My son is 2 1/2 and starting to wake up earlier than me...I am not exactly a single parent, but my boyfriend leaves before I do, so in the morning I might as well be. I need to be ableto take a shower in the morning, but my son is waking up so early that he screams in bed until i'm out. I tried putting him in front of a seseme street about 6 months ago while i showered and he did okay, but then started getting into everything. I think that now, if i left the bathroom door open for him to get in, that he could come get me if he needed me (and that i might be able to hear him getting into something), but i'm just not sure. How do single moms with toddlers shower in the morning without makign their kids MAD?
The past two mornings, I have set James up watching Elmo's Potty video with some cherios and a sippy cup of milk...and he has done great!!! He even started using the potty more at school and at home! (the video is new) I guess we'll just have to see what happens next week. I don't exactly have the option of waiting since I work Monday through Friday, but I could always switch to showering nights if i had to...naturally curly hair might look interesting though ;Þ It looks like I've got quite a few options if he starts getting into things. Thanks for all the great suggestions!
I'd get a play pen, put some toys in and put it in front of the
TV. Then you won't have to be worried that he's into something.
He might be mad at first but he'll get use to it
hi L. have you tryed takind toys into thr bathroom with you and asking him to play in there so he can be clos to you and youk can still get a shower i have a girl and a boy and she is 5 and he is 21 mounth i used to take may girl with me into the shower it worked but now with 2 and no one home to help i put my son in his high chair with a snack as long as my girl is still asleep but if she is awake forget it then i din;t get one at all when thay are both up i have tryed several things too but it is hard i nkow so don't give up just keep trying new ideas and i hope one works for you if you ever need to work from home call me 1509-###-###-#### S.
I am only 10 weeks along with my first, so take what I say in that context. I shower at night, that way in the morning I am ready to go. I used to shower at night and the morning, but I have adjusted and this saves time and water. However, to do this I also grew my hair out, so I don't have issues with bed head. So, you might consider a change in overall strategy and just shower at night after your little one has gone down for the night and actually be able to enjoy the shower and not stress over what he is getting into. Showers should not be stressful. You can also just wet your head under faucet if you have bed head. Just thinking outside the box.
Find a way to make your showering time his "special time". My son is also 2 1/2 and he gets to watch Baby Einstein and have a snack while I shower. That is the only time he watches it and he gets really excited when i "let" him watch it. Find something special for your little guy that he "gets" do to while you shower. As a mother you deserve a little you time!
I don't know how your room is set up in relation to your bedroom, but this is what I do. My bedroom and bathroom are connected. I don't really have anything in my bedroom that the kids could get into. I lock the bedroom door so they can't get out, and leave the bathroom door open. I will turn on cartoons and give them some milk or juice to keep them occupied. If you think he may be getting into something, play a game with him. "Where is *(your son's name)*?? I can't find him anywhere!!" and most likely he will pop in and you can rest assured that he is ok :) This may not be the best advice, but my kids do pretty well with this. Either that, or lock him in the bathroom with you with a snack or some cereal and milk. That may distract him long enough for you to get showered!
Good luck :) It's not easy, I know!!
K.
Although I am not "single" my husband travels constantly, leaving me with two little munchkins all to myself in the morning. My oldest needs no supervision, he is 7, so he entertains himself in the morning, but our youngest is 3 and until about a month ago, I had to take a shower with her. It really is not too bad, i got some paints and she would paint in the tub while I showered, the only thing I didnt like was the fact i lost some "mommy time"
while I am not a single mom, I feel like it most days as my husband leaves early and works 12-14hr days. Some days the kids dont even see him at all! For my shower, on most days I wait until my 8mth old goes down for a nap and then pop in a video for my 2 1/2 year old. The playpen idea would be great exept he can climb out of it and I dont want him falling in the attempt. I found that by giving him a sippycup of milk and letting him pick the show or changing it often he stays interested more. Also, he really likes Blues clues and I try to use those videos for things like showers so they are new and interesting. He can open doors so will usually come find me if he gets bored and I know its time to hussle out. When he was younger (before the baby) we would shower together and that worked ok and saved time (didnt have to bath him later). Another idea I had but havent tried is buckling him ito his booster seat at the table with crayons and paper or something. I know how hard it can be. my motto is "this too shall pass.." Good Luck, Jen
I started out with my daughter at a young age getting used to me taking a shower every day (she was still a baby). My guess is that you might have to lock him in the bathroom with you until he is a little bigger and able to stay out of stuff.
my youngest is that age and all i can say is shoer when he sleeps. Sorry but I have yet to find a way to do it while the kids are awake.
T.V.!!!!! That's how!!!! Or get up a few minutes earlier (which is usually a drag!)
I am a single mother, so I know about this... I really think that this depends on the child. My son was fine at 2 spending up to an hour by himself. He just wasn't a kid that destroys anything. However, I babysit a little girl that's 2.5 and she'll color on walls, fling poo, take every toy out and throw it, so she just can't be left alone. When your child is ready you will know. Some of the other ideas the mom's had are good. I used to get up and sleep on the couch so that I was in the same room as my child. :)
I agree with the other women that it depends on the child. My daughter has always been great about me taking showers. I would leave the door open up until about a year ago. If your son is getting into things I like the idea the other women had about putting him in a play pen while you shower.
I have the same problem. My son wakes up because of my husbands alarm and then wakes up his sister so he isn't lonely. My son is in a big boy bed so he can get out anytime to play. I get up in the morning, get him a sippy-cup of milk, and tuck him back in bed. I nurse my daughter and then rush through my shower. Sometimes I can get done in time without him coming out of his room and sometimes he get's into things. If you can take your showers at night when your bf is home you should do it. Otherwise you're in the same situation as every other mom.
Good luck.
i am a single mama and honestly when my son was real little i didn't know what it was like to shower alone...he sat in the tubby and played with his toys...and now with my daughter its the same way...her little tubby goes in the shower with me... obviously my son is way too old to shower with me, lol!!!
When my son was a toddler, I would feed him his breakfast while I hopped in the shower. He had a toddler chair that he was sort of 'strapped into' and the kitchen was close to the bathroom so I could peek out every few minutes to check on him. Usually he enjoyed breakfast and barely noticed I was gone. I found that leaving the TV on was too distracting for him and he didn't know where to concentrate, the TV or the food, and would get frustrated. Just the calm morning sounds and bananas to squish in his fingers. That was the trick for me! :^)
Hi L.,
I think all the bases have already been covered. I am new to this site and I am also a single mom. I am looking to meet other moms to get together sometime and have fun! Let me know if you are interested? My son is four and we live in Kent, WA.
I had a problem with that when my daughter was that age now she is almost 6. What I did was let her eat a snack like cereal and put on a cartoon or movie she really liked. I just had to take really fast showers because my daughter would get into things. Or I would have to wait to take a shower when my husband got home that would be a pain but sometimes we have to do this for the safety of our children. Good luck and before you know it your son will be old enough to know what not to do when you are in the show!
