TTMA Your Morning Routine

[xctsclrx]

Especially if you are solo:

Recently my DH took a new job (yay) his team shows up around 0630 and leaves around 1530-1600. They have every other Friday off. No one is tied to these hours they can flex and hour either way or if they need a shorter day they can come in on that off Friday.

DH has asked that I take the kids to school so that he can match his hours closer to theirs and I agreed. It just means that I will probably have the mornings solo for the foreseeable future. He has been doing the morning routine for the last 2 years.

When I have to get myself and DS out the door I can do it in about 30-45 min. DS eats breakfast at school and we pack his bag the night before.

DD will be nursing. I am planning on prepping her bag the night before and nursing in the morning.

How much time should I plan? Right now DD is getting up between 0400 and 0500. I have plenty of time because I don't go back to sleep. I am hoping that changes soon.

I have to leave NLT 0630 in the mornings for work. What time should I plan on getting up assuming no workout ( I'll be trying to fit this in some other time and I'll take suggestions for that as well)

[2chatter]

It was survival mode for me the first 18 months while DS nursed, because that added 30 minutes to the morning and I couldn’t do anything else while nursing, and when he was smaller, I was stuck on his schedule.

I was WFH but had 2-3 drop offs during that time. I nursed, got myself dressed, woke the other two kids and gave them breakfast. All bags were packed the night before and anything that could be was already in the car, clothes were laid out and DS often slept in the next day’s clothes. DD at 4 sometimes did the same - soft shorts and dresses are essentially the same as pajamas and nightgowns.

I was always stressed out because I was solo for pick up and evenings and activities bed times too - and often had 7Am conference calls - so the biggest thing that would have helped me, if you can do it, is
1) a later start - 9 would have been divine
2) a later end and DH doing pick up and early evening.

Good luck!

[mae0111]

I used to try to have myself completely ready except for my clothes when my DDs were babies. DD2 spit up a TON, so I would wait until the last possible second to put my work clothes on. If I was taking her out with me, I might even throw on an oversized zip-up sweatshirt to avoid a possible issue (I would just get the kids ready for the nanny).

How much time is a tough question. DD1 is NOT a morning person. DD2 is much more efficient when she's alone, but DD1 drags her down. If I can keep them on task, we can be out the door 50 mins after I wake them both up, including breakfast. I'd suggest a couple of dry runs if you can.

[phdmomma]

I second the dry runs. During the school year Dh and I get up at 6am and start getting the kids up. I get dressed and and ready while DH showers and the kids use the bathroom/get dressed etc. DS can get himself ready, DD takes some prodding. We do breakfast with cartoons once they are dressed, so if they won't get dressed they get less time to eat breakfast and watch PBS kids. DS's bus comes at 7:15am, so we leave the house no later than 7:10am, with both kids. After the bus gets DS, I pop DD in the stroller and take her to daycare, we get there around 7:40am, then I go and walk to my office, and get there about 8:00am.

[justcheckingin73]

I don’t really have anything to add since I WFH when my second came along and DH did the drop off, however I will second what 2chatter said about the toddler/young kids sleeping in their clothes. I did that when DS was young because he was so stubborn and every morning would be a fight. Sleeping in his next day clothes was a game changer for us. 

[mommyatty]

Without nursing, with two kids, I would give yourself an hour. I try to be ready before I get the kids up. When they were babies, they were happy playing on a blanket in our bedroom while I got ready. Babies are quick to get ready, and there’s no shame in sending them to daycare in the clothes they slept in. Toddlers and preschoolers take more time. Now we are at the point where DD at 6 can get herself completely ready, except her hair. And she’s getting a haircut next week so she will even be able to handle that herself. But DS at 4 is difficult and time-consuming to deal with in the morning.

[campermom]

One thing that really helped me with my last two babies was to nurse them at daycare. They usually got up once in the night to eat, then I’d go back to bed until I had to get up and shower and get myself ready. I had all lunches and bags packed, then got the two big kids ready and took care of the dog. The last thing I did was get the baby up, change his clothes, and head right to DC. The kids usually had breakfasts packed the night before to be eaten at daycare.

I got this all down to an hour and 15 mins from the alarm to leaving the house. Then after I dropped the bigs in their rooms, I sat down in the infant room and nursed the baby. And took a breath.

[186momx]

Can you dream feed the baby in the morning and have your DH bring her to you at X time. Then after the feeding I would let her hopefully continue to sleep while I got myself dressed and then wake up your DS so he can pee and get dressed before everyone heading out the door. If you leave at 6:30 to get to work and depending on daycare drop off you may need to leave earlier.


When my DD stopped nursing I basically woke her up changed her diaper and put her in the car and let daycare deal with 1st morning feed. To this day DD isn't a morning person and sleeps until the last possible minute on work days so in pinch we can get up and out the door in 20 minutes. Everything is packed and at the door the night before.

