BACK TO SCHOOL- MORNING ROUTINES

It's nearly time for school to start back. One of the most difficult times for kids and parents is the morning routine. Trying to get your children dressed, fed, and ready to go to school can have you pulling your hair out and yelling every morning! It's not a great way for either of you to start the day.

Some basic ideas may help keep things a little smoother, so that everyone gets off to a good beginning.

1) Try to allow enough time that you don't have to rush so much. Make sure your child gets enough sleep so they can get up early enough. Give your child some positive attention for getting ready. Ten or fifteen minutes can make a huge difference in not having to feel so rushed.

2) Complete chores the night before when possible. Make lunches and have them ready to go. Lay out items for breakfast, or for kids who really dawdle, make a sack breakfast to go. You can pack dry cereal, a yogurt and plastic spoon, a peanut butter sandwich, a protein bar, or some fruit. Have your child shower or bathe and lay out their clothes for the next day. Pack the backpacks with the homework, signed forms, and everything your child will need for the day. Encourage your children to help with chores that are appropriate for them.

3) Offer encouragement. When your young child is making an effort, acknowledge that they are doing a good job. If they are moving too slowly, a gentle reminder can help move them along. “We are going to leave for school in 15 minutes. It looks like you still need your shoes and socks on. Can you do that, or do you need some help?”.

4) Have reasonable expectations. Do expect your child to help with appropriate activities, but be aware that a younger child may not be able to do everything and frustration can develop. Give your child one task at a time. If they are focused on getting shoes on, don't bombard them with several other directions at the same time. They may forget the initial job they were working on.

5) Avoid discussing problems during the morning routine. If there are issues with getting ready, or school concerns, or questions about behavior, these are best addressed at another time, when everyone can sit down and talk about them calmly. Then you can problem solve together and come up with ideas to help make the morning run smoothly. During the morning routine, keep things as structured as possible so that everyone knows their part in the schedule.

6) Get out the door. If your child is really having trouble or being uncooperative, use the extra few minutes you built into the schedule to just get them ready with a minimum of fuss. Don't scold them or chat; just do what is needed to leave. “I see you are having trouble getting ready. I'm going to help you right now so we can get going and you can get to school on time”.

7) Breathe!! There will days that things don't go well. Don't dwell on them or get angry. My favourite book for my kids was “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”. When everything has gone wrong for Alexander, and he keeps threatening to move to Australia, his mom tells him that “Some days are like that. Even in Australia”! This became our shorthand for explaining that everybody has a bad day once in a while. We move on and, generally, another day will be better!