Many families look at the new school year as an opportunity to review, revise and reset their routines. If you are looking to develop more order and organization to your morning routine, now is a great time to consider building better habits. Consider these components as you create a new plan.
Clarity. In order to make a change, you need to first be very clear about what is happening now and what you hope to achieve. Are you reminding your kids over and over about brushing teeth and hoping to get through the morning routine without all the nagging? Do you find that you are feeling crunched for time, yelling at everyone to get out the door and leaving too late? Notice what causes the chaos and take time to identify what you and your family need. When my son Christian was in first grade, having to make repeated requests was the problem. We needed a plan to help him take responsibility for his morning routine without my nagging reminders.
Collaboration. Once you are clear about current problems and what you need, invite your child to create a new plan with you. Many parents mean well when they present their children with schedules or rules, yet kids do better with a plan that they have helped create. Share your observations about the current situation. Ask your child to brainstorm a list of the things that he or she needs to do each morning to be ready for school. Consider what needs to be done first and what needs to be done later. Then create a list of morning tasks, talk with your child about the time needed for each task and finalize the morning routine.
Consistency. Next, consider how to maintain your plan. For my first grader, we decided to create a simple picture chart with pennies as motivation. The chart listed the 10 tasks that needed to be completed each morning, beginning with “get dressed” and ending with “hug mommy”. (It helps to include some easy or fun tasks!) We put the same picture chart on the counter each morning, with a penny on each task. As Christian completed the tasks, he moved the pennies from the chart to a penny jar. This simple yet concrete reward helped reinforce the habit. The chart helped both of us be more consistent with the new routine. Although the feelings that come with responsibility and organization are enough of a reward for adults, children sometimes need an extrinsic reward before tasks become habits.
Christian and I developed a new morning routine that worked for us. The plan was easy to implement, a necessity as a working mother with young boys. We used the same chart every week, and even recycled the pennies after Christian turned his pennies in for dimes or quarters. Our picture chart took the place of my nagging reminders. Instead of asking him five times to brush his teeth, I simply said, “How are you doing on your chart?” He took responsibility to do the task and enjoyed moving his pennies from the chart to his jar. We developed a routine that worked, Christian became more independent, and we relished the order and calm of the new morning routine.
Clarity. In order to make a change, you need to first be very clear about what is happening now and what you hope to achieve. Are you reminding your kids over and over about brushing teeth and hoping to get through the morning routine without all the nagging? Do you find that you are feeling crunched for time, yelling at everyone to get out the door and leaving too late? Notice what causes the chaos and take time to identify what you and your family need. When my son Christian was in first grade, having to make repeated requests was the problem. We needed a plan to help him take responsibility for his morning routine without my nagging reminders.
Collaboration. Once you are clear about current problems and what you need, invite your child to create a new plan with you. Many parents mean well when they present their children with schedules or rules, yet kids do better with a plan that they have helped create. Share your observations about the current situation. Ask your child to brainstorm a list of the things that he or she needs to do each morning to be ready for school. Consider what needs to be done first and what needs to be done later. Then create a list of morning tasks, talk with your child about the time needed for each task and finalize the morning routine.
Consistency. Next, consider how to maintain your plan. For my first grader, we decided to create a simple picture chart with pennies as motivation. The chart listed the 10 tasks that needed to be completed each morning, beginning with “get dressed” and ending with “hug mommy”. (It helps to include some easy or fun tasks!) We put the same picture chart on the counter each morning, with a penny on each task. As Christian completed the tasks, he moved the pennies from the chart to a penny jar. This simple yet concrete reward helped reinforce the habit. The chart helped both of us be more consistent with the new routine. Although the feelings that come with responsibility and organization are enough of a reward for adults, children sometimes need an extrinsic reward before tasks become habits.
Christian and I developed a new morning routine that worked for us. The plan was easy to implement, a necessity as a working mother with young boys. We used the same chart every week, and even recycled the pennies after Christian turned his pennies in for dimes or quarters. Our picture chart took the place of my nagging reminders. Instead of asking him five times to brush his teeth, I simply said, “How are you doing on your chart?” He took responsibility to do the task and enjoyed moving his pennies from the chart to his jar. We developed a routine that worked, Christian became more independent, and we relished the order and calm of the new morning routine.