Some days, mornings can be rough. When everyone in your family is hustling and bustling and trying to get out the door, it can be quite chaotic. Everyone needs to eat breakfast, to use the bathroom, find clean clothes, and don’t forget about all the distractions that can stop them along the way. TV, toys, and books are just a few of the items that can turn those easy steps right out the door into distracted kids that can take minutes or hours to motivate again. If you could use a little help (and who couldn’t!), here are a few Tips & Tricks to Get Your Kid Out the Door in the Morning!
- Have their clothes already laid out for the day. The less time that you have to spend looking for their clothes and getting that part ready, the better. And if you give them the task of looking for their own clothes, then that may take even longer. While it’s important for them to be an active part of the process, if there are mornings that you know you need to get out the door quickly, you may want to think about putting a plan in place to help get them get ready and out the door more quickly.
- Start the day a bit earlier. If you’ve only given yourself an hour or so before to get yourself and everyone ready in your house, that may not be enough time any longer. Setting the alarm for thirty minutes earlier or starting your morning earlier than normal can allow enough time to get other things done and give your kids more time to wake up and acclimate to needing to leave the house.
- Make their breakfast to go. It’s no secret that sitting down at the table and eating breakfast can take a bit of time for everyone involved. If you need to get somewhere earlier in the day, make your kids a “to-go” breakfast and have it waiting in the car. Once they know that in order to get fed, they have to be out the door then they’ll find a little pep in their step to make it happen.
- Let them start and get in stride with their own morning routine. It could be that the fact that your kids may be dragging their feet a bit during the morning is that you have them doing a bunch of things in the A.M. that just doesn’t motivate them. Think about giving them the option to set up their own morning routine and try it out for a week or so to see if it’s a good fit. Giving them the chance to work through the morning with activities that they want to accomplish may just be what they need to help carry that motivation to getting out the door on time.
- Communicate with them the schedule of the day. Truth be told, when it comes to your child not getting out the door quickly in the morning, it could be because they just honestly don’t understand why. Instead of repeating and telling them over and over that they need to get a move out the door, break it down and communicate with them why. Let them know that there is an important appointment to get to or the fact that you can’t be late to work again. All are valid reasons and ways to inform them of the true need to get a little pep hopping in their step.
As a parent, mornings can be rough. You aren’t alone in the fact that your children may take a while to get out that door. Be patient and try a few of the suggestions above. You may be pleasantly surprised by just how easy it is to alter your approach to help them become a lot more motivated to get out that door.