https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:50:46 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846599 Thu, 20 Sep 2018 10:45:48 +0000 snowjewelz 2846599@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: When mine has work trips, I just do everything he'd do, which is packing lunch &amp; make breakfast, the night before. I find that when I LET them drag their little butts everything takes longer but if I just do everything like okay, time to change, okay, you only have this much time to eat, they usually comply. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846598 Thu, 20 Sep 2018 10:42:57 +0000 periwinklebee 2846598@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: That's awesome! My husband has a longer commute, so I do drop-off and everything to get LO ready... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846584 Thu, 20 Sep 2018 09:30:59 +0000 snowjewelz 2846584@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We wake up around 7am (sometimes 7:30) and I either leave at 8 or 8:30. Kids are out the door at 8:30. </p> <p>7-7:30 - Girls wake up, goes downstairs, DH gets them milk/breakfast and sits with them when I get ready<br /> 7:30-8 - I change the girls, DH makes their lunches<br /> 8-8:30 - When I am busy or I can, I leave for work by 8. Sometimes if they wake up later, then I stay later to help them get ready first</p> <p>I have to say it helps a lot that DH doesn't have to go anywhere (he WFH/for himself essentially) so he doesn't need much get ready time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846520 Wed, 19 Sep 2018 20:49:43 +0000 periwinklebee 2846520@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@wrkbrk: hah, thankfully that's not our problem... I would die. </p> <p>though lately DS has been liking to get up in the middle of the night for an extended period before falling back asleep, I want to harvest every last bit of that sleep :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846506 Wed, 19 Sep 2018 20:19:12 +0000 wrkbrk 2846506@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: Well, seeing as how DS enjoys waking for the day at 5 A.M. ... we have over two hours before we leave the house 😂🙄 If we had to leave quickly for some reason I’d probably skip breakfast and give him a snack in the car. Dress him myself instead of letting him do it (endless). Skip my own makeup. But I guess these aren’t things you’d want to emply daily! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846504 Wed, 19 Sep 2018 20:06:50 +0000 periwinklebee 2846504@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@meadow: I had no idea! Going to have to look into this, thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846488 Wed, 19 Sep 2018 19:49:57 +0000 meadow 2846488@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: I didn't read the replies so sorry if someone else already mentioned it....but.....</p> <p>When I room shared I bought a fitbit to use as an alarm. It vibrates on my wrist....super cool and didn't wake my littles. I literally put it on before bed each night....hah strangest fit it used ever! 😋 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846283 Wed, 19 Sep 2018 08:38:26 +0000 periwinklebee 2846283@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: Thank you!</p> <p>Started putting these tips to work and made it out of the house somewhat faster, despite being a zombie from LO being in the middle of a sleep regression :meh: Thank you everyone!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846261 Wed, 19 Sep 2018 05:54:33 +0000 LBee 2846261@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: just remembered another tip - during this season LO2 doesn’t sleep in anything but a diaper. Makes getting her dressed so much easier in the AM! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846181 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 15:55:52 +0000 periwinklebee 2846181@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thank you all, these are awesome suggestions!</p> <p>@mrsbubbletea: Good luck, you are going to rock this! And so many good tips here to follow... </p> <p>@snarkybiochemist: I wish they would! Nothing before 9:15 am snack, which they don't give to LO anymore because it was interfering with his 10am bottle, which he needs to nap well... </p> <p>@looch: I love the use of smart devices to save time! </p> <p>@kayla0416: I'm super impressed by 20-25 min, especially with two that are so young!</p> <p>@LBee: It's awesome that this has worked so well (messes aside). I really want DS to be good at independent learning/exploration, and think I should let go of some of my mom guilt when I can't constantly engage with him because there's stuff that has to get done in a timely fashion! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846115 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 13:32:53 +0000 snarkybiochemist 2846115@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Is daycare willing to feed breakfast and will your son tolerate it? If so it's a great time saver. I wake up at 5:30 and am showered and dressed by a little after 6, it takes 15min to pack E's food and bottles and my lunch, then I feed her a bottle change her diaper and get her dressed and we are out of the door by 6:30-6:40. Daycare gives her breakfast around 8 which saves our morning some. