Tips for Getting Children Ready in the Morning

Getting your child up and ready in the morning is a difficult task for many parents. Even if your child thoroughly enjoys school, he may still feel reluctant to abandon the warmth and comfort of bed. Waking up early is one of life's necessary evils, but there are ways to make the whole routine easier for both your children and yourself.

Finish what you can the night before. Instead of cramming everything into the morning, finish before bedtime some of the tasks that don't have to be done the next day. Lay out tomorrow's clothes; plan tomorrow's breakfast; prepare lunches and refrigerate them; make sure keys, books, and other often-forgotten items are located and placed in their proper locations. This makes for a less-rushed morning.

Keep regular routines. If your child never knows when she's going to bed or when she's getting up, waking will very likely prove difficult. Establish a bedtime that will allow for plenty of sleep, and have the alarm go off at the same time each morning, even on the weekends, when parents typically let good sleep-wake habits slide. A predictable schedule will not only allow you child to grow accustomed to waking at a certain time, but it also prevents over-sleeping because her circadian rhythm will adjust to naturally awaken her at the correct time.

Say "NO" to "Just 5 more minutes!" As a society, we've fallen in love with the "sleep" function on our alarm clocks, but honestly, they do more harm than good, especially as far as children are concerned. Every time we allow just "five more minutes", we're allowing our children to get five minutes away from the morning goal of waking at a specified time. Ask yourself why he's asking for more sleep. Did he go to bed too late? Is he not getting restful sleep through the night? As a parent, you must address these problems.

Take it easy, Mom! If there's one thing adults and children have in common it's the fact that very few of us really enjoy waking early. Still, you should try to at least appear bright-eyed and cheerful in the mornings. Easier said than done, I know, but if you're in a pleasant, wakeful mood in the morning, your children will pick up on it and the morning will go better for everyone. Likewise, when you're sleepy, stressed out, and rushed, your kids will be even more tempted to stay in bed. After all, who is going to rush to the breakfast table knowing they're going to have to face an irritated Momzilla?

Mornings needn't be a rushed, irritating time of day for you and your children. By taking these tips to heart, you will be setting your family on the path to a less-stressful morning with fewer complaints and tardy notices. That's something all parents can appreciate