8 Tips for Make Mornings Easier

Are you a morning person? I’m not! As my kids have hit elementary school, they too struggle with mornings. As much as I love being with them, I dread waking them. Know what I mean?

 

 

1. Make a list.

   Kids and teens do better when our expectations are clearly communicated. So work with your child to make a chart of what has to get done in the morning. For a tween, let them decide on the order it will get done. For non-readers, take pictures of each activity and put them up in order.

2. Prioritize.

   Put a star by the things that are crucial for those ignored-the-alarm-clock mornings.

3. Time it.

   Take a few mornings to decide together how many minutes (or hours) your child needs to get through this list before leaving for the day. Help them work backwards from the departure time to decide on wake-up time.

4. Be flexible.

   Adjust the list and the wake-up time as it seems necessary.

5. Put it to music.

   Many kids (grown-ups too!) are more positive and efficient when doing routine tasks to music. This should be music your child likes and that you can tolerate. Be as tolerant as you can possibly be!

6. Choose a reward.

   Put your list on a dry erase board with a “carrot” at the bottom. Have your child write in the night before what goal they are working towards, like a game night after dinner, or a stop at the library, or something else that will happen tomorrow if the morning work gets done.

7. Add in some consequences.

   Tired of nagging? Add three empty check boxes and a chore or other unwanted consequence to the bottom of your list. If your child can get through the morning routine without getting all three check boxes marked for not listening or poor behavior, they will avoid the consequence you’ve written below the boxes.

8. Build in some time for failure.

   Don’t let your child’s morning ruin your whole day by destroying your good mood or making you late. Get up a little earlier, get your important stuff done so that you can focus on teaching your child how to accomplish their morning tasks.

Mornings are hard for many of us! By teaching these practical methods, you are setting your child up for a lifetime of being on time to school and work. You are building a responsible, resilient person who can meet their obligations, even when they don’t feel like it!

What else do you do to make mornings more tolerable at your house?

About the Author: 
Dr. G (Deborah Gilboa, MD) is a board certified Family Doctor, mother of four and founder ofAskDoctorG.com, a resource for parents and educators to ask questions about the behavior and development of their kids. An internationally known speaker, Dr. G gives parents practical tools (and some humor) to approach the challenges of raising kids to be respectful, responsible and resilient. Please go ask her questions on her site, or Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube!

Tagged back to school, children, clutter, entrepreneur, family, mompreneur, mothers, parenting, stay-at-home