Does Your Family Need Help To Avoid Back To School Morning Chaos?
Avoid back to school morning chaos by getting yourself and your family into a predictable and simple routine with these 10 tips.
Beverly’s Hot Tips For Building Resilience By Avoiding Back To School Morning Chaos
1. Post a calendar of all weekly or monthly events and activities. Be sure to discuss any implications that these plans may have with the whole family. Do not over-schedule your time.
2. Enlist everyone’s help in establishing a morning routine including what needs to be done, who can do it and who is responsible for it. Even small children can make sure that the dishes are removed from the table when they are done eating, or that the dog bowl is full, or that their teeth are brushed before they put on their shoes.
3. Rise early enough so there is enough time to complete all morning tasks. Allow time for the ‘sleepy heads’ to properly get into gear. There is no more stressful of a task then trying to rush someone who is not fully awake.
4. Build in a morning shower if you can, to energize the ‘slow pokes’.
5. Get everyone their own alarm clock or alarm app – no matter how young they are and set it religiously. It can help to deflect any annoyance that may be felt away from the parents to the inanimate alarm clock. Get lights put on a timer to automatically turn on before the alarm goes off to prepare the body for morning.
6. Go to bed early enough in order to get your 7 – 9 hours of sleep before you have to start your morning routine. Ensure that children are getting their 9 – 11 hours of sleep.
7. Prepare the night before by packing bags, loading the car, picking clothes, and setting the table. Listen to the weather report to ensure that you have the right clothes for the day so that time isn’t spent trying to find the rubber boats.
8. Know what each of you is going to have for breakfast before you go to bed that night. It is hard for some of us to make decisions in a timely fashion when we are still trying to open our eyes.
9. Have a set place for everything so that it is all easily and predictably found…Coats and hats within easy reach for younger children. Car keys in the same spot.
10. Keep a sense of humour. This is not the time to panic, get angry or impatient. It sets an awful flavour for the rest of the day. If things do go wrong – discuss them later that day when the chaos has subsided.
Leave On A Good Note
And finally, be sure to wish each other a great day and show your love for each other. These warm feelings will help to buffer each of you throughout your day and in the face of challenges along the way.
If you have some strategies to share – comment on this posting!
Additional Resources:
Stress Smart Families For A StressLess School Year
One Week To Go – StressLess School Year
From Kid to College Bound – Dealing With Post Secondary Stress
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