches, do baths at night, straighten the house,etc. I get up early to get breakfast ready, toothbrushes ready, lunches by door, etc. Breakfasts in our house are very simple and quick. Of course if things are too hectic, I turn the t.v. on to keep them occupied for a short while so I can regain my sanity. Good luck!

I make sure that I get up before the kids so that I'm ready to go before they are up. I also try to get things ready the night before (lay out clothes, make lunches, pack diaper bags, etc.). If they wake up earlier than usual I generly give my son (1) a bottle, and turn cartoons on for the kids. That keeps them occupied long enough for me to get ready and then start working on them. If I can't get up before them, it's a pain, because my son is like yours...into everything, loves to play with the bath toys and toilet, etc.

Hi S.,

Well, I think you have 2 choices: you can get up earlier than your boys do, or you can wait until they go down for a nap/rest and then finally get ready. I would vote for getting up earlier. This will be a very good routine for you when they begin school, as well.

I had to TRAIN myself to be a super early morning person, and it took lots of determination to get up with the 5am alarm. But I am very thankful I did it because I am a better, and more relaxed mom because I have a few of my things done before "actual day begins" :O)

To do this, I had to go to bed at night with the kids around 7:30-8pm. Plus, it was eaiser for them to fall asleep knowing that Mommy was in her own bed :O) I wouldn't actually fall asleep until around 10-11pm at first, but at least I was off my feet, and getting rest!!! It's amazing how much better a well-rested mommy can be :O)

It's summer now, and I'm a little of my schedule, but I set my alarm this morning to get my routine back before the school "chaos" begins. I know that it's worth it :O)

Anyway, that's my suggestion. I hope you can figure out something that will work for you :O)

~N. :o)

I have a boy (he will be turning 3 in Aug.), a girl (16 months) and I'm 8 months pregnant and have the same problem. Because my soon-to-be 3 yr old isn't a great sleeper, I'm up a lot at night and can't get myself to "get up before the kids". I cherise any and all sleep I can get. I started just bringing my makeup/hair stuff into the kitchen/living room area with a hand mirror so they can play there while I get ready. They will usually entertain themselves with a show or playing with toys since that's the area we hang out in mostly. That's worked for me. Good luck to you! I feel your pain. :-)

Have them watch a short cartoon, normally that will give you 10 minutes of a break..

Well, you say you work from home, how about getting up half an hour earlier, taking time to just sit and cuddle the boys, feed them breakfast, get them involved with an activity, THEN get to your hair and such? If you can't do that, make sure you have something to occupy your baby at your feet in the bathroom, that way you can keep a foot on the toilet and an eye on the baby. =)

My younger one was always a bit "unpredictable" as well. She put crayons in the dryer and turned it on, brushed her teeth with my mascara, and one time she filled all my shoes with hair conditioner, so girl, I feel your pain! I couldn't leave that kid unattended for 2 minutes without some disaster happening.

My girls don't get to watch much tv, so I would put her in her pack-n-play or her high chair (contained!! yessss!!) in front of the tv and turn on Baby Einstein or another video that would hold her interest. That gave me the 10-15 minutes that I needed to get ready. Bottom line is, kids can live for a few minutes without constant interaction, and mommies have to do what they have to do to stay sane! =)

Hi S.,
I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 1 year old as well. I understand your frustration. To get ready in the morning I usually put the little one in her highchair with her breakfast or some snacks, and the 2 year old at her table with breakfast and her favorite tv show. Both kids talk and enjoy their time, and I am within 10 feet of them doing my hair and makeup in the guest bathroom (so I am close for any problems). I try to take my shower at night or before they wake up, but if that is not possible then I will try to occupy them with toys in the bathroom (with a lock on the toilet). Hope this helps you!

W.

Hi S.! I defintely understand hectic crazy mornings! My 3 year old daughter makes it tough enough because she is NOT a morning person! :) Props to you girlfriend for TWO boys!
What I have found to work best for me is to get up & ready before getting my children up - I usally go for an hour prior just so I myself have time to wake up, have some coffee & do my devotional before getting ready for work. Then I go to get my daughter up (& now that my son is older & requires more attention) so I can supervise closely what goes on.
Good luck!

I have always cherished the Me Time, which starts after 4:45 a.m., when I wake up. I get up and get myself ready. Then I relax with a cup of coffee, check email, read the news, etc. 6:00. I start getting lunches ready. Sometimes, I pack the I'm using left-overs for lunch, like chicken sandiches, pizza, quiche, etc.

I go to bed early too. I hit the hay when my daughter goes to bed around 8:30. I may not fall asleep (read,TV, etc.), but I'm off my feet.

Stephanie

I strap my almost 2 year old into a chair in the bathroom so he can see me (it's actually a swing which he has outgrown, but he'll stay there for 20 mins or so w/ the music & lights as entertainment).

Hi! S.:
I have a 3 year old son and 2 year old daughter. I get up 2 hours before them in order to shower, get myself together, and have my coffee. Then, I'm fully ready for them when they wake up. Works great!!

S.,

I am in the same boat. I have 2 yr old and 6 year old boys. Both of them are always pleading for my attention. The night before, I lay out a toy that they haven't seen for a while. That captures their attention for at least 30 minutes. Also, I wanted to share an item with you that changed my life soooooo much for the better last school year. I am not a terribly organized person by nature, but I got a One Trip Tote (Neeblink, Inc. www.onetriptote.com) and gather everything I need for the day and make just one trip out the door (instead of 2 or 3)...to school, store, post office, games, their activities, etc. It's great in the summer to for the pool and beach. I've given it as gifts to many people who love it as much as I do.

Good Luck!

I have a 5 year old boy and 2 year old girl. The 5 year old can entertain himself very well and often watches tv or plays in his room when I'm getting ready. Sometimes he'll "watch" his sister while I'm in the shower, but usually I just put her in her crib. I will usually turn on some music for her and put some books or toys in with her. She just stays in there while I'm in the shower and sometimes while I'm getting ready too, though often she'll want to get out and play. I just leave the door open while I'm doing makeup/hair etc so I can hear what they are doing.

I just wanted to add that at 3.5 yrs old, your son might (like mine) be able to figure out a toilet lock just fine. If you train him to shut the lid, thus locking the toilet again, when he is finished, you can avoid the toy-in-toilet problem for a while- until the little one learns from the older one how to unlock the lock, of course! But that might give you enough time to get past that toy-toilet stage.

Another option is to put a very simple child gate at the bathroom door. We lucked into a good solution by accident- our gate was easy for me to open and impossible for my son to open until the locking mechanism broke. Then he could open it as well. Now we use it to keep the dog out of an area that my son is still allowed in. As long as your older child can open the gate and your younger one can't, this would work for the toy-toilet thing as well, and still give access to the potty for the older one.