The familiar stages of rushed preschool mornings
As parents of a toddler, you’ll know just how testing the morning rush is when it comes to getting your tot ready for pre-school!
If you think you are the only parent in the world whose mornings are rushed and chaotic, take comfort in knowing that you are not alone! Many more parents of toddlers go through exactly the same busy routine you do, trying to get their tot ready for preschool!
We take a look at the six stages of getting your toddler up, dressed, and ready for nursery school.
Stage One: Just two more minutes
It’s probably less painful to have a maniacal surgeon performing brain surgery than to hear your alarm clock going off at 6 am. Now begins the fight between having a few minutes more rest and putting the rest of the morning into fast-forward mode, or dealing with the shock of having to emerge out of bed.
Stage Two: Let the screentime begin
We’re really not big on screens, but every morning we feel exceptionally grateful for the TV – how on earth would we get breakfast and school lunch done if it weren’t for Netflix? Letting our toddler watch his or her favourite show gives us parents five extra minutes to make smoothies, porridge, and sandwiches all at the same time.
Stage Three: The leggings dilemma
Moms who do nothing more active than drink cappuccino while wearing activewear have made putting on leggings a shameful act for all of us. But there’s no denying that, even if you’re not going to yoga, putting on your exercise gear is the easiest and quickest choice when getting dressed during a rushed morning run with a toddler.
Stage 4: Bribery and corruption
Unbelievably, it seems many moms have mastered the art of brushing their teeth, washing their face, and dressing all in the time their toddler has a single mouthful of food. Now’s when the real work starts: like a flying octopus we manage to make our toddler finish breakfast, get them dressed, do their hair, and brush their teeth – only to find that we have our car keys in one of those “safe places” that we never remember and have to spend five minutes tracking them down.
Stage 5: The karaoke car trip
Oh, Elsa. How you’ve changed our lives! We can’t remember a school drop-off that doesn’t start with a full volume rendition of “Let it Go”. If we are in a good mood, we can convince ourselves to use this as a mantra, reminding us to ignore client quibbles and shake off any negativity before starting the day.
Stage 6: The teary good-bye
Toddlers are all gung ho about going to nursery school – until we reach their classroom, and then it’s as if we’re dropping them off at a refugee camp. Your toddler’s teacher has to remove your child from you with the skill and patience of a doctor excising a nasty growth. Sounds familiar? It’s painful for both of you and your toddler – the irony being that your tot has already forgotten the morning’s trauma by the time you’ve reached your car, while we carry that heavy-heartedness with us until we’re able to give our toddler a hug when we collect them from school.
