Sometimes getting children out of bed and ready for school in the morning can be a real hassle. When you have to fight with your child to get up then help him rush to get ready and make it to school on time, everyone's morning can start on a bad note. To get kids up and moving, parents have to establish firm guidelines and hold children accountable.
Step 1
Prepare the night before to eliminate some of the morning rush. Ask your child to set out her clothes and gather everything she needs to take to school the next day. Check to see if she has any forms for you to sign ahead of time. If she takes her lunch to school, ask her to help you put it together after dinner and place it in the refrigerator in a sack so it is ready to go in the morning.
Step 2
Make sure your child gets enough sleep on school nights. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children have the following sleep requirements: 3- to 5-year-olds need 11 to 13 hours, 5- to 12-year-olds need 9 to 11 hours and teens need at least 8.5 to 9.5 hours. If your child has trouble waking up in the morning, move his bedtime back so he gets enough sleep. Make sure he is doing calm, quiet activities leading up to bedtime and does not consume caffeine in the evenings.
Step 3
Set ground rules and let your child know you expect cooperation in the morning. Tell her she must be awake and out of bed by a certain time every morning. Let her know you will remind her to get up only a set amount of times, or she will face consequences. For younger children, you can set up a morning routine chart to remind her of everything she needs to do to get ready.
Step 4
Enforce consequences when your child does not get up and get ready by the time you set. Don't place all of the work of getting your child up and to school on time on yourself. When he realizes that you will rearrange your schedule to take him to school if he misses the bus, he may not be concerned about being late. Some parents tell older children that if they do not get ready on time they will have to miss school and suffer the consequences. If you are not comfortable allowing your child to miss school, punish him with additional chores or loss of privileges.
Step 5
Encourage your child to be involved in school activities. Knowing she has a fun activity, such as play practice or a club meeting, may motivate her to get up and get ready.
