By Nancy Olsen-Harbich, MA
Does the thought of getting up and trying to get your young children ready to leave the house make you want to dive back under the covers? Preschoolers need plenty of time and a clear routine to follow, or frustration and anger can set the tone for the rest of the day. They have little concept of time, are easily distracted, and require the guidance of a well-rested parent to pull it all together in the morning. Planning ahead may take some work, but it’s worth the effort.
Keep a family calendar
The key to organizing your time is being aware of what each day holds before that day begins. If you can’t find a calendar that provides separate spaces for each member of the family, use a different color ink for each person, and log in doctors’ appointments, birthday invitations, game schedules, lesson times, etc. as soon as you know them. Check the calendar each evening to prepare for the next day. Who needs carpooling? Where’s the permission slip that’s due back to school? Are the soccer uniforms washed?
Use evening hours wisely
- Prepare as much as possible the night before: pack lunches; fill backpacks; choose outfits; place shoes nearby. A lost sneaker can sabotage an otherwise smooth start.
- With your child, go over what he or she can do ahead of time to be ready. If the box of elbow macaroni for the art project is already in the backpack, it can’t be forgotten in the morning.
- Prevent morning bathroom traffic jams by having as many family members as possible bathe before bed.
- Plan for breakfast by putting out cereal boxes and fruit, and by providing milk and juice in containers that preschoolers can reach and pour from successfully. By age four, most children can help themselves to a simple, uncooked breakfast and follow up by bringing dirty dishes to the sink.
Post the morning routine on the refrigerator door
With many tasks done the night before, the list only needs to include the basics: eat breakfast, wash hands and face, brush teeth, dress, gather belongings, and GO. Rather than yelling at dawdlers, remind them to “check the list” to see how much they have yet to accomplish before leaving. Picture cues help non-readers stay on track.
Make sure everyone gets a good night’s sleep
Most preschoolers need at least ten hours of sleep. Mornings go more smoothly when they get it (and when their parents get their eight hours) because everyone is alert enough to cooperate. Sleepy family members are slow, and their inability to focus is a primary cause of morning stress. For everyone’s sake, commit to a bedtime routine that works. Whoever has difficulty getting up in the morning needs an alarm clock (placed across the room) so other family members aren’t faced with the time consuming and aggravating chore of rousing him or her.
Eliminate distractions
TV and digital devices are designed to distract, and they do. It’s impossible for a child engrossed in a program to pay attention to getting ready. If your uninterrupted shower depends on ten minutes of TV, make those minutes the last item in your child’s morning routine. In this way, it can function as a reward and an incentive, and when you’re ready to go out the door, so is your child.
Nancy Olsen-Harbich is Program Director and a Human Development Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program. She can be reached at 631-727-7850 ext. 332 or at no18@cornell.edu.