What do all of you do to get yourself ready for the day.... I am finding the "early" drop offs make it difficult to get myself ready (make-up, hair done, you know all the bells and whistles like if you were leaving the house to go to work).... is this really necessary? I don't find it practical to rise extra early to get ready because that extra hour of sleep helps me to only be exhausted rather than dead.... how do you all do it? I mean do parents expect us to be all prettied up day in and day out just to get all sweaty, spit/snot covered, etc? I guess I am afraid my "appearance" will imply I am lazy all day.... if you know what I mean.

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I don't bother with make-up. I get dressed, fix hair, dress & brush teeth. I figure why should I wear make up just for the kids...KWIM?

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At the start of the day I make sure my clothes look nice and hair is done. If I have time I will put on make up. I mostly wear jeans and a t-shirt. I do take the kids out (park, story time, etc.) so I want to look good. Now at the end of the day that is a different matter all together. Some days I will have snot on my jeans, paint on my shirt and leaves in my hair!

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I do my hair and make-up every day. To help mornings run smoothly, I lay out everyone's clothes, including my own, the night before. Often I will get ready for the next day's clothes and stuff during naptime. I use an hour on Sundays to iron any clothes that need it for the week, and make sure I have enough outfits ready to go for the entire week for my whole family.

In the morning, I always make my own son's lunch for school, pack his bag, and get lunch ready for my DH. I also make any preps for the night's dinner.

I only do daycare prep/clean up during daycare hours. Nothing is done to get ready for the daycare day unless I am in the daycare and working. The rest of the time is my own!

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My earliest is 7:30. I am a morning person, so that gives me plenty of time. Personally I put on a little make-up Do my hair and wear nice but casual shirts, capri's, walking shorts or jeans.

I say the extra hour of sleep is important! But I know I can put on make-up in about 3 min. I start to feel frumpy if I go too casual.

I sure don't think you have to wear make-up!!! I say do what works for you!

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I get up about 20 minutes before my first family gets here.

I clean my house and lay out my clothes the night before so all I have to do is pee, get dressed, put on a bit of mascara (I'm blonde so having visible eyelashes makes my eyes look more alert and cheery) pull my hair in a pony and let my dogs out.

I do NOT do early drop offs. Even if I am ready to go I will leave shades drawn and my front door locked until my first contracted time hits.

I will purposely let my dogs "greet" any unscheduled early birds (usually I have them run in the back/side yard....to have them all come racing around the side of the house definitely makes an impact lol) Four dogs jumping in their vehicles with them to say hello does too I tell my parents they spend 10 hours shut out from the rest of the house so their kids can have my full attention, the least I can do is give them that time in the morning.

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I take a shower at night so if I have an early drop off I get up 5 mintues before! LOL Throw on my clean yoga pants and t-shirt, brush teeth, put air in pony and I am ready!

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I go to work each day so I get up (around 5:15), work out, shower, eat breakfast, get dressed and drive 7 miles to my daycare house each day.

I arrive at work around 7-7:15 each day. My first arrival is 7:30.

I don't wear make up but I do my hair each day.

I never wear pajama pants, yoga pants, sweats or scrubs to work.

I personally do not believe it is professional and just not something I am comfortable doing.

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Exactly this!!! I am NOT a morning person! Lol. I figure I am playing with kids all day so I generally don't get "pretty"... Some days ill wear nicer clothes- just depends on my mood and how early my day starts-
If I was a parent and the dcp looked too "untouchable" I would question how much they got into it with the kids-

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I get up 30 minutes before my first child is to arrive. That gives me enough time to get dressed, brush teeth, wash my face and do my hair.

By get dressed I mean slip on a pair of yoga pants or pair of jeans. In the summer I'll wear a pair of khaki or jean shorts. My top will consist of a baby-T (plain or with a cute child-friendly design) or a tank top during the hot summer months.

I quickly brush my teeth and wash my face (face wash, sometimes defoliator, rinse my face, dry, add freshener then moisturizer). I don't bother with make-up. When I say I do mu hair I mean I untangle it and either roll it into a bun or put it into a simple ponytail. Nothing fancy and I'm done.