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846097 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 12:25:18 +0000 lioneyes 2846097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A few things that help:<br /> -I shower the night before<br /> -DH likes to get up earlier than DS to get dressed, have his coffee, make DS his breakfast<br /> -everyone’s clothes are put out the night before<br /> -all bags packed and by the door the night before so all I have to do is grab the lunchbox </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846096 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 12:21:11 +0000 MamaG 2846096@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It's hard for me to remember back to that age, but I know I was doing most everything and DH was hands off. My kids were also in their own room so I didn't have the issue of them waking up when I did. Though sometimes just naturally woke earlier. I would get myself as ready as I could (minus clothes, I had spitters, so the last thing I did was dress myself, I wore my bathrobe all morning). I also either would eat a breakfast sandwich in the car or oatmeal at work, so my breakfast wasn't slowing me down. At one point we did have a safe play area in our room (pack n play) where I could set a child to play where they were contained safely.</p> <p>Now at almost 4 and 7 and a more hands on DH, we are up and out the door in 60 minutes consistently. I shower at night, makes my hair quicker in the morning as I'm not having to dry my hair. Here's our morning:</p> <p>6:30 - everyone gets up - DH in the shower within about 10 minutes, girls start to rise, get to the restroom and get dressed all while I work on my hair and makeup. I do the girls hair as they are ready.</p> <p>7:00 - DH and the girls head downstairs to get breakfast, I typically am finishing my hair, getting makeup and brushing teeth. I then grab my clothes and jewelry and also head downstairs. </p> <p>7:15 - I'm grabbing my lunch and making DD1 lunch if needed. Making sure both DD backpacks are ready and at the door.</p> <p>7:20 - DH is wrapping up breakfast for them, he's packing his lunch and I'm hustling kids to the bathroom to brush teeth.</p> <p>7:30 - Me and the girls are grabbing our shoes and bags and kissing DH good bye. He is usually right behind us out the door. I buckle up DD2 and DD1 handles herself. We are backing out our drive no later than 7:35.</p> <p>DH used to sleep a little later and not help with breakfast, when he made this change over the summer to shift his morning so slightly and manage breakfast it made my life remarkably easier. </p> <p>I should also add, that my girls are also picking out clothes the night before now so we don't have that to deal with in the morning. Again, another game changer with two dramatic girls.</p> <p>I won't claim that our mornings are "easy" but they are "easier" than they used to be. I still do lots of reminding and pushing kids to move a bit faster.</p> <p>We also do no electronics in the morning. And for our DD1, no books until she's done everything. I hate saying no to books, but she will quickly fall off schedule if she starts reading. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846090 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 11:59:22 +0000 lilyofthewest 2846090@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hmm, school handled breakfast solids...so at that age the only breakfast at home was breastfeeding. I think if I had to do food at home I would stick with things that LO could eat reasonably independently and with a lower level of supervision. If you use pouches at all, the ChooMee pouch toppers are pretty much the best thing ever for preventing a horrible mess; they even made it possible for LO to have pouches in the car by about 10 months. </p> <p>I do remember that when mine was that age all getting ready happened in/near the living room or dining room. I got dressed there; we did diaper changes and dressed him there. If I needed to shower or do anything to look presentable, I did it in the bathroom off the living area rather than in the master bath like pre-LO. </p> <p>One of the nicest product hacks for making mornings easier is a lunchbox/bag that has a removable hard liner. On days when dropoff timing was tight, I completely packed everything into the liner and stowed the whole thing in the fridge the night before. Then in the morning I can just zip it into the lunch box. It also makes the lunch bag smell less like horrible sour milk and old food. :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846085 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 11:43:01 +0000 codeitall 2846085@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That age is just hard. They take soooo long to eat and are so messy when they eat! I'd recommend waiting till the last minute to dress them or getting an IKEA bib like this one: <a href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80307223/" rel="nofollow">https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80307223/</a></p> <p>Now that my kids are less messy, we get dressed and they eat dry cereal in the car on the way to daycare. My 3.5 year old throws fits about his clothes in the morning and uses it as a stalling tactic, so thanks to another hellobee tip, we dress him the night before (no pajamas for that kid) and just stick socks and shoes on him in the morning.