Beat Morning Madness!

Your child is a one-of-a-kind, uniquely skilled person….and one of their many talents is making you late! Children move at their own speed, and this fact can be extremely frustrating for parents. Mornings can be particularly rough. Adults need to get to work, school age children need to get to class on time, and your preschooler is delightfully oblivious to it all. Mornings are also a time when children throw tantrums and have meltdowns. What a great way to start the day. NOT! 

Luckily, establishing a structured morning routine can help you stay in control of your schedule as well as support your preschooler with their behavior. Even better, a routine can actually help a child become more independent with grooming, dressing, and managing their belongings. Sign us up, please! 

Let’s consider a few tricks to get back in control. Sure, he can pick out his own sweatshirt, but you wear the pants in this family!  

Suggestion One: Challenge Him 

Every child in existence has gone through a “I can do it myself!” phase. You can use this to your (HUGE) advantage. Try this trick: tell your child that you’re not sure he can get dressed by himself (or brush his teeth, comb his hair, etc.). Offer to help him or to do it for him. Chances are he’ll switch into “I can do it myself!” mode and forbid you from helping him. Your child thinks that he’s in control, but you will reap the rewards!

Suggestion Two: Practice, Practice, Practice 

Odds are that your child won’t be totally independent for a little while. Give it time. Like with any new task, adults and children both need support to master new things. Help your child with dressing and grooming and show him how to do it. After about two weeks of solid practice you can phase out this support. 

Suggestion Three: Do Some Prep

Realistically, you won’t be prepared to “ready, set, GO!” at six o’clock in the morning. Give yourself a head start by preparing lunches, children’s backpacks, and your personal belongings the night before. This is certain to streamline your departure. 

Suggestion Four: Set a Fast Pace 

Oh no! Your child is dressing and brushing their teeth by themselves (hooray!), but it’s taking them forever. Sloths move faster than this! How are you going to get your child to not only perform the task independently, but get them to do it quickly? 

Remember that small children respond best to play! Disguise this lesson in timeliness. Make it a game. Set a timer for five minutes and challenge your child to beat it. Can they clip into their car seat before the trunk is packed? Make it a race! Consider rewarding your child with a sticker or a point toward a daily or weekly prize. 

Suggestion Five: Stay Calm

Above all, try to stay calm when your child is crying, lying on the floor, and kicking their feet in the air. Is this a new breakdance move? Rough mornings can lead to strong feelings of frustration and annoyance for both children and parents. Take a break and walk away. Take a breath. Keep in mind that when you lose control, your child is less likely to comply with your requests. Remember that while today may have been a struggle, there is always tomorrow. We are all learning!