Q&A: How To Get Ready in the Morning with a Toddler

Welcome to Ask the Village where all of us moms come together to share our best tips, tricks, advice, and support to one another so we can all be each other’s village!

Today’s question: how do you get ready with a toddler?!

Getting yourself ready in the morning, whether it’s for work, daycare, or just for the day, can be a challenge when you have a toddler. Luckily, moms chipped in with tons of ideas for how to get it done!

More Ask the Village posts found here!

Here are all of the ideas:

FIRST things first – give yourself grace. Whether that’s not looking as put together as you might want, having to rely on screen time, using packaged foods, etc. Being a mom is hard enough without all of the added guilt and pressure we put on ourselves! SO many of the replies were simply “I don’t get ready while I have my toddler with me” so please don’t assume by reading these that every other mom is out there making it happen while you’re finding it challenging ❤️

Lots of suggestions for this being a place to use screen time. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do! However, if that’s not for you, we have plenty of screen time free ideas below:

• Do it during nap time/after drop off
• Wake up 1-2 hours earlier in order to have time to get yourself/the kids stuff ready
• Keep special toys in the area you get ready for them to play with
• Have a cabinet or drawer with stuff that is safe for them to get into (this was a common response! but it actually was just to let them destroy the bathroom 😂 )
• Put them in their playpen with favorite toys and books (bring to bathroom if necessary)
• Overnight hairstyles to help save time
• Prepare as much as you can the night before (shower, lay out clothes, prep food)
• Place them in their crib and play some music while you get ready nearby
• Include them in everything! Give them a hairbrush, makeup brush, towel, etc.
• Put them in the shower with you
• Sit them in your lap and give them your makeup bag to look through
• Check weather for the week ahead and prep outfits for the week
• Bring their toy/book bin to the bathroom
• Switch off with your husband/partner
• Put them in your empty bathtub with some toys
• Do it while they’re eating breakfast so they are contained (keep essentials in kitchen at the ready)
• Narrate what you’re doing so they’re interested in it
• Small toy box in the getting ready area with spare makeup brushes
• Get ready as much as you can before they wake up
• Baby proof the upstairs/near getting ready area as much as possible so they can just explore
• High chair in the bathroom with snacks and toys
• Baby wear if you’re little is small enough
• Put them in their toddler tower and have them “get ready” with you
• Dance party while you get ready with them
• Include them in face washing – rinse + dry face
• Once little one gets up turn on lamp and let them play in their room while you watch on the monitor (only if room is baby proofed)

I hope this give you some new ideas to try, or just encourages you to give yourself grace!