One of the biggest struggles for most parents is waking the kids up for school. The children will always find it difficult to wake up early in the morning for school but we cannot blame them. Even as adults, waking up for work is one of the most frustrating things to do in our lives. However, there are a few steps you could follow to establish a routine that will help the entire family you’re your mornings a little better.
1. Make sure everyone gets enough sleep
Sleep is incredibly important in order for an individual to perform well at both school and work. So, are your kids getting enough sleep? You can make sure they get enough rest by planning a chart to determine your kids’ appropriate bedtime by subtracting the number of hours from the time they need to wake up.
2. Getting prepared the night before
The following step is to do your best in minimising the number of responsibilities the family needs to carry out in the morning.
- Preparing breakfast the night before. Breakfast so early in the morning do not need to be very complicated. A simple breakfast with food filled with enough nutrients is more than enough to start a day.
- Packing lunches. Children love bento boxes and they are easy to make. You can save yourself the trouble of rushing in the morning by getting these things done the night before.
- Choosing clothes. You can lessen your headache by picking yourself an appropriate or suitable outfit for work the next day. This can help you be less irritated when getting your child ready in the morning.
- Assigning a place for school essentials. Doing this can avoid all the troubles of frantically searching for backpacks, shoes, lunch boxes etc. every morning. It would be good to assign a specific place for your own belongings as well such as your bag, phone, wallet and keys.
3. Getting up before your kids
Waking your kid up when you’re in a grumpy mood yourself wouldn’t make things any easier for the child. It’s better to be up around 15 to 30 minutes before the children. You’ll find yourself in a better mood when you’ve got time to clean and have your morning coffee before taking care of the children’s preparation.
4. Creating a morning routine chart
A chart can be useful in making sure your child completes their tasks in getting themselves ready without missing a step. Your chart should include all important things that need to be done such as:
- Brushing teeth
- Washing face
- Combing hair
- Getting dressed
- Eating breakfast
- Wearing shoes
- Grabbing backpack and lunchbox
Try to let your child do these tasks by themselves as much as you can. It may be faster for you to put their shirts on for them but then they will never learn to master doing it independently. Let them practice getting ready in the morning without your help.
5. Applying the “when… then” approach
The When-Then routine serves as a tool to help children stay motivated in getting everything done in the morning. Identify the one thing that your child enjoys in the morning and use it to your advantage to make them do the things they’re reluctant to do.
For instance, “When you’re done brushing your teeth and getting dressed, then we’ll have breakfast.” This approach can work wonders in the house. If your child wants breakfast, then they’ll have to do what you asked.
6. Remaining calm and connected
Kids can sense when you’re being in a rushed and frustrated state and they may slow down or resist rushing with you. If you’ve followed the steps above, you would not have to be rushed but unexpected and last minute things can happen.
When that happens, it’s important to stay calm and to explain to your child that you need their help by explaining the situation. That way, they will be more inclined to cooperate with you. Children tend to mirror what they see so it’s extremely important that you don’t scream and shout or show your frustration in any physical way.
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