These Tricks Will Make the Kids Move in the Morning.
As any veteran parent knows, going out the door (on time) in the morning actually starts the night before. Packing lunches, packing homework in backpacks, preparing shoes and waiting at the door are just some of the basic principles most parents have learned to save time and frustration in the morning.
But if you want to improve your game, we have a few other tricks you can try the night before and the next morning.
Set the breakfast table the night before.
Writer Lorraine Allen recommends pouring (and covering) the baby cereal, prepare the coffee maker, and fill the pitcher of water the night before.
For families with babies who often have their hands busy keeping hungry, wriggling offspring in addition to very limited time, simply setting up a highchair with a baby bowl, spoon, bib, sippy cup and jar of porridge can make a huge difference. … When I find the time to do this, I can feed my little one while enjoying my cup of coffee and my breakfast.
Create a Kid’s Lunch Station in your fridge
Cooking dinner the night before is good. Having kids make their own dinners the night before the big one.
Let the children pack their own food by setting up a place to prepare meals in your refrigerator. Just buy some plastic containers (I got these modular ones from Target) and stock them with takeout items like cheese, yogurt bags, or small bags of fruits and vegetables. Then place them on the refrigerator shelf for your kids to reach. You can create a similar setting in a low cabinet for non-chilled items like breads, butter bags, cups of applesauce, and muesli bars. It can be helpful for the little ones to number the bins and tell them to pack all six (or any other number) of items. Yes, you are still doing the initial work, but they get autonomy by making sure their meals are completed.
Create a soundtrack for your kids’ morning assignments
It sounds stressful, but the more I think about it, the more I wonder if this idea might work in my home. We love music and often use upbeat songs to put things in order quickly . Choosing the right tracks will be key here. You want them to be fun but not manic, fun but not distracting.
Dress your child for school after breakfast
My son is unique in that he likes to get dressed right after he wakes up. I know it sounds great, but from time to time it would be nice if the dude could just relax for a second in his pajamas. Plus, it saves you those unpleasant moments where spilled orange juice or syrup on your sleeve means a second change of clothes before your day begins:
One thing you can do to get everyone out the door faster is to ask your kids to get dressed after breakfast. You expect disaster (which is more the norm than the exception when dealing with tiny people who have not mastered fine motor skills). If you get jelly or syrup on your pajamas, you can throw them in the basket. It won’t ruin the process.
If all else fails, just walk away
I recently came across some advice from Katherine Reynolds Lewis, author of a new book for parents , Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Children Are Less Disciplined Than Ever – And What To Do About It . She says that if your young child resists the morning routine (or in some other way), go out the door. Don’t shout, don’t grumble, don’t threaten. Just walk out the door, stand outside and wait. Stand there for five or 10 minutes, or as long as it takes your child to start moving. And if they are older and you have lived up to your expectations, you can leave.
I did it myself one morning last week. It took my son four and a half hours to put on his shoes, and I decided I was tired of spending so many hours a day watching him put on his shoes. So, I opened the front door, turned the lock on the handle, and walked down the path to my car, shouting, “Close the door behind you when you’re done!” behind me.
He came out a moment later, and I felt pretty smug about the whole thing. (Until he realized that he had forgotten the book and I had to go back to open the door – but I still think we saved time and frustration in general.)