8 no-nonsense mum tips to help you get out the door (on time) with two kids
When I just had one child, I found it difficult to leave the house – so much to do and think about! Then my second came along and I realised I didn’t know the meaning of the word.
Two kids means double the clean clothes to find, double the snacks to pack, double the teeth to brush and double the car seat battles to win – and all before we’ve driven out of the driveway.
Now my boys are aged four and two, I’ve developed some morning streamlining strategies. I hope these ideas also help you to get out the door if you have two in tow.
1. Fold and put little clothes away
Ha! What a joke, I hear you laugh. I get it. I’m never able to keep on top of my washing, either. But I’ve discovered a trick that helps me with dressing my little ones each morning: When taking in the washing off the line, leave your baby’s and toddler’s clothes until last so they’re sitting on top. Then when inside, only fold and put away your children’s clothes (if that’s all you have time for). I can’t promise you’ll ever get to folding the rest of the washing, but I can guarantee you won’t be searching for a clean onesie in the washing pile, minutes after your baby has a poo explosion just as you had one foot out the door.
2. Get yourself ready first
As mums, we get into the habit of putting everyone else first, but there’s a reason why in emergencies we’re instructed to put our own life jackets on before we help our kids into theirs – it’s only then that we can really assist them. If you have a whinging baby while trying to get dressed, or your toddler is shuffling around the house in the very pair of shoes you’ve been searching for, it’s a stressy morning. Consider getting yourself ready for the day ahead when your littlies are either still asleep, happily eating breakfast with their dad, or your baby is having fun in her play gym while your toddler watches Peppa Pig.
Clever tips to help you get out the door with two kids
The struggle is REAL when it comes to getting out the door in the morning now you've got more than one kid to wrangle! What tips would you add to make morning easier for parents?
Posted by Babyology on Wednesday, 1 November 2017
3. Buy an awesome double pram
Cull the number of things you need to pack in the morning by buying the perfect mum-of-two pram. A pram such as the extremely versatile Bugaboo Donkey2 Duo is designed to comfortably accommodate two kids but still has ample under-seat storage for all the things you need to take out and about with you now you have two kids’ needs to consider. And if you’re lucky enough to have a little person who’s happy to walk some of the time, you can also take advantage of the rather clever expandable side luggage basket comes with built-in pockets to keep things organised.
4. Be a mulitasking queen
As a mum, you’re a natural at multitasking anyway, so embrace this skill first thing in the morning. Pack snacks while the kettle boils for your morning cuppa, brush your toddler’s teeth at the kitchen sink while your baby is playing with her breakfast, or jot down a list of the things you might need that day while your baby has a breastfeed and your tot is busy playing.
5. Shower at night
I used to love showering in the morning, but now, like my littlies, I also need to wash off the day (after they’ve gone to bed). Showering, like going to the toilet, are group activities as far as my little ones are concerned, so it’s best to tick this job off at night and save a few more minutes in the morning.
6. Create a launch pad
Keep things you always need before leaving the house in the one place. For me, this is in a basket in the hallway that sits on the hall stand (safe from little fingers!). It contains shoes, drink bottles, hats and my handbag which has everything else I need, including the car keys. Then it’s just a case of, grabbing what we need from the basket as we race out the door.
7. Pack the daycare bags the night before
If you know the morning is going to be a struggle with your needy baby and tantrum-y toddler, then do as much as you can the night before. For me, this is packing the daycare bags. I replenish the nappies, spare clothes, fill up the water bottles and fold the sheets. The mornings can still be unpredictable, but for the most past this saves my sanity.
8. Use a visual schedule
My eldest has mild autism, so I’ve gotten into the habit of using visual aids with him to get him to do things. But now my toddler also loves them. We have a ‘get out the door’ visual schedule, which includes pictures of all the things we need to do before leaving the house, such as – ‘eat breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth, go to the toilet, wash hands, put on shoes’ – then when each thing is done, we tick it off. It’s amazing how effective it is for keeping young children on task and how much it cuts down on me having to repeat things like, “Come into the bathroom and BRUSH YOUR TEETH!”.
(This is a sponsored post for Bugaboo)