Steps
- Stricter bedtimes. Between extracurricular activities, television, the Internet, and cell phone chats, kids are up way later than they should be. Plan dinner earlier, record late night shows and put the kids to bed an hour or two earlier.
- Limit caffeine. intake With sodas, chocolate and coffee (yes, kids are drinking coffee), it's amazing how much caffeine youngsters take in during the day. Regulate their caffeine intake to help them fall off to dreamland earlier.
- Prepare the night before. Get your kids into a nighttime ritual so they'll have more morning snooze time. They should pack their backpacks, make their lunch and iron their clothes for the next day. Showering the night before also helps. That way, they can roll out of bed, into their ironed clothes and stroll out the door with their packed bags.
- Breakfast on-the-go (or at school). Send the kids off to school with portable breakfast -- a muffin, yogurt, fruit, or grilled cheese sandwich. They can eat on the way or when they get there. If school serves breakfast, that's another option.
- Bribes. Depending on the age range, this will vary. For younger kids, you can set a goal of being on time for two weeks straight. Attach a reward to the achievements. I don't suggest doing a daily achievement and reward, though. Long term ones work better to change habits. For older ones, threaten to leave them at home. Make them walk or ride the bus if they're late.
- Encouragement. If you have another child who isn't difficult to wake in the morning, let the other children see you praising that child.
- Punishments. The reality is, if you lose your job, the bills don't get paid. If kids miss too much school, they risk failing out. So, tardiness is a serious issue for some. That being said, the problem may come to the point of needing punishment. So, set a limit and make it clear ("If you're late two times in one month, you will be punished"). Punishment can be a dock of allowance, extra chores, grounding, or limits on recreational activities and phone time.
- Set his or her clock ahead. This doesn't instill any true values or discipline, but it does the trick for a few days until he or she figures it out. If you need your kid up at 6am, move the clock 30 minutes ahead. When he or she sees that it's 7:30, the feet might move faster than if it says 7am.
Tips
- This and more tips can be found at: http://www.getalifecampaign.com
Sources and Citations
- http://www.getalifecampaign.com - Original source of content. Shared with permission.
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