Getting your children out the door and to school on time may be one of the most difficult parts of being a parent. It’s a royal pain when your child or children want to stay in bed in the morning…refusing to wake up, making everyone stressed, late and setting a negative tone for the rest of the day. Morning routines are often noted as a crucial part of success, so this time should be used wisely:
With the beginning of the school year upon us, here are five tips to setting your children up for a great start.
1. Start now so you are ready for day one.
We’re right now still in summer mode and many of us may have picked up some relaxed habits. Unfortunately these habits don’t just go away without some planning and effort – but the good news is, with some dedication, our lazy patterns can be replaced with new more efficient ones. The week before school starts, begin enforcing “school night” habits and set the alarm for when the kids will have to get up for school. Even if they wake up and watch TV – at least they are out of bed at the desired time which will begin adjusting their sleep pattern to a different natural rhythm. Consider eating dinner at an earlier time. Whether at home, beach or pool – feed them sooner and get them in bed by their school-bedtime.
2. Nighttime prep and adequate sleep
Make sure kids are getting enough sleep. I cannot emphasize how important this is! It’s not a newsflash that kids don’t function well when they don’t get the rest they need but did you know that according to psychology professor Norbert Schwarz, Ph.D, children who do not get sufficient sleep not only tend to lag in terms of IQ but are at a higher risk for ADHD and obesity. Schwarz claims that this also can make them more neurologically prone to retaining negative emotions and bad memories rather than good ones.
If a child is not getting adequate sleep then their parents don’t have sufficient time to prepare for the following day or have any real have “downtime” for themselves. This brings about a cycle in which parents don’t function well when they go from frazzled night to frazzled morning.
Once the kids get to bed, parents may spend some time taking care of the little things that clog up morning schedules:
- Make the coffee, set the breakfast table, put out vitamins
- Select and lay out clothes, accessories, outerwear and sporting gear
- Pack snacks and lunches
All of these little things add up, and you will sleep better knowing they are accomplished
3. Respect the alarm clock. Set it to whatever time you and they NEED to wake up. Snoozing is not an option! Rafael Pelayo, MD, a sleep specialist at the Stanford University Medicine Center explains that the body needs some time to get you ready to wake up. When you let yourself go back to sleep, your body thinks, “False alarm! When that buzzer goes off a second time, your body and brain are taken by surprise, resulting in that groggy, fuzzy-headed feeling The more you snooze, the more confused your body and brain get and the later and more rushed you are for starting the day.
4. Create a simple checklist for the morning. It’s always those last minute things that come up as you’re walking out the door and it’s hard to remember when you’re stressing about the clock. After a while, they will become second nature, but here’s what it is on a post it in my kitchen:
- Feed the pets
- Eat breakfast & take your vitamins
- Brush teeth & hair | wash your face
- Go to the bathroom
- Get dressed
- Glace snack and water in your backpack
Involve your children in this. It’s even harder for them to remember things, so rather than nagging them – give them their own checklist (use pictures and make it fun) and build their confidence as they get through their list.
5. Use Positive Reinforcement. Most of our kids now have some sort of digital fix – use it to your advantage! Once they are dressed, fed, and ready to go – they can get on the iPad or watch TV. The little ones need something immediate, so forget the promise of a trip to the zoo on Saturday. My daughter sprung out of bed this morning when I told her that she would have time to play Minecraft after she got dressed. This also reinforces good time management skills: get the chores out of the way quickly so you can do something fun!
Older elementary and middle-schoolers can have a more complex system (such as a points system where they earn points for getting out of bed on time and brushing their teeth without being asked, or the promise of ice cream after dinner on the days when they get to school on time).
Either way, positive reinforcement is the way to go.
If unfortunately you find that these recommended strategies are not working effectively for your family then it would be important to dig a bit deeper to figure out what may be causing the resistance and procrastination. Are there social issues at school? Is your child overwhelmed with their academic workload or a jammed extra-curricular schedule? Is there a problem on the bus or with a specific student or teacher? PBS Parents suggests sitting down during a calm, undistracted time and talking about what’s going on.
I hope that these time management for students tips will not only ease the stress of the morning mayhem but help to prepare your students for greater success in life.
Waking up and getting out the door ready to take on the world is a GREAT feeling.
I wish you and your family success as you get ready to for a strong and organized start to the new school year!