Morning routine that does not involve tv?

[mamabear15]

Hi Mamas, I need some suggestions on a more smooth morning routine so that I can get ready for work, and one that does not involve tv. Our current routine is not working for us! DD (28 months) wants to watch tv all morning while I get ready for work. If the tv is off she wants to be held. Does not play well on her own. If I set out fun toys that she normally loves she will only play if I play too.

Thank you for your advice and suggestions!

Current routine:

6:00 am DD wakes up (we co-sleep)

6:00-6:45 DH gets ready for work while DD watches tv, has a morning snack. I catch up on sleep (DD does not sleep well at night)

6:45-7:00 DD watches tv while I take a shower and get dressed. DH is gone.

7:00-7:30 I blow dry hair and do make-up. Once again DD watches tv. If tv is off she wants to be held.

7:30-8:00 DD and I eat breakfast together

8:00-8:30 Play together, get DD dressed

8:30 Grandma picks DD up while I go to work part time.

[lovepickles]

My 16 month old DD comes into the bathroom with me when I take a shower. We baby proofed fairly well and we have a glass sliding shower door. I put out toys and sing to her. I give her a brush while I'm brushing my hair and I give her a toothbrush when I'm brushing my teeth. Basically get two of everything and give one to her while you are doing it. (fake hairdryer, makeup brushes, etc.) I'm also in the process of building her own Montessori hand washing station.

From what I hear kids over 2 love to "work" so maybe offer some practical life items like brooms and mops and dustpans. At first I was totally freaked out by some of the practices because it seemed like child labor but my daughter loves to "clean". It takes much longer to help them do it but it is really worth it to get them to work independently and boost their self esteem.

Maybe you can also get her to pick out her clothes and dress herself as a project to occupy her time. My DD is capable of identifying pants, socks and shoes and she will try to dress herself but without much success. Whatever she does can be fixed before leaving the house if necessary, but it will help with her time and give her something constructive to do.

Basically give her something that you would normally do on your own and double the time you would spend doing it. That sounds ridiculous, i know, but it will pay off in the long run.

<3

[Sfcmama]

The few times dd has watched tv, I've noticed she is MUCH clingier afterwards and requires a lot of entertaining. Is your dh open to a new routine as well? It's seems like you might have better luck if the tv just never went on to begin with.

I agree about having 2 sets of everything. Dd loves to brush hair or teeth beside me. She also finds it really fun to play with her toys in the bathtub without any water in it. On the days I have to work, I shower the night before and leave some extra time to do make up in the car after I've dropped dd just to minimize how much time it all takes.

What about audiobooks? Hth!

[physmom]

Have you thought about nightweaning her?  Then maybe you could get a better night's sleep (something you and your DH probably need anyways if you're both working!) and then you could wake up the same time as your DH and take your shower then?  We also have a little stool in our kitchen so that when we're making breakfast/doing dishes DD can stand on it and watch/chat with us.  Sometimes we let her play with the dishes too (if they are not something breakable) and try to wash them. 

Here's how we'd probably do your routine (assuming you got a good night's sleep):

6:00 am DD wakes up (we co-sleep)

6:00-6:45 DH gets ready for work while DD helps DH and has a morning snack. I take my shower

6:30-7:00 DD watches while I blow dry my hair and do my make-up (trying singing or explaining what your doing... maybe you could get her toy make-up that she could play with?)

7:00-7:30 DD and I eat breakfast together

7:30-8:30 Play together, get DD dressed

8:30 Grandma picks DD up while I go to work part time.

I guess I'd work on the sleep issue because I think it would make your morning routine a lot easier

[chel]

I'm pretty free with the tv, but 1.5 hrs before 8am is alot.

I always shower with my kids.

Where is your dd watching tv. I'm assuming in the bedroom with you all. Could you maybe take the tv out.

No help for you sleeping. I think you might have to give on the tv there if no one can tend to her and you want to sleep.

While we do watch tv in the bedroom before bed, the tv isn't on in the am. Dd2 just messes around in either the family bedroom or messing with her still sleeping sister.

[mamabear15]

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions and ideas! This has helped me a lot! I too agree that it's too much tv and would love to cut it out all together. I will try to get her involved in the morning routine with her own hairbrush, "make-up", etc.

Would LOVE to get more sleep so that I don't have to waste the 45 minutes sleeping in trying to catch up.

Audiobooks sound like a great idea too.

Thank you so much!!

[EviesMom]

If you have glass shower doors, or if she wants to get in the shower with you, my kids both love bath markers to color on the shower door/bathtub walls. Ours are crayola and they rinse off really easily.

[physmom]

Originally Posted by mamabear15 

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions and ideas! This has helped me a lot! I too agree that it's too much tv and would love to cut it out all together. I will try to get her involved in the morning routine with her own hairbrush, "make-up", etc.

Would LOVE to get more sleep so that I don't have to waste the 45 minutes sleeping in trying to catch up.

Audiobooks sound like a great idea too.

Thank you so much!!

I was thinking about this thread today and I forgot to mention in my other post.  It might very well be that she's waking up early BECAUSE of the TV.  We used to let DD watch TV in the mornings and we found that she wanted to wake up earlier so she could go watch it. Once we cut it out of our morning routine she started sleeping in more!

[Chloe'sMama]

We love the books on tape too!  

I don't work, so our schedule is pretty flexible.  You may want to ask in the working parents forum.  I am sure there will be lots of people with similar situations.  

Good luck!

[starling&diesel]

My dd is also 28 months. 

On days when I'm home I get up at 5am and go to the coffee shop to get some work done (writer), then I come home at about 8am and she nurses.

On days that I work out of the home (paramedic), I get up WAY before DP and DD (again, 5am), so she's still sleeping when I leave.  So, either way, I get up at 5am.  I love it, and it works for me to be up and ready when she wakes up, and I love the quiet time to myself.  We also co-sleep too, so most mornings she's till in bed with DP after I get up.

We aren't anti-TV, but I do notice that it makes transitions harder for DD.  We leave it out of the morning routine altogether.

[Everrgreen]

I just go about my day and ds either follows me around talking to me, helping me, or if he gets bored he wanders off and finds some mischief to get into.  When he was younger he would cry when I was in the shower (pretty much until he learned to walk).  But he has gotten used to it now.