Back into the routine...

Wow! It is January, we had so much fun over winter break, and our mornings have to get back in shape! If you are having a bummer of a time getting your little people out the door in the morning, here are a couple things that might help!

Visual Schedule
something like this can be a helpful tool to put your child in charge of the morning routine. It helps the child feel secure by knowing what they are doing, how they know they are done, and what comes next. This is also a great way to add a little literacy (beginning reading) into the routine. We use a visual schedule in my house for our morning routine that is interchangeable. My oldest daughter arranges the schedule how she wants and then follows it in the morning with her sister. It takes the "fight" out of the morning because I don't have to nag or argue or ask a million times to get shoes on or teeth brushed. Both of my girls know that as soon as the schedule is done whatever time is left before we need to leave gets to be spent reading books together, watching a favorite show, or even going to get a special treat in the morning (like a drink at a coffee house, a bagel, or even a donut!).

Asking Once
Children/People will require as many requests as you give them. Love and Logic says to ask one time and to give enough wait time for their brains to process the face to face kind request (up to a minute). If the request is not fulfilled, a consequence is issued (like time after school being spent practicing putting shoes on, needing help brushing teeth for a few days until trust is back that they can do it on their own, or even a payment for the time wasted while you had to wait for them to listen). Here is a good article about asking one time.

Jobs
Giving children jobs to do that they can enjoy finishing and feel good about themselves for accomplishing them (like feeding pets, making beds, emptying the dishwasher, putting out outgoing mail, etc) are so helpful for their development. If they have a job to do that cannot be started until they are ready for school, they may be more motivated to complete their routine tasks to get to their jobs. Here is some great information on chores/jobs for little people.

Get Your Teachers In On It
Come in and brag loudly about your child in front of them to their teachers! We love to hear how awesome these kids are and we will be on board to pour on the praise for how great they are doing. On the other side of the coin, if this is something that you are struggling with, please let us know (preferably when your child is not in ear shot). Jennae is a Love and Logic facilitator and is happy to help in any way she can. Your Harmony Teachers are all trained teachers and amazing resources for you to help you AND your children!