Munchy

I am incredibly frustrated with our morning routine. Now that BK has started preschool, breakfast is served there so I don't need to worry about it. However, the big issue in the morning is brushing her teeth and doing her hair.
My child is incredibly well-behaved and polite, except for then. She makes me crazy. This morning we wasted 20 minutes on her refusal to get ready.

Those moms who have been there - how do you do it? I'm contemplating implementing some kind of sticker or reward board because I feel like that may work.

What was successful for you?

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geeky

I wish I could help, I have trouble in the morning with my daughter too. Can you get up a little earlier so you have a little more time and are less harried? Maybe let her read or watch TV or do something she likes after her teeth and hair are done IF there is time. So if she wastes 20 minutes, you are still good, if she cooperates you have 20 minutes to spend nicely with her.

ETA: That has worked for me at bed time, along with a timer to enforce that they have a certain amoutn of time to get ready otherwise no book. I am not quite organized enough in the AM to do it, though maybe I should.

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To Trenell, MizKerri and geeky:
I pray none of you ever has to live in a communist state.

Geeky is my hero. She's the true badass. The badass who doesn't even need to be a badass. There aren't enough O's in cool to describe her.

Jess the Mess

I find that picking outfits out the night before can really help in the morning. We use organizers similar to this one.

Unfortunately I kave no other advice. I am thankful every day that my kids are good in the mornings and I don't take it for granted.

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High Priestess JessMess, follower of the Goddess of the Coiling Way and Confiscator of Concoctions in the Order of the Curly Crusaders

Munchy

I figured out a solution this morning. I made her brush her teeth before watching cartoons (read: early and before my shower) while I brushed as well and we did "the toothbrushing dance."

I don't know if I can keep it up every morning, but I'm willing to try for now!

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webjockey

When I was a kid, my dad used to get me ready for school. He was super strict. The routine was:

Night before:
braid my hair into 3 sections for nighttime sleeping
lay out uniform & underwear

Morning:
He would have breakfast waiting for me when I got up - either porridge or softboiled eggs (to this day, I can't eat either) and tea.
- do a quick wash with a handtowel
- brush teeth.
- get dressed
- do hair
- then he would turn on the tv while I ate breakfast (tv was in my brother and my bedroom along with a little table and chair )
- while I was eating breakfast, he would make my lunch

With my kids, I turn on the TV while they are getting dressed - they're more passive that way.

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hello.world.

Munchy

We are pretty organized - bathtime is at night, all lunches, snacks are packed the night before, clothes are laid out, backpack is packed, and we don't have to worry about breakfast (yay!).

Brushing teeth has to be in the morning, of course, and BK has a TWA, so there is always just a little hairstyling in the mornings (putting in clips or a headband - but if she wants ponytail(s), we do it in wet hair in the bath and freshen it in the am).

Hopefully withholding TV until her hair/teeth are brushed will work in the long run.

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