Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

Well hopefully the subject title caught your attention! DD is 2 and like most other toddlers could give a $hit less about the concept of time. I know that this is completely normal but I'm hoping some more seasoned parents could offer advice/helpful tips that have been successful for getting out of the door in the morning in timely manner.

I'm a teacher so I know that being on "summer time" isn't helping. We have the luxury of being able to take our time most mornings. DD can wake up when she wants, lounge on the couch to watch a TV show while eating her yogurt pouch, etc. That gravy train ends the last week of August when she goes back to daycare full time so that I can start to go in and prep my classroom/lesson plan. I'm thinking that week, each night I'll have to put her down a bit earlier and then wake her up in the AM until we get to the schedule we need to be on starting in September.

So, hit me with your knowledge! Do you allow them to watch TV in the morning? Or is it a straight up get out of bed, brush your teeth, get dressed, we're out the door kinda thing? Do your kids eat a snack before they leave the house? If not, do they munch on something in the car on the ride to daycare?

Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

I have a 2 year old too and we need to leave the house at 6:45 on mornings that I drop her off at daycare. I set my alarm for 6 and it's like a bootcamp routine for 45 minutes. I set out her clothes, shoes and a clean diaper along with her brush and hair ties on our ottoman the night before. As soon as we get downstairs I put on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, grab a sippy cup with milk (also prepared the night before) from the fridge and I immediately change her diaper and get her fully dressed and do her hair. Once that is done I grab her a little snack (fruit a frozen waffle or cereal in a cup) and she sits on the couch while I jump in the shower and get dressed.

It's taken some trial and error with us but I feel the most important thing is that I prepare as much as possible the night before so I'm not fumbling and to get her completely ready to walk out the door before I even start getting myself ready. My daughter will most days finish her milk in the car on the way to daycare.

Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

I think it depends on how much time you have between wake up and go time. We usually have 1 to 2 hours but I also have an infant so everything takes twice as long. For the toddler, this is our routine:

Pick out and lay out all our clothes the night before.
Pack any to go bags the night before.
Wake up. Play time / TV time.
Make breakfast while he plays.
I give him breakfast in play room/ Living room and pack lunch and get dressed while he eats and has TV time.
Brush his teeth, get him dressed. It's just easier to do all in living room while he plays rather than bring him to his room.
Grab all to go bags.
Go.

Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

We allow TV in the morning but it has to go off 30 minutes before we have to leave. Less fighting for their attention.

Re: Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

Both my kids have been in daycare fulltime all year since they were babies. Once they became toddlers it was definitely harder to get out the door.

I found they needed time to wake up before starting to get ready. So instead of waking them up just to get dressed and ready and out the door, I started to wake them earlier and allowed them to watch 1 show.

They pick something from Nick Jr or Disney on Demand, it's over in 25 min then it's time to get ready.

There are still some bad mornings once in awhile, but overall it gives them time to wake up before rushing around.

Re: Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

We leave at the ass crack of dawn... literally. So waking her up is the last thing I do after I'm ready. I get her up, brush her teeth, get her dressed and we're out the door in 15 minutes. We never go near toys or the tv. Sometimes she goes back to sleep in the car, sometimes she snacks. I always have snacks on hand just in case. She's at daycare at 7:00 when they open so I bring in breakfast for her and she eats it there.

ETA: We leave the house at 6:00 AM, 6:15 the latest.

Message edited 8/1/2017 10:49:47 AM.

Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

Every morning is nonstop it seems. Sometimes when I finally get into the car I'm sweating lol

My DS is 20 months. I prep his daycare bag the night before (daycare doesn't provide food) except for his outfits.. he needs to arrive in a bathing suit and with sunblock on, and bring a change of clothes. I do that all in the morning when I go get him in his room. So all breakfast and lunch gets prepped the night before. I wake up when he wakes up. Once I hear him on the monitor, I go prep his morning milk bottle (yes he still gets a bottle). I go up to get him, and bring him down in PJs and he hangs out and has his bottle and watches tv. I know that when the clock hits a certain time, that I need to make sure I start getting myself ready. I do my hair and makeup and get dressed while simultaneously watching/ disciplining/ keeping my eye on him as he wanders around the house or lounges and watches TV. I wait to change him out of pjs until about 15 minutes before we leave, because he usually takes a morning poop and I don't feel like changing diapers twice and going up and down unnecessarily. So about 15 minutes before we leave, I go and change him into his clothes for school, sunblock, hair gel, the whole 9. Once back downstairs, I put his lunchbox into his backpack, get my bag for work, and pack up the car and we are off. He eats breakfast at school.

Re: Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

I had this problem last year when DD's elementary school got switched to an earlier schudule and she had to be at the bus stop before 8 am. (before this is was 9 am- so big difference)

We'd be rushing and almost missing the bus in the morning.

