Working Mom 101 Question

aeh72 · October 2013

I have what is probably a very basic working mom question. How do you get dressed/ready for work in the morning in relation to getting your LO up, dressed, and out the door?

Background - I've been a working mom since DS was born but I've worked at home. I'm starting a new job in a few weeks that will require me to be in the office everyday (so no more sweats for me!). So, in my mind, I'm trying to envison if I get dressed before I get DS up and ready (and then be crawling over the floor changing diapers/trying to get him dressed in my work clothes), or do I get him up and dressed and bring him into our room or put him somewhere (e.g., in his crib, in his gated playroom) while I get dressed? Unfortunately, DH's schedule won't allow him to help with the morning routine most days.

So, again - I'm sure this is a very basic question! Just wondering what works for people! TIA!

*sparky* · October 2013

I always got ready first, then woke up DS and got him ready. When he was a baby DH often had morning duty, and DH would put on everything excpet his dress shirt and tie, in case DS spit up, until they were ready to walk out the door.

jnnfrrose6 · October 2013

Same as PP. I get myself ready, then take care of everything else needed in the morning (letting the dogs out, getting my lunch together (though DH usually makes my sandwich for me), pack everything that needs to go, and then get DS up last to get changed, dressed, and a sippy of milk. He gets breakfast at DC (which is also packed before he gets up).

itsmevkb · October 2013

I am lucky in that most morning my husband is home and he actually gets the kids up and dressed as he goes into work quite a bit later than I do. But, when I doing it solo, I get up and get dressed, then get all four kids up and dressed. Next we all head downstairs for an easy breakfast of cereal or waffles. The older two can get their own coats on but I have to do that for the younger two and somewhere in there I run a brush through the girl's hair. We are all out the door in around an hour and twenty minutes.

financialdiva · October 2013

I shower at night. I brush my teeth, do my hair and makeup before I get DS's up. DH and I usually divide and conquer in the am, but when he is out of town, I get DS1 up next, get him dressed then get him breakfast. While he is eating I get DS2 up and dressed. After I feed DS2 (used to nurse,

( now bottle due to nursing strike), I get myself dressed last while DS2 is on the floor in the bathroom with me or in the PnP with some toys.

djm31012 · October 2013

do everything you can the night before (including showering if you think you can pull it off--i do). then wake up a half hour earlier than usual to get yourself ready. not sure how old your LO is but especially if he/she is under a year...its too hard to get ready while they are. the other option is if they do wake up and u need to kill some time....exersaucer in your room where they can see you!

mae0111 · October 2013

I get up at 6 to get out the door by 8 (or 5:30 if I'm working out in the morning). DH leaves the house by 6am every day, so he's not around to help. I pack as much as I can the night before. Then I shower, do hair, make-up, lay out clothes, etc. Sometimes DDs are up with me for some part of that process, playing in my room. DD1 gets herself ready for school (with a fight, every morning). DD2 spits up a TON, so I don't get dressed until I'm literally walking out the door. I have a nanny, but I still try to get her dressed and fed before she arrives. If I have to take her with me for some reason, I put an old, big shirt on over my work clothes while I'm carrying her, then leave it in the car.

Good luck! You'll get in the groove!

mb314 · October 2013

I bed share, so DS usually wakes around the time I wake. I do everything I can the night before - shower, set out clothes, prepare my lunch and DS' bottles/diaper bag. If DS wakes when I wake, I put him in a pack-n-play with toys while I quickly get dressed/brush teeth and hair, etc. Many times he'll cry and throw a fit, but I am usually done pretty quickly. DH will often get out of bed if DS is throwing a total fit and will occupy him.

Then I take DS downstairs and put him in his high chair and give him some cheerios to occupy him while I pull together the bottles from the fridge, feed the dog, and load the car. As soon as that is done, I dress DS and we are out the door.

