Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

I was just talking to some moms and they said taking 2 kids to daycare in the morning is super hectic and recommended that I get a nanny. They said taking 1 is hard enough and I should try to get a nanny to actually take older DS to preschool for me.

eta: Not sure if it makes a difference but we currently live in manhattan so this is feedback from city moms. We are moving to the burbs. I'd think it is even more hectic if you are dealing with car seats.

Message edited 7/7/2011 4:15:13 PM.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

are they going to the same place? not hard at all.

ask me after november, when I have 3 kids in 3 different schools. I only have to take one in the morning (DH puts the other two on the bus), but I run home to make the bus, then get one at after care and then the last at daycare.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

I live in the burbs and yes, at first it seemed difficult. Now? Not so bad. DH travels a lot and I often do the morning routine by myself. You get into a rhythm eventually.

My 3rd is coming in a few months and I'm only mildly nervous about getting them all up an going.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

I do 3 kids..all pretty much to the same place with one a drop off on the way.

Is it hard, yes and no...it just becomes routine.

I have twins boys and a DD who hates getting out of bed in am.

I also think its the winters months that make it tougher, with the cold, bundling up and of course good ol snow.

You find the time to wake up, get all prepped the nite before and out the door when you need to be.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

If you have the choice of getting a nanny, I would get a full time nanny and have the nanny take older DS to preschool.

Currently, only my older DS is going to daycare, and my infant DD stays with my mom/babysitter.

Every morning, getting DS dressed, his teeth brushed, sneakers on, etc. is a 20 minute negotiation, but I still have to get the baby dressed and fed before the babysitter comes and it can be hectic.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

I do it, not so hard.

I used to walk with a double stroller; then I took a city bus and now I drive into another borough, deal with alternate side parking and really, I still don't think it's that much harder than doing it with one.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

Some days are harder than others.
Gets easier with time, but then they are older age issues (like fighting with my 3-yr old to brush his teeth).

Days of the snap and go weren't so bad, but I was also nursing at that time so that was an additional challenge in the morning.

And then a few months ago really wasn't a good time with morning sickness from #3.

And, yes, winter is harder - all the clothes and digging the car out. And the best was dressing them and turning around and one would be practically naked from taking off his own clothes.

They are now 3+ and 20 months. At least now they can walk out to the car on their own, climb in, DS1 does his own buckle, etc.

I always try to do what I can the night before - it helps a lot.

Like everything - you get used to it!

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

one thing I always had DS#1 do was "touch the car" or "touch the building" that way when I was getting his younger brother out (who was a bigger runner) I knew #1 wasn't running in the parking lot.

It does help when the older one can get in the seat himself.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

If you are organized and prepare the night before it's not bad. Like Deb said - it's routine and you get used to it.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

i am probably the only one that thinks it is awful getting 2 out by 7:30am! for me, this school year was the worst b/c i had to get to work by 8am and the kids to daycare by 7:30/7:40 the latest. i was late for work EVERY single day.
that said, my kids were at 2 different places so that was why it was so hard for me. DH is never home in the AM so it was always on me....also another thing was that sometimes i'd have trouble waking them up and felt awful disturbing them, or the days they'd wake up sick were horrible too-i had to figure out how to call into work..i took 15 sick days this year mostly b/c they were sick!
and forget it if they were in bad moods upon wake up-dressing them and dragging them out was 100x worse! and i won't even get into torrential rainy mornings or the snowy ones! the worst....
my solution:i am NOT doing daycare next year..thank goodness my sister needed a job and i needed this madness to end so she is watching my kids next year-i am so grateful.
i just wanted to offer my experience so you have an idea. i never knew it would be so hard for ME. sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't!

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

It's not so bad now that my kids are going to the same place. You get into a routine and just figure it out. I keep as much as I can ready the night before, and the older one entertains himself with cartoons in the morning if I'm busy with the younger one.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

Once you get into the routine, it's not bad at all. Getting there it can be trying. We used to have to plan to leave the house a half hour before i really needed to so i could get them there on time and get to work. Now that extra 30 minutes is like 5 minutes so it's not bad at all.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

For us it's a little difficult with the twins. We wake up between 5-5:30 monday-friday and we don't stop until we leave the house around 7. I am anticipating that once they are a little older, it might start to get a little easier. It already has gotten slightly easier since a few months ago.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

DH does it so it is a piece of cake for me

I pick up though and at first it was hard....especially when DS was out of the infant carrier.

Like anything you find a routine and get used to it.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

I also agree it depends on if the kids are in the same place. If they are not, its definitely more crazy in the AM. It's sometimes harder for us b/c all 4 of us like to sleep and don't like getting up in the AM LOL. If your good and prepare the night before (lay out clothes, make lunches), then its much easier.

Re: Daycare Moms of 2+ kids, how crazy is it in the morning?

For me because my situation is not like others since their DH's help but my mornings are beyond hectic. I have to get 3 kids ready for wherever they need to go for that day and get myself ready all before I try to get to work on time. I have to feed the baby, get her changed and dressed, get the boys fed and dressed, make sure everyone has everything they need for the day and try to get out the door in enough time for me to go to work. The baby goes to daycare 3 days a week, younger son goes to preschool, older one goes to elementary school and/or summer camp and/or to grandma's house. I do ALL of this without my DH's help unfortunately. It's not worth getting him up in the morning to help. He's crabby and makes everyone else crabby. It's hard enough as it is. Mornings are stressful for me but what can you do?

ETA: My DH is lucky since all he has to do is wake up get dressed and leave. Not me....

Message edited 7/10/2011 9:29:45 AM.