[mellym]

My goal is to be ready before any kids get up so I work backwards. DD1 is a slow mover and still needs me to be on her all morning to get ready so it's exhausting. We leave the house at 7:00 and we start getting her up at 6:20 (I'm ready to go myself by 6:20 then). She doesn't usually roll out of bed until 6:30 and takes 30 minutes to get dressed, brush teeth and take medications, etc. We don't eat breakfast at home so it blows my mind that it takes her 40 minutes to be ready but it does. No TV in the morning. DD2 gets ready on her own because she wants to do everything herself and is a morning person. She is usually ready and waiting outside for us. Baby gets up anywhere between 5-6. If it's before I'm ready, we'll change her diaper and she hangs out with us. I usually give her a bottle between 6-6:30 so we have the full 30 minutes to get the other two ready. It's a game changer now that she can hold the bottle and feed herself. I quick change her clothes after the bottle and she's ready to go.

We make lunches and have backpacks packed the night before.

I'm still trying to figure out how to fit in workouts myself since I already get up by 5:30 and still getting up in the MOTN. Now that it's summer the kids go to bed later so there doesn't seem to be any down time and I'm exhausted by the time they get to bed at night. I've been trying to fit it in on my lunch break or get up at 5:00 (if I don't hit snooze).

[callmekd]

I'm solo most mornings and do both drop offs. when N&E were both taking a bottle, I was up by 5:30am to get us out of the house by 7:30am. now, I'm up by 6am at the latest, kids up by 6:30am, dressed by 6:45am, try to be in the car by 7-7:05am. it's a whirlwind. if I got up earlier it would less stressful but I like my sleep.

[sdlaura]

I'm on my own with three kids (5,4, and 1) every morning because DH leaves before they wake up. I have a less than 5 minute routine to get myself ready. Wash face, brush teeth, brush hair, and put on 3 minutes of makeup. I don't put my work clothes on until the minute before I walk out the door because I have to sunscreen all 3 kids year round here. At this point baby is 13 months and still gets a morning bottle but I need to cut that soon. These days I normally get up by 6:30 and kids are up between 6:30 and 7. We need to leave at 7:45. I have all kids sleep in their clothes. That way I only have to take baby out of his sleepsack and change his diaper, and if an older kid decides to sleep in, all he or she has to do is use the bathroom and I could always throw some breakfast in a bag for the ride to school. We also have everything that can be in the car already in the car for the next day, and then grab the lunches and bottles for daycare out of the fridge (we make them the night before).

With nursing, and the fact that I never knew when a tiny baby would wake up, I really didn't have a normal routine. Sometimes I ate breakfast at home, sometimes at the office. Sometimes I put on my makeup in the car. I have an extra makeup bag in my gym bag that always stays in the car. If I were you I'd just try to get up an hour or so before you need to leave and play things by ear. If I were you I'd be prioritizing sleep over a great morning routine The stage you're in is so temporary and you'll get in a good routine once baby is on more of a schedule.

For exercise, I do it during the day. Over the weekend, I look at my schedule for the week and decide when I'm going to work out each day (or most days at least). I'm lucky to have a shower at my office. So sometimes it's just a 3-mile run and quick shower. Today I came in an hour late and did an OrangeTheory class after dropping the kids, and other days I'll leave an hour early and do a class before going home - I just don't take a lunch those days. I was never able to get enough exercise in while I was still pumping though - there just weren't enough hours in the day. I hate hate hate pumping

[mustardseed2007]

I have no good tips, I'm following for everyone's sage advice. I'm just posting to say that I love how your OP is all military time. It made me smile.

[xctsclrx]

I have to leave at 0630 to do daycare drop off and get to work on time. I can leave at 645 but then I'm cutting it close and if anything crazy happens I am going to be late.

Right now the dream feeding isn't going to work. Maybe in 5 weeks it will. I'll keep that as an option.

[waverly]

I refused to get up earlier than 6. So when I had a baby I would get up and try to nurse her then get ready myself and then get them both ready and leave at about 7:15 then daycare drop off and arrive work at 8. I had everything ready the night before and we were all really hustling. Now I get up at 6:30-7 for a 9 am arrival at work.

Like pp said try getting up at 5 for a 6:30 leave time and do several dry runs. I am assuming no exercise routine. Make a list of everything you need to bring with you- all pump parts etc. and make friends with dry shampoo lol.

[mommyatty]

Another thing you probably know but if you’re like me will have to remind yourself... with a baby, the moment you get a rhythm going, she’s going to do something to blow it to smithereens. So my best advice is to remain flexible and when things are frustrating just remind yourself that this too shall pass.

[xctsclrx]

Haha flexibility. Not really my strong suit but DS has taught me a lot. I am sure DD will as well.

I just like having a plan.

I stated my stash yesterday. So far I have 8 oz saved and only had to supplement for one feeding.

[xctsclrx]

Jul 18, 2018 12:45:23 GMT -5 mustardseed2007 said:

I have no good tips, I'm following for everyone's sage advice. I'm just posting to say that I love how your OP is all military time. It made me smile.

I was raised on it. Sometimes i still feel odd using it in the "civilian" world. Military Brat give away.

[mustardseed2007]

Jul 18, 2018 22:31:17 GMT -5 xctsclrx said:

Jul 18, 2018 12:45:23 GMT -5 mustardseed2007 said:

I have no good tips, I'm following for everyone's sage advice. I'm just posting to say that I love how your OP is all military time. It made me smile.

I was raised on it. Sometimes i still feel odd using it in the "civilian" world. Military Brat give away.

Well it’s perfectly descriptive! We should all use it!!

Except I never have so then I’m using math to convert it back and feeling mildly jealous that it’s just how you think