I usually wake up about 6:30/6:40 and am out the door by 7. I am not a morning person and can get things done really quickly.

preggersin2011 · October 2013

Before LO was walking, I did my morning routine and got everything ready. Then I get LO our of her crib, diaper change and put on clothes. Put her in the car carrier and left for day care. I usually let LO have a snack cup of cereal in the car. Once LO started walking she was able to run away which added about 15 mins onto our time. Now that she isn't in a crib anymore I sit her at the table and she eats breakfast while I finish up a few things, then I get her dressed and ready to leave. On the odd mornings that she is awake before I get into the shower she plays in the living room while I shower. If i have to run to the bathroom or I forgot to pack something, LO usually has her shoes/jacket/clothes off within minutes...
It just takes a few tries to see what works for you.

DaisyJanie · October 2013

I rarely have to wake my LO up, he is usually up before us or 5 minutes after. DH & I have a rotation, usually DH gives him breakfast while I shower & dress, then I dress LO while DH showers. Somewhere in there I make LO's lunch and pack the daycare bag, then DH takes him to school and I get about 10 minutes to finish up whatever I need to do before heading out myself.

ETA: Oh, I didn't see that your DH wouldn't be able to help most days. When DH is out of town, I try to get as much done the night before as possible!

QueSrah · October 2013

At the toddler stage, I got up, got myself ready, and then woke DD in time to get her dressed and out the door when I needed to leave. I don't remember the diaper wrangling being so disastrous that it was really a problem that I was already dressed for work by then. Her DCP gave her breakfast soon after we got there. We had to transition her to eating at home when she switched to preschool, so I started waking her up after I shower (but before I get dressed) and we started eating breakfast together. Then I get dressed quickly and then supervise her getting dressed.

The whole process takes me from 6-7:30 am.

APendola · October 2013

This is what my morning looks like...

wake up 5:45 - shower, have breakfast etc.
Wake up DD(and DH) at 6:30 - nurse, change her
Put her play pen and finish getting ready
Leave around 7:15
DH takes DD for a walk with the dogs around 7:30
DH changes diaper if needed
DH takes DD to dayhome - they leave around 8:00

jlaOK · October 2013

Like most everyone else. I get up and ready before getting the kids up. DS gets up pretty early naturally, so I at least try and be showered before he wakes up. Now he can eat my himself and watches Disney Junior. When I was little I'd put him in the room with me (usually in his highchair with some cheerios) while I got ready (also with Disney Junior on).

JJ_13 · October 2013

I also do as much as possible the night before although I do shower in the morning. HEre's my routine on ideal days:

6:45 alarm goes off

6:55 get up, shower, dress, make up, do last minute prep stuff (put bottles and LO's food in cooler bag, make some breakfast to eat in the car - yogurt + granola, frozen waffles + peanut butter etc), load up car

7:30 wake up LO (she's usually waking up around then anyway) and get her ready (nurse, diaper change, clothes - she eats at dc)

8 am leave, drop off at 8:10, get to work at 8:40.

I go very, very, very fast. I need all the sleep I can get since LO is still getting up 1 - 3 times a night. If LO wakes up early and is not content to play in her crib, then I just have her play on the floor wherever I'm doing what i need to do. We are usually late those days. Luckily I have a pretty flexible job.

DH takes care of teh dog in the morning (and does daycare pick up in the afternoon).

plus12012 · October 2013

I get myself ready and get all of the other things I need to do in the morning done and than I wake up DD, get her dressed and we head out the door to take her to DC.

mittensonkittens · October 2013

When I have an infant, I shower and do my hair and makeup and then put my pajamas back on. That way I can nurse baby without messing up my work clothes. I know in my head what I plan to wear, and get dressed right before leaving the house. With toddlers, I can get them ready while wearing my work clothes, and I just run a lint roller over my pants if I've been on the floor wrangling a resistant child.

Pips09 · October 2013

I have an early riser, so I have no desire to wake up before her. I shower at night. When she wakes up I get her dressed and then bring her into my room while I get dressed. I'm also solo in the mornings, so no help from my H.

aeh72 · October 2013

Thanks everyone! Sounds like yourself all ready and car loaded gnd then getting your LO ready last works the best for most people. Thankfully, DS's current daycare provides breakfast so all I will need to do to get him out of the house is change his diaper and put on clothes - somedays easier said than done but at least there isn't much to that part of our morning routine. Thanks again!