</p> <p>I forget who it was on here (maybe GingerBebe) but they kept the socks and shoes in little bins in the car. Buckle them, put the socks and shoes on while they're captive ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846083 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 11:15:16 +0000 looch 2846083@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you know where you waste the most time? </p> <p>For me, I waste time in the multiple trips back and forth from the car to the house when I have either forgotten something or left something open/on.</p> <p>In order to deal with those issues, I have a light bulb in the house to tell me if I have a door or window open. If the bulb is green when I lock the house door, I am good to go. If it's red, I have something open. We also have keypads on the doors so I don't have to search for my keys.</p> <p>I also pack all my bags the night before, and I have a list of things on the door to the garage that I can glance at to make sure I have everything.</p> <p>As for getting dressed, I put things away in outfits, so I don't have to look for things that go together. Saves a lot of time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846077 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:58:55 +0000 kayla0416 2846077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a 2.5 yr old and a 9 month old and frequently get them ready in the morning alone due to DH's work travel. I ditto pp on getting toddler dressed while sitting on the toilet! I grab her clothes before getting her out of her crib, carry straight to the toilet, get her dressed while she's peeing and talking non-stop. She hardly even seems to notice. Then she gets a sippy of chocolate milk and a youtube cartoon music video on my phone (don't judge, haha) as a bribe to sit nice while I get her socks and shoes on and hair done. Then we go in to get little sister. I still nurse her, but have started doing bottles in the morning because she's way too distracted by big sister now to nurse in the mornings if DH isn't there to occupy big sister. I pump before waking either of them. So I go in with the bottle ready, grab her clothes, lay her on changing table with bottle - she usually sucks down at least half of it while I'm changing her and getting her dressed. Then sit on the chair with her til she's done with it, grab our stuff, and get out the door! (Breakfast is at daycare). I can usually do this in 20-25 minutes alone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846076 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:58:40 +0000 lindseykaye 2846076@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: You've gotten a lot of good advice but I wanted to mention that I didn't dress LO usually until just before leaving the house at younger ages because of the messy breakfast. Letting her stay in PJs which would almost always get something on them and then doing an outfit change with her diaper saved a lot of laundry/time/sanity vs. changing her into clothes first thing and then getting banana/yogurt/whatever on them while she ate.<br /> Also if LO is 8 mo - could you nurse/bottle feed at home and then save a food snack for the car to supplement that on the way to daycare? Or set him up at a highchair or safe area to play/munch on a non-messy breakfast (cheerio's, etc) while you finish things since stopping to entertain him was something you mentioned? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846072 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:52:11 +0000 mrsbubbletea 2846072@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: following, I have to get out the door early on Thursday with both kids! I am a pm shift person, I never have to be somewhere earlier. It’s a struggle to get to preschool by 830 when it “starts” but on Thursday i need to bring him at 710 or so, which is 5 min away, then drive across town (small town but still a good 15 min) to take baby to her nanny share by 730 and then to work by 8! Pretty nervous about pulling this off! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846066 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:35:34 +0000 Reese 2846066@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: marshmallows go a long way in this house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846065 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:35:11 +0000 LBee 2846065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@periwinklebee: It really has paid off because I get home before my DH and I can just tell LO1 I need to make dinner and he will go do his own thing. He definitely gets into mischief sometimes, but he knows his boundaries usually. I do the same thing with LO2 - she is in the kitchen with me but I just set her up (usually just opening the kitchen pantry and let her go to town) and if she cries at my legs I ignore her. It's so hard when you are in survival but I really try to remember that at this age the CIO principal is sort of applicable everywhere ... so much of behavior is conditioned / learned. The self sufficiency has also really bled over into all aspects of my LO1's life - it's one of the main praises he gets at school!</p> <p>ETA: Just so you know it's not all sunshine and roses over here - most of his "independent play" involves trashing his room or the playroom ("I was searching for xyz book!"). I guess pick your battles. