Kids are morning birds! No matter when they go to bed they rise with the sun and hopefully as chipper as a bird too. When I worked in sleep clinic I always would be concerned if someone told me they had to wake their child up every day. Of course, it would be one thing if you have to bed out the door at 6 am for an early daycare drop off or bus pickup, but in general, if your child is on a routine then so is their body clock.
If you do need to wake your kiddo up, start by looking backward. Are they waking up multiple times a night? Are they going to bed too late for their age? Is there something health-related disrupting their sleep? If so try to make some changes (we can always help you sort these things out) or talk to their primary care provider about these concerns.
Now back to that morning bird! It’s always amazing to me that without structure to the morning we can be up at 6 am, but still rushed to get out the door at 8:30! Enter routines! Kids thrive on routine, research even shows that routines promote children’s language acquisition, academic skills, social skills, and emotional bonds with their parents.
In addition to starting the night before preparing clothes and laying out the book bag, you want to plan ahead and have as little decision making in the morning as possible. Especially after a long break or the weekend, it’s good to talk about how the morning will go. I recommend using a sticker or reward chart as a visual. You should also check out Sproutable, which is a Seattle based business offering parenting education and support, for some awesome videos on how to help with transitions as you go from one step to the next. We use sand timers to give a visual to how much longer we can play before going to get dressed and then again before we have to head out the door (it’s been a lifesaver I tell ya!).
No matter what needs to happen in the wee hours of the morning with a good night’s sleep and a little planning you’ll be out the door on time (ish). And since it feels like a lifetime between 6-8 am, treat yourself to a drive-thru coffee mama, you deserve it!
