How to Make Morning a Pleasant Affair

How often have you gone to wake up your children, only to be met by groans and insults, followed by covers being flipped over tousled heads? If you have trouble waking your kids up, you need this article!

Some people are simply not morning people. Unfortunately, the world doesn't cater to what time you want to wake up, so you can only make the best of it. Waking up your kids in a way that rouses them cheerfully is the best way to start a day off right. Here are a few ideas for doing just that.

Wake them up with music. Don't pick something you like, it has to be something they enjoy listening to or else you will continue to get those groans, heads buried under pillows and comments like, "MAN, you are SO cruel! What did I do to deserve parents like you?!"

So, pick up the latest teen pop CD or heavy metal, whichever your kids are into and turn it on. The key here is not to startle them. Start the music off softly and gradually increase it to fairly high over the period of 10-15 minutes. This will wake them up a bit slower and you should be able to avoid having rabid pre-teens or teens at the breakfast table.

Another way to wake them is by giving them a warning. No one likes being catapulted out of bed and no one gets more irritated and grumpy about this than a kid. So, walk by the door, knock on it and when you hear stirring, say, "You have another ten minutes before you have to get up." Do this again at five minutes and again at one minute. Then open the door and tell them that it is time. You may still meet with resistance, but at least they can see it coming!

Start eating breakfast together. Most families don't do this, but especially for younger children, this gives them something to look forward to when they wake up. The simple act of sitting down and eating, while talking about your plans for the day can be just the infusion they need before heading off to school.

Filling the house with heat and friendly smells is a good way to get everything off to a good start. You don't have to bake, just toss a few cinnamon rolls from the bakery onto a baking sheet and stick it in the oven for five or ten minutes to heat them. Not only will you have a hot breakfast, the whole house will smell lovely.

Coffee is nice too. If your kid is a coffee drinker, bring a cup with you when you go to wake him up and leave it on the nightstand. You will be rewarded with a slightly more coherent child at the breakfast table!

Waking kids up is seldom fun, but as a parent, it is your duty. So why not make it as easy as possible?