Some are eager to get up, but many resist it. And once people are up, getting ready and out the door on time is another matter. Here are some simple ways to help make it easier.
1. Start with a conversation
Talk with your child (or spouse) about how mornings are going, and how you would like them to go instead. Get their ideas. Create a positive problem-solving atmosphere and get an agreement to try to make it positive for everyone. Making it a game helps!
2. Plan for 10-15 minutes of gradual wake up
Set two alarms for waking up. The first can be a gentle one that disturbs sleep, but allows for gradual wake up. Waking up to pleasant music is one way to facilitate this. Make sure they understand that this is their personal time, and when the second alarm goes off, it’s time to get moving.
3. Set timers or alarms for morning tasks to get ready
- Start with a list of what needs to happen: get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth & hair, make lunch, gather things and walk out the door.
- Decide how much time is needed for each task, including 5 minutes to get from the door (with your things) to the car and have the car moving.
- Use a watch, cell phone, timer, or clock alarms to go off at the intervals decided upon.
- Kids have fun using their cell phones, picking different sounds as alarms to signal that it’s time to move to the next task. Letting them choose the sounds and set the alarms (with your agreement) gives them more motivation and incentive to work with it. This helps remove you from the position of ‘morning police’ trying to keep everyone moving.
- Try to keep it a fun game. With practice and success, some kids have reduced the number of alarms they use, while being more successful in getting out the door.
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