Time between AM waking and leaving for school

[Anonymous]

We have two toddlers (under 3 yo), and it takes us 1.5 hours to deal with them and get ready ourselves. If we really rushed, we could probably do it in an hour. Most of the time for the kids is for getting them dressed, waiting for them to finish eating, inevitably having to change both diapers after breakfast, and getting shoes and jackets on (usually involves a bit of chasing around the house). Oh, and then there's me having to dry my hair and husband shaving, etc. The morning is a blur. Seems like 10 minutes from the time we get up until we leave the house.

[Anonymous]

My crazy schedule:

I wake at 5:40 to shower
DH wakes when I'm done with the shower

We dress, make lunch and get lives in order

Wake DDs at 6:30, get them dressed and fed (we ususally take one each although my 4 yr old is starting to do a little more on her own) and teeth brushed.

Out the door by 7am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My crazy schedule:

I wake at 5:40 to shower
DH wakes when I'm done with the shower

We dress, make lunch and get lives in order

Wake DDs at 6:30, get them dressed and fed (we ususally take one each although my 4 yr old is starting to do a little more on her own) and teeth brushed.

Out the door by 7am.

Except for the awful time of day, this actually seems like a good schedule. I'm going to share wtih DH and see if we can make it work. Thanks! (OP)

[Anonymous]

Except for the awful time of day, this actually seems like a good schedule. I'm going to share wtih DH and see if we can make it work. Thanks! (OP)

YAY!!!! So glad I could actually help

[Anonymous]

No DH here. It's just me. It goes like this:

6:00 a.m. get up
Make coffee, stare at the wall for a minute or two.
6:15 DS (7y.o.) gets up
6:30 bunny fed and litter pan changed
DS gets dressed, I make breakfast
6:50ish breakfast
7:00 I jump in shower, DS farts around, plays with bunny
7:15 I get out of shower and yell at DS to put on shoes and brush teeth while getting dressed
7:30 DS to bus stop.
7:40 school bus
7:45 finish coffee, check email
8:00 go to work

[Anonymous]

Glad to hear other people have husbands who take longer than they do! Just this morning I was thinking (not for the first time) that I have the most high maintenance DH!

We do it in an hour with 2 kids - ages 4 and 2. Our routine:

7am: I get the kids, brings them downstairs, give them breakfast. DH gets in the shower
7:15: DH comes downstairs and shaves in downstairs bathroom while kids are either still eating and/or watching tv. I get in the shower
7:35: I am showered, clothed, tooth brushed, made up, jewleried, go downstairs. DH comes up and does whatever it is he does...
7:35-7:58: I pack up kids lunches, make my own bfast to bring to work. Fight, cajole and wrestle with the kids to get dressed and comb their hair.
7:58-7:59: I run upstairs and dry my hair while DH is downstairs, not helping kids get coats on and wondering why I am taking so long...
8am - coats on, bags grabbed, out the door and everyone to the car.

We do switch off everyday of who gets the kids or gets in the shower first but and it goes a bit faster if DH showers first.
Having kids' lunches prepared the night before is key as is simple breakfasts for the kids like cereal or Eggo waffles.

It can be done!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband and I are in deep disagreement about how much time we need in the morning between waking up and leaving to take our daughter to school. She is 4 and our son is 1.5. Both need to be dressed and fed, and DD ready to go by 8:15. I maintain that we need to get up at 7ish, so at least an hour. How much time do other people usually take?
Thanks.

Why not try out the shorter routine for a week? Maybe it works, in which case you all get more sleep. If it's a week of chaos, the results should be readily apparent to both of you without marital disagreement, and you will end up back on the original schedule. I'd ask him to write up the routine on paper just to get him to think it through first. This is how my wife and I deal with scheduling issues (changing bedtimes, feeds, naps, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Glad to hear other people have husbands who take longer than they do! Just this morning I was thinking (not for the first time) that I have the most high maintenance DH!

We do it in an hour with 2 kids - ages 4 and 2. Our routine:

7am: I get the kids, brings them downstairs, give them breakfast. DH gets in the shower
7:15: DH comes downstairs and shaves in downstairs bathroom while kids are either still eating and/or watching tv. I get in the shower
7:35: I am showered, clothed, tooth brushed, made up, jewleried, go downstairs. DH comes up and does whatever it is he does...
7:35-7:58: I pack up kids lunches, make my own bfast to bring to work. Fight, cajole and wrestle with the kids to get dressed and comb their hair.
7:58-7:59: I run upstairs and dry my hair while DH is downstairs, not helping kids get coats on and wondering why I am taking so long..
8am - coats on, bags grabbed, out the door and everyone to the car.

We do switch off everyday of who gets the kids or gets in the shower first but and it goes a bit faster if DH showers first.
Having kids' lunches prepared the night before is key as is simple breakfasts for the kids like cereal or Eggo waffles.

It can be done!

I don't have the morning "scramble" (yet) as I am currently a SAHM and DD is not in school yet, but this line cracked me up. It's the same way in our house if we're getting ready to go somewhere together -- DH is always wondering what took me so long as he sits on the couch with remote in hand and DD has no coat on, diaper bag still needs to be packed with snacks/sippy cup, etc... It must be genetic!