5 Tips for Getting Kids Up and Ready for School in the Morning

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When you really stop to think about it, kids have to be up and ready for school pretty early each day. So, it’s no wonder why sometimes, they can be a bit on the sluggish side. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t some things that you can do that will put a bit of “pep in their step”, though. That’s why we wanted to provide you with five tips on how you can get your kids up and on time to school every single morning.

Make sure they get (at least) eight hours each night. Oftentimes, it’s hard to get your children up the next day because they didn’t get enough sleep the night before. There are many studies to support the fact that children of elementary and even high school age need at least eight hours each night in order to be in tip-top condition the following day. That’s why it’s important to enforce some kind of nighttime routine that consists of them having a bath and getting to bed at a regularly scheduled time during the weekdays.

Have their clothes ready every evening. You know, a lot of time in the morning could be simply by making sure that your kids’ clothes are ready the night before. Check to see that their outfits for the next day are clean and pressed and if at all possible, that their backpacks have all of their homework and supplies packed inside before they retire for the evening.

Let the light shine in. One traditional way to awaken your children is to set an alarm. While we certain encourage you to do that, something that is also quite effective is opening up their blinds or curtains. Indeed, it can be a pretty difficult for them to stay asleep with the sun’s rays are beaming in their faces so help them out by opening their window treatments up each morning.

Fix a good breakfast. It’s hard for any child to stay in bed if they know that a tasty breakfast is awaiting them. Whether it’s pancakes and eggs, their favorite kind of cereal, some French toast and syrup, a fruit salad or some waffles and turkey bacon, try and do all that you can to provide your kids with a hearty breakfast. Not only will their taste buds enjoy it, but it will also provide them with the “brain food” that they need to feel energized and refreshed so that they can focus better on their classwork.

Make a competition out of it. Say that you are currently working on your executive MBA and your child is in the fifth grade. Something that you both have in common is that you have to get to class on time, right? Children love being in competition, so why not make getting ready for school a fun kind of game where the person who is up, dressed, finishes their breakfast and has their book bag in the car first wins? Wins what? Well, that can be totally up to you, but oftentimes, a child will be perfectly content with simply knowing that they were ready first; that makes getting ready for school each day a win/win for everyone.