5 Tips for a Stress-Free Morning with Your Little One
Whether your child is a toddler, preschooler, or school-aged, mornings can be a hectic time of day. We have been through those crazy mornings when it is impossible to get out the door. We might find ourselves repeating the directions several times and becoming frustrated. We have all been there. Creating a Morning Routine can be so helpful for your child and the entire family. Many skills support your child’s ability to get through a morning transition. Some of the skills include time management, independence, impulse control, following multi-step directions, and self-regulation skills, to name a few. Depending on your child’s age and temperament, they will learn these skills at different paces. In this post, we go through 5 Steps to ease morning stress with your family.
1. Make a Plan and Create a Routine
A morning routine can be a plan for the entire family. Before you start, talk with your partner so that you both are on the same page and figure out what tasks may need to be delegated. Depending on your family schedule, you can determine what works best and makes the most sense for everyone. Then, create a list of what tasks your child will need to get through before you leave the house. This list will help prep your child, so they know what to expect each morning. Think about what they can do independently and what tasks may be more challenging for your child so that you can support them in learning their routine.
2. Use a Visual Tool
A visual tool is an excellent way for your child to learn the expectations in their routine. As adults, we often use visuals to prompt us to follow different guidelines. The airport or subway are great examples of signs everywhere that help people get from point A to point B. Your child can use their visual schedule as a tool to help prompt them to stay on task and complete it. A visual tool breaks daily tasks into smaller, more manageable steps for children. Different types of visual schedules help different types of learners. Use whatever format works best for your family. You might find that your child responds best to a simple checklist or sequence cards. It is helpful to draw out pictures to accompany the steps. Use pictures in sequence to illustrate the steps of the morning that you want your child to do independently.
Tip: If your child is getting distracted, the visual schedule is a great tool that you can use to get them back on task. You can say something like, “What is the next step on your morning jobs? Let’s go and check what jobs you have left.” This is a very clear way to support children in following directions and completing a task.
3. Teach the Routine
Once you have decided on what you would like your morning routine to look like, practice the steps at a separate time (for example, on a weekend or another non-school day). Start by explaining the plan to your little one and talking through each step.
Tell the story of the routine ahead of time. Practice the routine with a stuffed animal and let your child lead. Children love switching roles and pretending to be the parent. Hang the routine chart where it can be easy for children to see and access. When you include your child in the process, they become more invested and often show more cooperation with routines.
4. Include your child in the process and make it FUN
There are different ways to make routines more enjoyable for children while giving them choices-this leads to more cooperation and supports their learning.
Here are some ways that can make a morning routine more fun while including your child in the process:
Include your child in the process of making the visual schedule by using their favorite colors and letting them decorate it with stickers.
Give them some control by letting them help choose where the visual schedule will go (with guidance).
Practice ahead of time and role-play. Pretend you are the child and they are the parent (children LOVE this, and it is a great way to practice).
Let your child show their favorite stuffed animal how well they can do their morning jobs.
To encourage your child to move at a faster pace, say things like, “Can you move fast like a cheetah?” or “I’m going to set a timer for finishing your morning jobs, lets beat the timer!”
Add incentive by telling your child to check in with you after they’ve finished each job on their checklist and give them a high-five. You can say, “Let’s check in after you’ve done each job on your list. I can’t wait to give you a big high-five!”
5. Teach your Child Independence over time with Consistency
Children learn in different ways and at different paces. Depending on your child’s age, stage of development, or temperament, your child may be able to be more independent with different skills. Is your child still learning to put on their pants independently? Do they hate brushing their teeth? Be available to assist your child through parts of the routine that may be more challenging for more support. Continue to practice the skills they struggle with outside of the morning routine. This gives your child time to practice during a less stressful time of day. Consider using a Visual Timer to help your child learn time management skills and support them with staying on task. Finally, a consistent Morning Routine will help your child know what to expect and gain independence. This consistency will help your mornings go smoother and will strengthen your child’s independence skills over time.
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