I made a new rule that when she gets up, she must eat breakfast, brush her teeth, get dressed and get her shoes on BEFORE she can watch any TV or use the ipad

If there is time after she is fully ready to get out the door, then she can watch tv or use the ipad.

It really worked. She was more motivated to get all her morning "chores" done because she knew she could then watch tv and relax.

I know your DD is a bit younger but maybe try having her get up and eat a little something, then get dressed, and then she can have some down time

Re: Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

Is your DH around to help out?

My kids have been in daycare full time since babies and even with one in school all year round they wake up between 6-6:15 and we are out the door no later than 7:15.

DH is in charge of getting them ready. They wake up eat breakfast and watch TV while dong so. They then go brush teeth get dressed. This usually happens between 6:45-7:00.

When DH has to go into work early same thing but I have to make sure I get up a little earlier and then I make sure they are up at 6:00 cause I can sit with them to eat so I need to make sure I give enough time for them to eat since I have to go in every once in a while to say are you guys eating and because I have to then get them dressed.

Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

DD gets up and dressed immediately. Goes downstairs and has milk, brushes teeth, puts on sunscreen. DH usually does this while I get ready. After sunscreen I do her hair and pack up her lunch and snacks while he gets ready. She eats breakfast at daycare and only gets milk before she leaves. Occasionally she'll have a few crackers if she's standing next to me while I'm getting her food together and asks for them.

Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

I have 3 kids all in daycare (5, 3 and 4 months) They all eat breakfast before daycare.

I don't like to rush in the morning, and my kids are pretty much the same way. If need be, I can get them up and out the door in 30 minutes but it's stressful for me. So I make sure to wake them an hour before we have to leave so they have time to eat breakfast, get dressed and play or watch tv. I have set rules. No tv/play time until you are dressed and ate or at least are eating breakfast.

I give them constant updates so there are no surprises. For example, we are leaving in 15 minutes, so finish your breakfast now. And then I do 10 minutes and then 5 minutes and then when I turn off the tv and pack the car they know it's go time.

I pack as much as possible the night before. And I try to get myself ready before the older 2 wake up. I will say, it takes me 2.5 hours to get all of us ready and out the door. By the time I get to work, I feel like my day should be half over instead of just beginning!

Re: Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

With a 2 and 4 yo and having to be somewhere every morning I run a tight ship.

If they sleep in, while they're sleeping I get dressed. Pack lunches and do everything that needs to be done for them for camp/school.

Then I have a deadline of when I'll let them sleep until.

Then it's serious business. Bathroom. Dressed. Breakfast. Out the door.

If they wake up earlier then they can watch tv or play only after everything else is done.

Snack in the car. They can have it when they're in their car seats and buckled. Part of the incentive to get out and in the car.

Re: Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

Prep lunches and snacks for the week (kids and mine) and layout 5-6 outfits every Sunday. I reserve an entire drawer in each child's dresser for made outfits.

I have 3 and 6 yo boys. Wake them 30-40 mins before leaving the house. I am fully ready. 10+ minutes to wake up. Downstairs and right to kitchen table for breakfast, 10-15 mins. While they are eating, I pack backpacks. After they finish, wash up, get dressed, teeth, hair, vitamins, sunscreen (for camp mornings).

No TV, ipads, toys until fully ready and IF there is time left over. There is a lot of yelling some mornings but if I don't get them out the door on time I miss my train.

For us the kids need to start waking up earlier first to have them get tired earlier in the evening. Starting with bed earlier just led to lots of headaches.

Good luck!

Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

I don't drop off much, but, when I do and have to go into the office, it's usually a straight out of bed, get ready, into car routine. I prep them the night before.

When I work from home, it's somewhat more laid back and they are allowed play/tv time beforehand. I give them a warning before it's time to go.

Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

I'm a teacher and run a tight ship during the school year. Usually my son (just turned 3) wakes up between 6:20-6:30 and we are out the door by 6:45. I pretty much change him and brush his teeth only. He eats at Daycare. He's there at 7 on the dot every single day.

If he wakes up early, I let him watch TV since I really do not have time to entertain him if I want to get to work on time.

ETA: my son pretty much goes to bed at the same time all year long (7:30) excluding special events/holidays.

Message edited 8/1/2017 5:10:35 PM.

Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

It's easier for me to get the kids ready as soon as they wake up. Then they can watch TV if there is time before we leave. If we're up long before we need to go out, it seems like it takes so much longer to get out of the house because they are already playing or watching TV and don't cooperate as well.

Re: Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

Re: Suggestions on how to get out of the house in the morning with a toddler who doesn't give a $%&# about the concept of time......

I would pre prep everything the night before. Bags were packed, clothing set out, meals were in cooler bags in the fridge. Edit, also tv time or computer time is only for after all chores and everyone is fully ready.

Message edited 8/1/2017 11:13:42 PM.