Parenting: 4 & 5-Year-Olds Community

CONGRATS Laney!!

Be prepared for delays and when they don't happen be pleasantly surprised. You should probably allow 15 mins extra and have EVERYTHING out and ready before you get the kids up.

Congrats on the job!

Have backpacks and lunches packed the night before. Pick clothes out the night before. I found that an alarm clock helped get Emily out of bed. If I woke her up, she was cranky. But if the alarm went off, she did much better.

Fantastic news! I would ask DH how he does it and try to do exactly the same thing.

Good news. I would just be a drill sargeant about it until he learns the new drill. But like Lynn says expect the worse. Good luck you can do it.

Congrats!!!! We pack everything up the night before so in the morning everything is ready....I wake Michael up about 15-20 minutes earlier than needed in case he decides to have a "slow" day. I find the more time they have and the less rushing they have to do is so much easier on everyone and reduces the meltdowns.

Check out this new post from our Parenting expert:
Starting the Day Off Right

Highlights below - I like #4 and forget about it frequently. Click link above for entire post!

1. Prepare the night before. Make lunches and pack backpacks the night before so your necessities are all set when you get ready to walk out the door.
2. Get your kids to bed on time.
3. Parents wake up earlier -- before your kids wake up -- and getting yourself ready first can help you avoid feeling so rushed.
4. Wake up well. Start the day off with hugs, smiles, "Good mornings", silly songs, and other fun routines.
5. Get dressed first.
6. Everyone brushes their teeth together.
7. Reward them for being ready early.
8. Stay calm. Calm parents = calm children. Stressed parents = stressed children. Enough said.
9. Praise your children every step of the way.

Let me know what works for you, because mornings are not the best event at my house and both DH & I get the kids ready and drop them off!

I lay out their clothes the night before. I get their lunch ready- if they are taking one that day-the night before.
I get up first and get their breakfast ready before showering. DH then gets showered and dressed- I dress while he is showering and then we wake up the kids. We help them dress, then DH brushes teeth and I do hair.

Leaving as few things to do in the morning helps. For us, rare is the morning that one of the kids doesn't wake up cranky,usually its DS ( he is cranky on the weekends too- when he can get up whenever he wants!) but DD is happy to fill the void if DS wakes up okay.

You do have to be a drill sargeant because they get distracted by everything. I often tell DS that we have to go quickly so mom and dad won't get into trouble for being late- it works- withhim DD doesn't care, butluckily she's moslty ok!

I find winter is harder because the kids have to put on coats, ahts & gloves too. If you are driving them, I recommend just putting hats,gloves and scarves in the backpacks so they have them at school.

Also, my kids's daycare is very family friendly and that makes it hard to get out of there quickly. My kids always want us to stay for a few minutes because somebody else's parents are usually hanging around. A lot of the dads just take the kid to the door of their breakfast room, say hi to the teacher and get out quickly before the kid can protest!

Good luck!

It was easier when they were younger and you just dressed them yourself and brushed their teeth for them!

Everything was easier before they had opinions and the ability to argue!!!!

Having a brand new baby seems like a dream....

until it pukes or poops on you or cries inconsolably for no obvious reason, then the little argueers don't seem so bad!

I agree with the have everything read the night before.
We get up around 7am and leave the house by 8:30.
They need some 'wake up " and play time. Lately it has been "I don't want to go to school". I don't want to get dressed" "I don't want to eat". Well you get the picture
Mornings are relatively smooth because I do most prep work at night for all of us. On the days I have to work is when I struggle because I have to look at least halfway presentable. So it takes me a bit longer to get ready.
I agree with the #4 list. I have been doing better at that this week and it really helps. Tre takes longer to wake so he needs wake up cuddle time and Henry is my up and at it kid but sometimes needs morning cuddle time too.

Not sure that I have anything to add. But I agree with Sandra- I make sure that DS has some "play time". I wake DS up around 6:30 and he lays in bed and watches Ben 10. I let him eat breakfast in bed (LOL) while he is watching tv. Something quick like cereal, yougurt, etc. I have trained him on commercial breaks to start getting dressed. At 7:00 before the next cartoon starts (Bakugan) he brushes his teeth. Then he "chills" for about 10 minutes. Then he knows at commercial break to come downstairs and get his jacket and shoes on.
I have everything ready the night before as well. And I also get up earlier and make sure I am mostly done getting ready by the time he gets up.

Good luck and Congrats on your hubby's new job!

Oh I forgot the most important. If they are ready to go we have everything set they get to watch the last 15 mins of curious george before we go !