Prevent Morning Madness!

An article in parenting.com asks whether you feel like you've run a marathon by 9 a.m every school day?  For many parents, the answer is yes. Getting to school on time has a direct relationship to how your child performs at school, how well they are able to cope with the expectations of being at school.  

New habits take time to create. They say it takes 21 days of repetition for a habit to form. Help your kids create good habits from the beginning of the school year to get to school on time and relieve morning stress for both you and them. 

Here are tips on improving your mornings:

• Get your child to do the prep work rather than doing it all yourself. Children can pack their own backpack, set out their clothing, think about what will need to be done in the morning, and set the alarm clock.

• Set aside the same slot of time each day, either right before bed or maybe before reading time, to do the morning prep.

• Talk to your child about what she needs for school the night before. Right before you need to leave the house in the morning is not when you need to hear, you need to sign a permission form, your child can't find a book he needs or...oops she forgot to do her homework....

• To avoid last-minute morning scrambles or unpleasant surprises, write up a night before checklist asking: 

• Do you have any homework? 
• Where is it? 
• What do you have to bring in tomorrow? (i.e. books, projects, notes, etc.)
• What clothes are you wearing?

As your child gets more responsible and these good habits begin to form, you can give her the checklist to fill out herself.  Happy Mornings!

Excerpt from The Liberal by Simone Joseph