We were recently asked by BritMums and Belvita to share our morning stories. Now with a young child, we always ‘rise’, but often we don’t ‘shine’.
I am a morning person, although like all parents I long for more sleep. I don’t like to sleep in late, as I would feel I had missed a chunk of the day. No chance of that in this house though! The one thing I dislike about our day at the moment is our mornings and I long for the moment when breakfast is over. It always seems such a struggle. Mr Hubby leaves for work at 6.45am, so it is usually just Baby and I tangoing our way through our morning performance.
This is how I would like my mornings to pan out;
7am – Wake up, jump in the shower. Feel refreshed from my nice long sleep and peaceful shower. Pop a load of washing on. Do a quick tidy round and maybe a spot of blogging.
8am – Baby awake, get her dressed (in an outfit that I would have left out the night before) and bring her down for milk and breakfast. No need to wash her, as she would have been bathed last night. Leisurely eat breakfast with Baby. Obviously she wouldn’t be throwing it across the room or at the dogs…..
What actually happens;
Anytime between 5 – 6.50 – Baby wakes for the day. Give her milk, while trying to nap on the job. Try not to drop her if I do nod off.
After milk (time tbc) – leave her *usually* shouting in her cot, while I get the bathroom ready. Put her in bouncy chair while I shower, grab her and take her in the shower with me. She can’t have a bath as bath phobic! Pray she hasn’t had a poo while I was showering. Shower slippy, wriggly Baby, while trying to stop her turning the shower off and opening the shower curtain. Above all try not to drop the Baby. Brush teeth and then catch a cold while drying and dressing Baby. Try to pick a co-ordinating outfit, while she is pulling all the clothes off the hangers. Deposit her back in cot, while I get dressed (basically picking whatever is clean, usually off the floor). Get her out of the cot, as the neighbours will probably think I am killing her now and attempt to dry my hair while she either clings to me or attempts to bungee jump off the bed (without the rope).
Descend the stairs – Try to wrestle Octopus Baby into the highchair, while inserting ear plugs. Throw some cereal at Baby, mainly for her to stick to her baby grow and feed to the dogs. Hell, I don’t care, at least she is distracted while I wash the bottles and get her toast and fruit ready. Return to the living room and pick cereal off the dogs. Aim to try to eat my toast.
Time to baton down the hatches for the big finale – ‘wet wiping the Baby’s hands and face’. This should never be attempted by the faint hearted and preferably only when the neighbours are out, for concerns they will call social services. Try the element of surprise, wet wiping your own face or any other ‘parent’ trick, it won’t matter, she will still scream as if you are telling her Santa isn’t real (he is really, just a joke!). At last the morning routine is over for another day, same time tomorrow?
I was very grateful to BritMums and belVita for sending me some belVita to try, these will make my mornings a little easier to manage. I tried the Fruit & Fibre, Cocoa & creamy live yoghurt and Milk & Cereals. My favourite is Fruit & Fibre, yummy! It is quite handy to be able to grab one, in between cleaning fruit puree off the dogs and wet wiping yesterday make up off my face.
Disclosure: This post is an entry for #MorningStories Linky Challenge sponsored by belVita Breakfast. Learn more at http://www.facebook.com/belVitaUK
Comments 42
I often feel like I have done a days work by 9 am! Always the busiest part of the day here, with 2 kids off to school/college, one OH off to work, me getting myself and the toddler ready for the school run, and everyone wanting the bathroom at the same time!
Author
I can imagine it’s a nightmare! Baby enough here with just one x
Our mornings are manic! They often result in us rushing around and power walking to school! The Belvita biscuits are yummy 🙂 x
Author
I bet hun, you have your hands full x
Morning never pan out how I hoped either and haven’t for the last 13 years!
Author
Yes I won’t be holding my breath! 🙂 x
My boys would NEVER let me shower alone, ever! You are too lucky 😉
Author
Oh I get every other day off, trap her in her cot, so she can’t really object 🙂 x
awh takes me back to when mine little ones were babies – belvita bars look great for grabbing brekkie on the go!
Author
It is hectic and I only have one Baby x
Mornings are by far the most stressful part of the day but I admire the fact you even consider getting up before baby!
Author
Oh if she slept later I definitely would x
my mornings are so hectic getting 6 lil ones ready never leaves time for me and my routine, whatever that may be lol x
Author
I can’t imagine trying to get that many people ready, it would take me all day x
I quite enjoy mornings as we have a good routine and my children are always hungry which probably makes them behave!
Author
I like it when everything is done! seems endless until breakfast is over x
Oh for a morning when we get up before the babies! By the time the morning routine is done I’m ready to go to bed!
Author
It would be bliss right?! Me too x
i’m always the most grateful we homeschool in a morning ha! None of us are morning people {thankfully} and I’d never get the kids out of bed in time to be at school for 9!
Author
I imagine that would make it easier. God help me when I have to do a school run too x
I can see you doing your juggling with baby. Sounds like a manic morning.
Author
They always seem a little hectic! x
That morning routine sounds very familier, I remember those days. Good news though, at nearly 5, Annie dresses herself, cleans her teeth, heads downstairs and draws or reads until breakfast.
At 2.5, Ez wanders around happily until he’s dressed and then he helps make his breakfast. Yes they still wake up too early but mornings are way more relaxed!
Author
So I only have another year and a bit to go! 🙂 x
Your post took me back to a dark period in my life. Luckily, although things are absolutely manic here in the mornings, my three kids do tend to sleep till around 7. It will get better, I promise!
Author
Oh I will look forward to that! 🙂 x
I love mornings, ours as so routine and the most proactive time of the day.
Author
I want to be productive, but so hard with a little one x
Hmmmmm, this morning routine sounds familiar!
Author
Fun isn’t it?! ) x
We discovered breakfast biscuits a while ago and just haven’t looked back.
Author
They are very handy x
Eek, sounds like a hectic morning! Luckily when mine were littler I was a SAHM so we were able to be quite relaxed and not bother with a routine, more of a rhythm. Much harder now I have to be up at 5am for work and the boys want to be up at that time too, usually wanting me to play lego! Not fun :p
Author
Uh sounds stressful. We don’t have to be anywhere in particular, it always just seems like such a struggle to get ready for the day x
I always find the showering bit difficult, if i miss my timeslot (oversleeping) then all hell breaks loose lol
Author
It is such a struggle isn’t it x
Max’s favourite thing to eat are breakfast biscuits. He hates wet food and we find that belvitas are perfect for him to enjoy.
Author
Baby loves bread sticks, crackers anything like that, strange child x
ha! Wilf used to wake at 5..now it’s more like 6 which is such an improvement, I hate it when people suggest I get up earlier to get a fresh start to the day, as if I could get up any earlier! x
Author
It is a nightmare isn’t it?! A couple of times Baby has got up at 4.20am and decided that is the start of the day. Needed matchsticks that day x
My girls love the breakfast biscuits and Ella’s school provide them for every class, free of charge every morning with a glass of milk 🙂
Author
That’s good, at least it is a healthy snack x