Struggling in the mornings

This sounds similar to me 7 years ago. There are several things going on here and I'll try to make it short, first, you're ruining your daughter. TV is bad for her, for you, for life. This is her routine and kids thrive on routine. She's going to bully you and be a much bigger problem as she gets older. To change this, go for a quick walk with her every morning before breakfast, rain or shine - even if it is to the mailbox and back. Then do breakfast with her - children love to help make food. For play you can get Legos out and build with her as you drink coffee. Also putting your daughter to bed s bit later and then setting your alarm for a bit earlier will give you some quiet time in the morning as she sleeps in. I like to sit outside and watch the sun rise with a blanket and hot coffee talk to God. You can also talk to your doc about your fatigue.

To be completely honest sometimes I just use the tv when I need thirty minutes to wake up and its been a rough night. I try to get out of the house first thing in the morning and take my minute when the kids are strapped to the wagon but it has been too cold recently. There are lots of suggestions online for activities that you (or maybe your parter) set up the night before in a few minutes but may get you fifteen to thirty minutes in peace. Taking the time to reduce clutter in the rooms we spend the most time in the night before helps greatly, and not having a lot of toys out helps my son to be slightly more independent. If you are okay with tv being part of your morning routine you could try finding either an educational show or a music video she can get active with and utilize a timer or one show rule. If you aren't okay with it then unplug it or the internet and show her it isn't working until she gets out of the habit.

not sure what the weather is like where you are, but here everything is frozen and the mist is so thick I can't see my neighbours house 😅 it's taking me at least 30minutes to get my daughter ready to go outside with all her layers and her objections (this is a phase though, she's doesn't always object to getting dressed)!
Thank you for your tips. I'm feeling a bit defensive about your comment that I'm 'ruining' my daughter. I'm trying my best. We do a lot of baking, crafting, at least 3hrs outside every day, an insane amount of imaginative play, relentless reading of books. And my daughter is miles ahead in her development. I feel a lot of guilt for needing to use some tv every morning but honestly can't see how other mothers can cope without it...

How old is she?put the tv on and watch your shows. lol act like it doesn’t work for her. And don’t feel guilty. F that that tv is ruining her. Technology is where we are at. How about trying a YouTube show that teaches her a different language? Or those ones that tour far away places? Something different. Show her the Eiffel Tower. Or the American girl headquarters.
I have a 10 and one year old.

She is 2 and 3 months. Thank you everyone! ❤️

I can totally empathize! I actually have discovered my son is in a worse mood during the day when I start his day with TV. Save TV for after noon! And limit it to like 45-60 minutes. It helps both my boys sooo much particularly my oldest! Make sure her breakfast is protein packed too that helps as well! Turn on music and have her dance for you! If you can manage to dance with her, do it! When my oldest was 2 I woke up before him to drink coffee and listen to jazz. It helped a ton

I'm sorry I didn't mean to take away from you do actively with her. I'm just drawing from the realities that comes with children that demand TV and get their way - it isn't just TV though. My suggestion is to break the routine of TV in the morning so she doesn't expect it anymore.

Consider moving bathtime to mornings. You can set out your supplies the night before so you are prepared. The first time she asks for tv, you can fill the tub. A few bath toys can keep her contained and occupied for half an hour while you caffinate, amp up, and plan your day. It seems silly to do a bath before they put food in their hair for the day, but if it's fine, you can wash it out tomorrow morning. Play dough or a white board marker are other activities for mornings when I am a walking zombie. Having a cat or dog to play with and feed in the morning is also great. Pets typically have energy in the morning to match your child's energy. Also, make a list of healthy low prep snacks (bananas come to mind) and make sure they stay stocked so you can feed her with minimal effort until you are ready to face the day.

Don’t be too hard on yourself! If you want to enjoy your cup of coffee in the morning while your kid watches tv then do it! 15-30 mins of tv won’t hurt.

If you’d rather not put the TV on, you can take a stroll with your daughter and your coffee (even in the winter. I bundle my daughter up and put her in a bunting bag that’s attached to the seat of the stroller), or take her to a mall that has a free kids area and let her play while you drink your coffee. I sometimes even like to just take a drive to drink my coffee and listen to a podcast/music while she chills in the car.

It sounds like you don’t get much of a break so it’s good you’re trying to figure out ways to give yourself what you need ❤️

Yea. I hate all the first of the morning demands. Personally I do find it makes my kids harder to deal with if we start the day with tv. And my son isn’t even hungry for the first hour. I would try to set up her toys or some sort of quick set up activity to let her start her day with imagination. When I was trying to detox off the tv some, I played a fireplace on YouTube. It’s still “tv”, but it is quiet and doesn’t really suck their attention. The other option is wake up earlier to caffeinate.

Thinking about this today and wanted to add, sometimes it's hard for me to get up and moving when it's too cold in the house. So, I set the heater to start warming up to a nice temp an hour before I get out of bed and let it go naturally settle back to its regular temperature around 10 after I'm already up and moving. If the tiles are chilly, I put on slippers. It's amazing how much more I can get done at a reasonable temp. One morning last month, my husband messed with the heater, and I think I stayed in bed until 10. Try adjusting your morning heat up a few degrees for a few days and see if you notice a difference. It could help a lot!