Manage Morning Madness

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

That's what one advertiser calls it anyway. While we can all relate to that sentiment in some ways, many of us dread the chaos that seems to creep back into our lives with the beginning of a new school year.

Start conquering the chaos by eliminating the stress and tension of a hectic morning routine. Here are some strategies to help you successfully manage your weekday morning madness:

Be Proactive, Not Reactive!

• Don’t allow turmoil to rule your home.

Starting your day on the wrong foot can have a lingering effect on the entire day. Regain control of your morning by recognizing the problems that have been disrupting your morning routine, and decide to solve them.

When you step up to regain control of your circumstances, you are also becoming a positive role model for change in your family’s life.

• Build your child’s problem solving skills.

Involving your child in the problem solving process boosts her self-esteem, and makes her feel like part of solution rather than part of the problem.

Turning a negative situation into a positive family activity will also cause your child to be more cooperative and enthusiastic when it’s time to put the solution into practice.

Tip: End the struggle over bathroom time for good. On a weekend morning, have your children time each other as they go through their usual bathroom routine. Compare all of the times and decide on a fair average time for daily bathroom use.

Your children can then create a daily bathroom schedule and post it proudly on the bathroom door. Keep a timer on the vanity, so they know when their time is up.

Keeping track of their time in the bathroom is also a simple way to help your child develop important time management skills.

• Don’t give up!

If your new routine is off to a rocky start, you may need to “tweak” it a little bit to make it easier to follow.

It takes time to develop new habits, so don’t be too hard on your child (or yourself) if it takes a few weeks to fall into a new routine.

Tip: Take your slow riser shopping for an alarm clock. Build the excitement for this new activity by allowing your child to choose a fun and interesting clock that appeals to him.

Place the clock in a location that will cause him to have to get out of bed to turn it off in the morning. Don’t forget to pile on the praise when he is successful!

Empower Your Child!

• Help your child learn to be independent.

Create a morning routine that allows your child to be self-reliant. Even primary-aged children can feel good about accomplishing tasks on their own.

Ask yourself whether you are still performing tasks for your child that they are able to do on their own.

• Set your child up for success.

Provide a kid-friendly environment that will enable your child to be self-sufficient.

An intermediate-aged child can get a bowl of cereal or toast a bagel, as long as everything she needs is in reach.

Tip: You don’t necessarily have to rearrange the cupboards in your kitchen. Perhaps a sturdy stepstool or simply placing bowls on the counter the night before will do the trick. Pouring milk from a heavy gallon into a smaller, lighter pitcher will decrease the chance of messy spills.

• Lay on the praise.

Be sure to praise your child (and yourself) lavishly when he has been successful in following any part of the morning routine.

Your positive enthusiasm and approval will encourage your child to continue practicing his responsibilities daily.

Tip: Set out clothes the night before. This is a good tip for the teen-age daughter who has to try on everything in her closet before finding the perfect outfit.

Young children can choose from one specific drawer that has been organized with several matching outfits…an effective way to deal with the strong-willed child who insists on wearing her favorite "sparkly" long-sleeved turtleneck with a pair of shorts and cowboy boots!

Stay Positive!

• It takes time to form new habits.

Be prepared that implementing a new routine will take diligence, time and patience. Just remember, the reward of restoring peace in your home by sticking to your new routine is well worth it!

You can be certain that the changes you make today will have a lasting effect on your entire family.

Tip: Give each child a basket or bin for school papers. As soon as they get home, have them place all school papers in their own basket.

Don’t wait ‘til morning! Take a few minutes that evening to review graded work, sign planners, fill out permission slips, etc.

• They're watching you...

As a parent, you set the tone in your home. If you are feeling frustrated and defeated, so will your children.

Set a positive example for your children by facing each challenge with a good attitude and determining to be successful no matter what.

Tip: Keep a large calendar in a central area (perhaps near the school bins?) to record important dates, such as field trips and awards ceremonies.

Use the calendar to record activities for the entire family, this will allow everyone in the family to coordinate their schedules and keep track of important upcoming events.

Be encouraged! Frustrated mom feeling guilty all the way to work for losing your patience after the fourth attempt to pry your son out of bed this morning...

Take heart! Harried dad trying to regain your composure after a morning of playing bathroom referee to three uncooperative adolescent girls...

...with a little planning and perseverance, you CAN regain control of your morning (and your sanity).

Best Wishes for a Very, Merry School Year!