Helping Toddlers With Morning Transitions (Without Constant Reminders)

Do you have a list as long as your arm of things to do every morning?

Does it include spending ten minutes negotiating with your toddler to get dressed, only to compromise with something completely inappropriate?

Then nagging them to sit at the table and eat something… before eventually giving in and handing over the expensive snack bar you were secretly saving for yourself.

Next comes hunting for shoes, putting them on while they’re wriggling around, then reaching for a screen in the hope they’ll sit still for just long enough to get out of the door.

And finally, leaving the house fuelled by some kind of bribe – my go to was always raisins in the pushchair!

I’ll admit it—this has been my morning while trying to get two toddlers ready more than once. And that’s before I’ve even got myself ready, grabbed a cup of tea or attempted to leave the house without it looking like a tornado has swept through.

I thought I just needed my toddlers to cooperate a bit more, but I’ve come to realise it’s rarely about cooperation. Anything can be turned into a game (it’s the whole reason I created Toddler Tasks!). The real challenge is that we’re asking our toddlers to switch from one thing to the next over and over again: get dressed – come to breakfast – brush your teeth – put your shoes on – leave the house.

To us, it’s one morning routine, but to them, it’s a whole series of transitions that they are expected to do. That’s a lot of stopping and starting for such little people. When you look at mornings like that, it’s no surprise they sometimes push back.

It’s Not About Cooperation

But most of the time, my toddlers weren’t choosing to be difficult, they were completely absorbed in what they were doing. Or they simply weren’t ready to move on yet. The more I repeated myself… the less anyone enjoyed the morning.

Play Helps the Transition

The biggest change for us wasn’t finding a better routine – it doesn’t matter which order we do things in; it’s still a series of transitions – instead it was changing how we moved between the routines.

Instead of saying, “Time to put your shoes on.” I’d make the shoes part of the game.

Instead of calling everyone to breakfast… I’d make breakfast something exciting to discover.

Instead of chasing my toddler to the front door… The journey to the door became the challenge.

The routine itself didn’t change. The way we got there did.

Less Nagging, More Joining In

One thing I’ve noticed is that games invite toddlers to join in. Instructions often feel like something that’s being done to them. Games feel like something they’re part of. Instead of constantly interrupting what they’re doing, we can use play to gently guide them into what’s happening next. That tiny shift made a huge difference in our house. Not every morning was suddenly perfect, but I found myself repeating things a lot less, and because of this, mornings have become so much easier.

Finding Time for Play in the Mornings

I know what you’re probably thinking…

“How do you have time to set up all these games during the morning rush?”

Honestly, I don’t! I feel like I use every single minute of the day now I’m a mum. That’s exactly why the games I use need to be quick, simple and ready to play in the moment. Most of them need little to no preparation, use things you already have around the house and take less time than repeating yourself, negotiating or reaching for a screen.

That’s why I created my free Morning Routine Games Starter Kit.

It includes some of my favourite ideas to help with the biggest morning transitions—from a quick, in-the-moment dressing game, to a playful breakfast activity for slower mornings, an easy leaving-the-house challenge that takes less than a minute to set up, and an imagination-led journey game to help everyone start the day on a happier note.

They’re all designed for real family life.

No complicated setup.

No perfect routine.

Just simple games that help toddlers move from one part of the morning to the next with a little more cooperation—and a lot more connection.

Ready to make morning transitions easier?

Pop your email below and I’ll send the Morning Routine Games Starter Kit straight to your inbox.