How to Get the Kids Ready for School on Time

Let's face it. We all have hard mornings with our kids when it comes to getting ready for school. The important thing to remember is that they are kids. It seems they all have their hard days. But, if we can manage to remember how much our kids rely on our own consistency, mornings can turn into a better time for all of us.

When it comes to morning routines and getting ready for school the most important thing is routine. Without constant routines our kids become lost. They all rely on knowing what is going to happen next to feel safe and secure.

Starting out with a set time that they wake up is best. However, it is never good to wake them up and have them start running around getting ready right away. Give them at least 20 to 30 minutes to watch one cartoon or their favorite morning show before getting them started.

After they have had a few minutes of relaxation on the couch with their favorite blankey you can let them know that in so many minutes it will be time for breakfast. This will make it much easier when the time comes to sit down and the table and eat. Kids like the warnings. Surprises a lot of times will just confuse them and cause tantrums.

During breakfast you can let him/her know that after breakfast they will have a 5 or 10 minutes before it is time to do the next thing. Whether this is taking a bath or brushing their teeth, your child will love the advance notice. Also, the break in between gives them a minute to regroup before the next project. Even if it is only 5 minutes they will feel like they are getting some down time.

As you go along in your morning routine you will want to remember to tell him/her how good they are doing. The little boosts throughout their routine will make it feel like they are doing an extra good job. Along with the consistency that all kids rely on, the "atta boys" add up in their little brains. When they know they are doing well it makes them feel like they want to do good because we notice it.

Before you know it your child will know their own routines as well as you do. It is a big self esteem booster for them to learn it. When they know what to expect they feel safe. After only a week or two of doing their routine in the morning they will become confident is what their job is.

If you are having troubles with getting them going and making your routines stick I am a firm believer in reward systems. We have all heard of the marble jar, the star board, and other various systems for them to keep track of their own progress. It is important with all of these for your child to know how long it will take to earn something special.

Maybe at the end of the week if they get all their stars or marbles for getting to school on time with all their goals met, they can get a kid's meal at their favorite place. Sometimes when this gets to a point where they are bored with it you can work on longer goals. Try monthly goals, and sometimes you can even set bigger rewards for the end of the year.

Of course your child isn't going to get ready every day on time for school for the whole year. I knew that question would come up. What you can do for the longer goals is set it up so that if they get so many weeks out of the weeks there are in school, they can get the reward. This way your child doesn't feel like if they miss one week there is no point in trying.

Simple routines and rewards can play as big or as little of a part in your household as you would like. The key thing to remember is that the consistency and praise will always pay off. It will take five positive affirmations to make up for one time out. If the negative out weighs the positive this is when we begin to see self esteem and behavioral problems. Keep their little soft hearts in mind with everything and you will be surprised with your results.