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846061 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:30:02 +0000 periwinklebee 2846061@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846060 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:29:29 +0000 periwinklebee 2846060@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: This longer run perspective is super helpful! Your older child sounds like a dream. I really want to be cognizant of the fact that we are creating habits, and not just surviving another day... These are super helpful suggestions! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846059 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 10:28:44 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2846059@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>One of the hacks is to wake up my LO sleepy. He’s so much easier to put clothes on when he’s less distracted. Another hack is to give him jobs that matter to him. When he starts dragging his feet then I tell him I will do certain things like turn off his humidifier or open the garage door. Or he’ll pick something up and I will only let him it when we are in the car. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846053 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 09:53:27 +0000 LBee 2846053@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter is around the same age. We have toys designated on the changing table for distracting her while she gets dressed. Usually they are non age appropriate and are coveted items like her brother's stuff. I eat while I feed her / pump the other side. I get dressed while she roams the room. </p> <p>The biggest tip I have is to start as you want to end. My son gets himself dressed, entertains himself reading in his room, and makes his own breakfast in the morning. Since the beginning we have always taught our kids that mornings are busy (two working parents) and that we have exactly 50 minutes from wake-up to out the door (this includes pumping and nursing). We do not have time to deal with antics and I don't allow screen time in the mornings. As a result, he is incredibly independent in the morning. We are currently trying to teach our daughter the same thing. She was crying at my legs this morning while I brushed my hair and I just said, "LO2, you need to find something to entertain yourself, Mama is busy. Will you bring LO1 a book to read to you?" She then crawled off to go get books off her bookshelf.</p> <p>Another idea would be to consider getting a high chair that rolls so you can put it in your room and feed cheerios on the tray while you get dressed. Breakfast + entertainment!</p> <p>ETA: When she was going through the distracted eater thing we had to nurse in pretty much a deprivation chamber. Lights off, no phone usage, etc. Then I could go back to eating over her head. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846051 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 09:46:57 +0000 periwinklebee 2846051@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lilyofthewest: @jennlin821: Just one LO, 8 months, so it really shouldn't take that long :silly: Perhaps I just need to adjust my expectations until LO is old enough to bribe cooperation (@Reese: @erinbaderin: love it!) Choke points are him being a slow/distracted eater, it taking a wrestling match to dress him/change diaper as he desperately tries to crawl away, and then he poops right after... I think I may switch to dressing him last thing before we head out the door, even though he's more awake and less cooperative by then. Simple tasks I think are also slowed by having to stop and entertain him - ideally I would get dressed/ready, grab a bite for myself, and pack the cold stuff in our bags before he's up - but we room share so my alarm wakes him (and he's often an early riser anyways :silly: )... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846050 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 09:42:08 +0000 lilyofthewest 2846050@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@erinbaderin: Hahahah. Having my 3.5 dress himself does NOT make things faster. Far from. I dress him while he's sitting on the toilet in the morning. My Sweetie always waits and tries to get him dressed later and it is a big battle. I just get it over with while he's captive and still sleepy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846049 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 09:37:47 +0000 erinbaderin 2846049@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Reese: This! I told my four year old that if he got himself dressed every day for a week I would buy him a lightsabre. It worked, but now he’s back to wanting me to dress him. I’m going to need to find a cheaper bribe! Maybe Pez. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846048 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 09:37:43 +0000 jennlin821 2846048@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think we need more information to help you out. </p> <p>How old are you kids and where are you going?<br /> What are you having for breakfast? Who is running breakfast?<br /> What feels like its taking too long? You feel like you are running around, unorganized? </p> <p>It sounds like either your expectations are too high (we can all get up/dressed/eat/leave in 15 min!) or your not as organized as you think you are (lunches are packed, but backpacks are not) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/share-your-hacks-for-getting-quickly-out-the-door#post-2846046 Tue, 18 Sep 2018 09:31:45 +0000 lilyofthewest 2846046@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How old is/are your LO(s)? </p>