I don't see the need to look prettied up for my clients and I'd feel like it may offend some moms or attract unwanted attention from the males that pick up (as some of us have experienced either personally or with their assistants. I like to look plain but together and dressed for comfort. I even do my interviews in yoga pants or jeans. Shoes always consist of running shoes or flip-flops depending on what we are doing and the weather.

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I get up at 4:30-5 work out, shower, get dressed and do my hair and makeup (doesn't take me long).

Then I get my kids up, fed and dressed and ready for school, pack lunches and my two oldest leave the same time as my earliest arrival gets dropped off (7)

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My early drop off gets to see me in my pj pants and t shirt, she tends to arrive still asleep so I don't even turn on all of the lights. I get her mat and pillow out, go get dressed and we lounge until the others arrive. I dress comfortable and usually put my hair up.

My dd went to a home daycare for her first year. The provider would still be in her pj pants, and usually a tank top and no bra. Not a pretty sight. I would make sure I did drop off so my husband would not feel uncomfortable because he would have been. After seeing this I promised myself as well as my husband I would not do this and have not yet.

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I'm not an early drop off person. Thankfully most of my kids arrive at 8-845 so i get up at 730, shower and get around. When I had an early dcb (615am), I'd roll out of bed 5 mins before, put my hair up, change clothes, and add some makeup. DCB arrived alseep and didn't wake up til 8am when the rest arrived so most the time I'd hit the shower the night before but occasionally I'd hit the shower and get around after he went back to sleep as our bathroom is right off the dc area and dcb could sleep through a bombing.

I do the same thing with my dog. She roams free outside and in the house so if they arrive early they get greeted with some barking and jumping One dcd occasionally arrives early but waits in his car now!

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What do you wear??

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I get up about an hour before my first family arrives. I have to take a shower in the morning-I have oily skin and can't stand not taking a shower in the morning, plus, it wakes me up. I blow dry my hair and put on make-up, jeans and a t-shirt or tank top. It only takes about 30 minutes so the rest of the time I drink a cup of coffee and watch the news, depending if my baby wakes up, if he does then I feed and cuddle with him and drink my coffee and watch the news. Sometimes I do clean a little if I didn't the night before, but I've been trying to have everything clean before I go to bed so I don't have to do it in the morning.

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I wear either nice jeans (no holes, tears) and/or cotton khaki type pants.

Usually both the slacks and the jeans have some sort of stretch in them so they are easy to move in.

I usually buy the Eddie Bauer brand slacks made with some sort of scotch guard so they don't get dirty, stained or wrinkled.

I wear a comfy top such as a long sleeve t-shirt style top or a sweater or blouse.

I fix my hair every day but I don't wear make up. Never have.

In the summer months, I wear capri's (not denim though) or longer walking type shorts. NEVER short shorts and never scrubs, sweats or yoga pants.

NOT SAYING those things aren't ok, just not how I was raised.

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I ususally shower during nap time when hubs is home - if he's not home, I will shower right after work. I open at 7:30am, and I crawl out of bed at 7:15am . I pick out my daughter's outfit for the day (dad dresses her later), brush my teeth, throw my hair in a bun, put on some makeup, get dressed (picked out the night before) and change the litter box. I come downstairs (where the daycare is) and hang out on the internet until my first arrival. I only start doing daycare "stuff" once daycare kids are actually here... I stop doing daycare "stuff" (except shopping) the minute my last daycare kid leaves. I also try to get as many chores and personal projects as possible out of the way during daycare hours as well... leaves me with tons of family time outside of work hours.

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I always try to get as much done in the evenings as possible so the mornings are less rushed. During the school year, I get up a little after 6:00 and do my basic morning ritual of getting dressed (usually jeans and a t-shirt/sweatshirt), clean my face, putting my hair in a ponytail. Then I get my school age kids up, and make sure they are dressed, fed and ready for the bus at 7:20. My first daycare arrival is around 7:15.
During the summer, I don't get out of bed until about 6:50 and get myself ready. Amazing how nice those extra 40 minutes of sleep are!

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