Now, if your morning routine consists of just having to sort yourself out then this will seem like a totally alien post to you.
If, however your morning consists of having to get yourself and several small people up and out of the house by a very fixed time then you may be a little more familiar with this.
When I discussed my strategy for the morning routine with a friend recently, she suggested that showering in the evening would be a better idea and altogether easier than my current approach but quite frankly I can’t function without a shower in the morning, even if it is a super fast one. I always feel much more awake and ready to take on the day after a shower.
But…how do you achieve this when you have lots of little people to keep an eye on?
Well of course there is the option of getting up extra early and jumping in the shower before the rest of the house have opened their eyes.
Whilst that might work some days, invariably a child will go through a period of waking up at 5am, 4am or even 3am in the first two years of their life and that means your showers could get pretty early.
I guess for some of you, you might have someone to watch the children whilst you have a shower, if that’s the case just make sure you have a back up plan in case your helpers are not available one day.
I have pretty much tried every method I can think of over the years. I have adapted my approach as the children have got older and as we have added to the brood and now I have a range of different things up my sleeve to enable me to ALWAYS be able to get in the shower.
Currently, the children are 8, 6, 20 months and 6 months.
The big kids are fine now and will be getting themselves dressed and organised for school whilst I am in the shower but then I have to juggle a toddler and a baby and somehow get myself sorted along the way.
There are a range of approaches I use and it really just depends how everyone is, who is happy, hungry, grumpy or not and I decide each morning how I am going to play it out.
Here is a list of some of the approaches I have used with the little ones:
- Taking the moses basket into the bathroom
- Taking a small travel cot into the bathroom
- Having a baby swing set up upstairs
- Using a water sling and taking a baby, toddler or BOTH into the shower with me
- Taking toys and a toddler into the shower and sitting him down in the shower tray
- Attaching a baby bouncer to the door frame of the bathroom
It really just depends what is happening that day and what stage of development the children are at as to which approach works best.
For example, a newborn baby can’t go very far so you might be happy to lie them down in the next room and listen out for them. Once babies start moving it is a different story. My approach has also been necessary as we have a little man who manages to choke on fresh air so leaving him out of sight or ear shot really isn’t an option. Once they get to about three you can normally be confident that they will sit on the bed and watch something without causing too much havoc, but it really depends on the child and your set up at home.
The water sling works well – you can read more about that here. The best method at the moment is to have the baby in the door bouncer and the toddler in the shower with me. Sometimes he will sit in the shower tray and play and other times he wants to be held. No doubt in a few weeks though we will be trying something else so I will update with any alternatives we come up with.
How do you juggle your morning shower? 
26 comments
I was only this week talking about this on Twitter! If I can I get up and shower before the children wake up. But as you say that's not always possible. My 3 year old will happily watch beebies in bed, but my 9 month year old is another story, I used to bring the bouncer in the bathroom but she's too big now, so I try and bring a selection of toys and let her play on the bath mat. But I'm often leaping out soaking wet to intervene with her licking something she shouldn't 😉 but like you I need to shower in the morning.
I have resorted to showering at night, its not the freshest feeling, but at least I have had one.. if I really need one, I sometimes put them now 5 & 3 in the bath, whilst I have a shower, as some days even if I leave them for a few moments, I come out to fighting and arguing.. #binkylinky
Haha its a mummy problem for sure!! I have to shower in the morning or my hair is too lank and greasy 🙁 my current solution for my 8 month old is to have her in the bathroom with me (with door shut) in a baby walker which has a play piano on the front. I know they're controversial and not reccomended but its the only way she won't scream the place down and she doesn't walk in it as there is no room in the bathroom and she is more interested in playing with the piano! X
Ah yes – mine like to empty the bin etc, so easier to have them in with me. Just trial and error and what works one week doesn't the next as they are growing and changing.Thanks so much for reading 🙂
Thanks for reading – If I need to wash my hair I have to do that at night when everyone but the baby is in bed as my hair is down to my knees so it gets wrapped around the children lol.
That's brilliant ! I will have to try that one when my smallest is a bit bigger.Thanks so much for reading 🙂
When Baby was first born, it was a baby bouncer chair in the bathroom, then when she got bigger I held her and she came in the shower with me! Was tricky at times, I would jump in and have a wash, get her out of the chair and take her in to wash her. As she used to hate the bath and so showers were our only option x
Thanks for sharing your experience. It's a bit of a juggle isn't it.X
Great post as I too sometimes just with two find getting ready in the morning tricky! I also need a shower in the morning to function properly. Luckily I have my husband to watch the boys but does mean a shower at 7am but when he's not here I too have many methods on how to get a shower (sometimes bath) with two munchkins xx
I need a water sling! at the moment its a balancing act of holding him with my knees so he doesn't slip while he sits on the floor playing with bottles and trying to direct the shampoo away from his head! #bigfatlinky
I literally took to showering at the dead of night. It was the only time I could. Fantastic post though I'm sure so many others have this as well. Thanks for linking up with us on the #bigfatlinky
Thanks for reading – yes I find a bath in the evening harder even if I wait until only the baby is awake. I usually have to jump out a few times and then give up lol.
Ah yes – shampoo in the eyes is a tricky one and the floor is so slippy too. Thanks for reading.
Ah yes – tried that one as well haha. Thanks for reading!
I've never thought about it with more than one! When Zach was a baby I used to take him into the bathroom in the car seat or swing and he'd be happy for just long enough! Now, it rarely happens that I have to shower with him present but if I do, he just comes in with me and toddles around the bathroom and getting sprayed with the shower!! #bigfatlinky
I know exactly what you mean people say to me about showering in the evening but I just like to start my day with a shower, my girls are 4,3 and 1 now i let the older 2 play/get ready for nursery in their room while i quickly shower and my youngest usually comes in the bathroom with me and just play peak a boo with me with the shower curtain my showers are so quick nowadays though!
Our girls are pretty patient and just entertain themselves! Thanks for linking up to the #BinkyLinky
That sling sounds brilliant! Will bear it in mind if we ever get around to the 3rd child we keep vaguely mentioning 😉 #bigfatlinky
Stevie x
Thanks for reading and sharing your experience.
Thanks for reading! yes I know what you mean. Just long enough to get clean. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Oh that's good! Thanks for reading x
Haha that's brilliant! Yes give one a try. Thanks for reading!
This is funny to me. I feel the same way about going to bed clean as you do about waking up to shower. I really dislike getting into my sheets feeling gross. Like Martyn mentioned above 9 out of 10 of my showers are in the dead of night right before I go to sleep after spending all hours blogging no doubt. #BigFatLinky
Lol – thanks for reading
We have a bamboo in the bathroom and Ted sits in there playing with his bath toys. He seems to love it! Thanks for linking up #bigfatlinky
Brilliant! Did you mean Bumbo or is that something new i've no heard of yet lol? Thanks for reading