- Worst part of the day…
- Mornings are hell…it doesn’t matter how much preparation we may do the
night before! My son is up at the crack of the dawn…as soon as he opens
his eyes, he is wide awake, wired and overly silly/defiant. He wakes his little
brother up, turns on all the lights, searches the cupboards for sweets…it’s
bad vibes man!! - It’s a daily struggle that almost always turns into a yelling match…
- We do lots of preparation at night…to lower the stress levels in the
morning… - I have found that if I ‘pre wake’ my son by 15 minutes and then come
back…he does so much better! It gives him time to accept it’s time to get
up. - Having a routine helps…as it is familiar and predictable…
- I incentivize my kids that if they cooperate in the mornings, they will get a
little something (ice cream, lollipop, etc.) after they return from school. It
works… - Timers timers timers…they have been our saving grace.
- I also have a little checklist he has to check every morning so I don’t have to
tell him…. I still have to remind mine to check the list to see what’s left that
he’s supposed to do… - In my experience, giving more than one step/task at a time overwhelms my
son…I keep a list ready for my son when he gets up in the mornings…and he
starts ticking off each step as he completes it. We have been more efficient
at following one step at a time. - Some buffer time works as she works at her own pace…hurrying ruffles her
feathers… - I limit my son’s options by setting two or three choices of what he can eat,
drink, or get dressed in…and the limited options are also less overwhelming
for him. - I pay attention to his sensory and emotional stimulation…I wrap him in a
warm (keep in the dryer for a few minutes) and let him walk down in it… I
put something on TV that doesn’t really interest him, so I can pull him away
from it easily…I give him his breakfast. - I tell him that let’s go wake up his little brother (something that he loves),
but before that we must brush teeth and get ready…
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Monica (Managing Editor) is the quintessential researcher - she thrives on showcasing overlooked aspects that form the foundation blocks of people, places and issues. She is a social scientist by profession with masters in Economics and loves to travel.