Getting toddler and baby (and you) ready and out the door?

wheelenl

OK, ladies I'm a little freaked out about how I am going to get my 3yo, infant and myself ready and out the door. I don't have to be at work until 9am, but still. Right now I just have to take older DS to preschool at 9:30 and that's a major task by itself. He's still going to childcare two days but DH is taking him.

How do you do it? I'm looking into getting DVR so that I can record some of DS's favorite TV programs to keep him busy in the morning.

I guess part of the issue right now is that the baby is eating about every two hours, sometimes more, so by the time he's fed, changed and older DS is fed and changed, it's time for baby to eat again, but I haven't eaten anything yet or gotten myself ready.

Any advice/tips/commiseration? 

Pesky

Honestly, I do a lot of my prep at night -- get my lunch ready, bag packed, clothes picked out and now I even shower at night (which will continue until DS sleeps in more predictably so probably another 6 mos).  I also prep as much stuff for the kids the night before as well -- bottles, daycare items and so on.  I let DD eat at daycare so that helps.  I basically get up, dress, ready myself, then get the kids up and dressed and out the door.  Just experiment with what works for you.  GL!

duchess0727

Give yourself at least an hour and a half.  Sometimes I prep at night but sometimes I just run out of time.  I get up and shower and get dressed.  Then go downstairs and put up coffee and pour my cereal.  While I eat, I get DS's snacks and drinks ready (lunch is provided at school) and make DD's bottles and oatmeal.  Once that is done, I go up and get them both dressed and stick DS in front of the TV while I feed DD.  I put everything in the car and then grab the kids and go.  The whole thing takes about an hour and a half. 

trinny

I was just thinking about this this morning, but I'll have a ~21m old to wrangle along with a 3m old.  I'm afraid, but I know somehow we'll figure it out, like we did with DD...??!! 

AshlynsMom

It's ALL about getting your act together the night before.  We pick out clothes (for everyone, not just the kids) the night before, make lunches, pack bags, make sure we have snacks/leotard/whatever we need for any evening activities...

We eat breakfast in the car (we have to be out of the house before 7 and the commute is about 45 minutes), so we plan and/or make that the night before, too.

And my husband, who works later in the day and much closer gets up when we do to help with brushing teeth and getting tights on right and that kind of stuff.  We've got it down to just about an hour. 

mrsgin03

The best advice I can give you is to do as much as you can the night before, and make sure you're the first one up in your house. I get as much ready at night as possible: my lunch, older DD's lunch, all of younger DD's bottles/cereal are all packed up and ready to go the night before, along with anything they need for the next day (extra diapers, blankets, etc).  I also pick out DD1's clothes (she is VERY opinionated about what she wears so it's much easier to have that battle at night rather when we're in a hurry in the morning!) and make sure all of my stuff for work is packed up.

As for getting up first, we need to leave around 7am so I'm up at 5 to make sure I can get myself ready before either of them wake up. If one of them happens to wake up early (they usually aren't up before 6), DH is home until 6:15 and will take care of them while I get ready (he takes all of 10 minutes to get himself ready!)  

It took me a good month before I felt like we had a good routine, but now we're doing really well. Some mornings there will be curveballs (like when DD2 pooped ALL over herself as we were walking out the door) but I'm lucky that I don't have an absolute time I need to be at work so I can deal with those little incidents. Good luck!!

YellowBride

Its not that easy!
I get up at 5:45, shower and get myself ready. Along the way, DD2 usually wakes up (she's in my room still) and I nurse her. DD1 wakes up around 7 or I wake her up. I get both girls dressed. We go downstairs and I put the bottles in the bottle bag, pack up my pump and anything the daycare needs. Get DD2 some milk and a snack and we're off (daycare does breakfast and lunch). Leave around 7:50, drop off and to work by 8:30....its kind of exhausting!