Managing Morning Madness
Backpack? Check. Lunchbox? Check. Brushed teeth? Check. You breathe a sigh of relief, rushing your kids to the bus stop. You just barely make it before the bus leaves, and you look down.
Shoes. You forgot to check for shoes. Morning madness strikes again.
Sound familiar? Check.
As parents of complex kids, we have had many struggles getting our kids out the door. It's a universal challenge. And this week’s guest expert interview with Dr. Michele Novotni gives the scoop on some simple tricks to manage morning madness.
3 KEYS TO MORNING MANAGEMENT
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Problem Solve
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Want to Motivate Kids?
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Maybe your kids could pick out their clothes the night before, or not spend as much time picking out cereal for breakfast. There are any number of solutions to not being tardy, but you won’t know the perfect ones until you talk to your kids. Novotni says: “Problem solve with them, not at them.” Plus, they’ll be invested in getting to school sooner. They may actually even shave down the cereal-picking time.
Set Alarms
One thing you and your kids can do is time how long it takes them to shower, brush teeth, etc. Then, you can plan out how long they need to do all those things before heading to the bus. To help your kids stay on track, encourage them to set alarms for each step of the way. That way, you can minimize the drama of running out of time.
Leave a Time “CUSHION”
Novotni recommends leaving an extra 10 or 15 minutes for those days when you may forget something like shoes. The best way to allow for that extra time is to plan on getting to school early. Novotni explains: “’On time’ time is just a recipe for stress and disaster.”
Tune in to this interview full of strategies for more of Novotni’s tips on how to manage morning madness. Mornings CAN end in I love you when you focus on the relationship, and put solid systems in place.
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