How to Get Your Toddler Out the Door Without a Battle

You can have the best intentions when it comes to leaving the house. The bags are packed, the toddler is dressed, they’ve eaten breakfast and the shoes are by the door. Everyone is technically ready to go. But your toddler has suddenly found that toy car they haven’t touched in weeks. Zooming it up and down the hallway is just way more fun. What can you do short of physically dragging them out of the door? Take the car away, sure—but then be prepared for the tears to flow. And maybe leaving has now become even more difficult. A bribe of some sort? l’ve done this many times, and always regretted it.

It feels so frustrating when you’ve given them warnings, they know this is what happens every day, and yet when the moment actually arrives, they simply won’t move. How many times have I heard myself saying, “Come on, we’re going to be late!” As if that will suddenly make them get up and walk towards the door. HA!

Why Is Leaving So Difficult?

I think we sometimes forget that leaving the house is actually a pretty big transition for a toddler. They might be comfortable and happily playing, completely absorbed in whatever they’re doing. And suddenly we’re asking them to stop, find their shoes, put their coat on and walk out of the house. To them, it can feel like we’re interrupting something much more interesting. And the more we repeat ourselves… the more frustrating it becomes for everyone.

Try Turning the Journey to the Door Into Play

I’ve found that sometimes the easiest way to get a toddler moving is to stop asking them to move. Instead, give them something playful to do. It could be a silly walking challenge, a race to find something, following a trail, or turning the journey from the sofa to the front door into its own little adventure.

One of our absolute favourites is the Post-it Note Trail. “I don’t have time for that before the school run!” I hear you saying. I promise, it takes about 30 seconds to set up—as long as you have some Post-it notes handy! Which is considerably less time than asking the same thing twenty times. You don’t need anything complicated, just a few Post-it notes and a little imagination. The challenge itself is simple, but somehow those little notes on the floor can completely change the feeling of those final few minutes before we leave.

You Don’t Need to Make Every Morning a Game

I’m definitely not suggesting that every time you leave the house you need to create an elaborate activity. Sometimes everything does run smoothly and you can simply just leave. Sometimes you’re already late and maybe all there is time for is to usher them out of the door. And that’s okay too!

But having a few quick ideas in your back pocket can make such a difference on the mornings when your toddler is determined not to cooperate. The trick is having games that take seconds to pull out rather than something that needs planning the night before. Because if I’m already standing by the front door wondering where everyone’s shoes are, I’m certainly not going to start crafting a complicated activity.

Keep the Morning Moving Without Losing the Connection

That’s really what I love about using games for these tricky moments. Admittedly, sometimes the aim is to distract your toddler so you can get them out of the door as quickly as possible. But the games also allow you to bring them into what you’re doing. They’re still getting ready, moving towards the door and going where they need to go.

So instead of spending those final minutes repeating yourself, negotiating or reaching for another bribe, you’re doing it together.

For me, being able to get out of the door with a bit of fun rather than my neighbours hearing me yell “come on” a thousand times puts me in a much better mood—and not to mention my toddler, especially if it’s a nursery day.

So You’re Out of the Door… Now How Do You Get Them Into the Car or Pushchair?

The Morning Routine Games Starter Kit is designed for exactly this.

Not just getting your toddler out of the door, but helping the whole morning run more smoothly—from getting dressed and getting them to the table, through leaving the house and onto the journey.

You’ll get four simple, playful ideas covering some of the biggest morning pinch points:

👕 Getting dressed – a quick game you can pull out when getting dressed starts to unravel.

🍞 Breakfast – a playful activity to make coming to and staying at the table more inviting.

🚪 Leaving the house – a simple challenge to get little legs moving towards the door.

🚗 The journey – an imagination-led game to carry the play through to the car, pushchair or school run.

They’re designed for real mornings, little or no preparation, no complicated routine to introduce. Just playful ways to keep things moving while staying connected to your toddler.

Ready to make mornings easier?

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