TheBorg7of9 · October 2013

I always get myself ready first. If baby is young and still spitting up or whatever, wear a big sweatshirt or robe over my clothes while getting him ready. Why would you be on the floor though? I just get him up, sit in his chair and read him a book, then carry him directly to the changing table to get dressed. Then I carry him straight out the door since I have gotten everything else ready before waking him.

SLGILL1978 · October 2013

I returned to work when my daughter was 9 weeks old. I usually got up first and got ready (except for my work clothes). I then woke her up and got her fed and ready. I let her stomach settle a little bit while I was dressing. Now that she's 8 months and more mobile she has a little play area on the floor while I am getting ready (if she's awake). I get everything done at night - her bath, our clothes ready, my breakfast the next day, etc

Carnation77 · October 2013

I'm only on my second week so I am by no means an expert but this is what we're doing. I pack everything except the refrigerated bottles the night before and load the car. In the morning I wake up, change and feed DS, and take him back to bed (he sleeps in a RnP by our bed) for DH to watch while I shower and get ready. Then I throw DS in the car and go.

So I say pre-pack the night before, get yourself ready, then get your LO ready (sounds like you're not BFing in the a.m. so that makes it easier).

court115 · October 2013

Pips09 said:

I have an early riser, so I have no desire to wake up before her. I shower at night. When she wakes up I get her dressed and then bring her into my room while I get dressed. I'm also solo in the mornings, so no help from my H.

I do the exact same thing. My little guy gets up anywhere from 4:30-5. No matter how late we put him down, he's up at the same time. I'm not even going to try to get up before that.

aeh72 · October 2013

TheBorg7of9 said:
I always get myself ready first. If baby is young and still spitting up or whatever, wear a big sweatshirt or robe over my clothes while getting him ready. Why would you be on the floor though? I just get him up, sit in his chair and read him a book, then carry him directly to the changing table to get dressed. Then I carry him straight out the door since I have gotten everything else ready before waking him.

yeah, I can see how the floor thing may have sounded odd - we don't use a changing table anymore. ds is too big and way too wiggly and strong.

PunkyBooster · October 2013

I do as much as I can at night. Including my hair. Wake up with 30 minutes to get myself presentable, then an hour to spare between ds and the dog. Out the door!

shakinros · October 2013

amcourt09 said:

Pips09 said:

I have an early riser, so I have no desire to wake up before her. I shower at night. When she wakes up I get her dressed and then bring her into my room while I get dressed. I'm also solo in the mornings, so no help from my H.

I do the exact same thing. My little guy gets up anywhere from 4:30-5. No matter how late we put him down, he's up at the same time. I'm not even going to try to get up before that.

Ditto. DD wakes between 5 and 6, but always 10-15 minutes before my alarm is due to go off. Set my alarm for 615? She's up at 6. Set it for 545? She's up at 530. I don't know how she does it...

sdlaura · October 2013

Pips09 said:

I have an early riser, so I have no desire to wake up before her. I shower at night. When she wakes up I get her dressed and then bring her into my room while I get dressed. I'm also solo in the mornings, so no help from my H.

Same here. I am the oddball that gets up at the same time as DD (14 months). I get her up and dressed, feed her breakfast, and then I feed our dogs and we all go on a walk. Then we go upstairs and she plays with some toys in my bedroom while I get ready in the bathroom. I shower at night, so getting ready means 15 minutes of getting dressed, styling my hair, and putting on makeup. It probably adds 5 minutes to my getting ready time to keep an eye on her while doing this. Then we go back downstairs and I eat my breakfast while she plays. She is pretty good at playing independently, and our house is decently baby-proofed, so it's not too bad. Sometimes I even get a few chores done in the morning with her in tow.

I worried a lot about getting out of the house in the morning before returning from ML, but we have found a routine that works for us at every stage. I am a little worried about getting two kids out of the house in the morning soon, but our in-home daycare is 3 blocks away, so worse comes to worse I can take the kids there first and then go home and spend 10 minutes getting ready before heading to work.

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