Getting ready in the morning with a reluctant participant can make for a stressful start to the day for everyone. Hopefully these tips might help:
1. Make it fun – without TV 🙂
- Have a smile on your face and keep conversation positive
- Try to limit saying “hurry up” and “come on.” Try making it functional and specific, giving feedback like “you made your bed and got dressed really quickly this morning”
- By all means use TV after your child is ready and so long as they don’t become distressed when you need to leave for school.
2. Be organised
- Have your child put their school uniform out the night before
- Have a spot for your child’s schoolbag and school shoes to limit time searching for them
- Consider before school care if your child enjoys it so they get breakfast at school and can play before school starts.
3. Have a routine
- Routines help a child with predictability and then give them the feeling of control
- If they get ready in a similar way each morning, they will be more likely to remember everything
- Use visual supports or picture cards to help children remember what to do and in what order
- Invest or create a chart or timetable for whatever aspect your child find most challenging. Consider a timetable for after school activities or a list on the front door with a morning to-do list.
4. Keep the front door and kitchen clutter free
- Visual information can be very distracting for children and adults. Time spent finding things can be a stress and having a TV on can reduce how engaged children are with parents. Try switching off technology until your child is ready and spend some time de-cluttering your child’s morning spaces.