In most households, the morning rush hour refers to more than just the traffic.
Getting up, organized, and out the door on time in the morning can be one of the biggest challenges of the day. Add in the responsibilities of also getting your child(ren) to school on time, and the challenge is doubled, at least!
If you’re a stay at home, or work at home mom, this definitely makes life a little easier in the morning. But it may not feel like it . . .
Between convincing your kids they should get up, making sure they have clean socks and something for breakfast, getting homework in backpacks, and lunches they’ll actually eat ready to go, mornings are rarely a relaxed and happy time.
It’s often a race out the door to catch the bus, pile in the car, or sprint to school before that final bell rings.
The chaos that comes with the typical morning routine means your child’s day starts off on the wrong foot. She sits down to her desk in need of a break just to catch her breath.
Of course, the teacher has other ideas. School never starts with recess. It’s time to dive right in and learn.
Many kids today are reporting feeling stressed and overwhelmed. This is sad and crazy and not what any of us want for our kids.
One of the best things you can do to help your child experience a fun and carefree childhood is make sure his day starts out right. How her day starts has a huge impact on how the whole day goes.
There’s enough going on in your child’s day without him also being tasked with turning a bad start into a good day.
There are three simple things you can do to help your child get off to a good start every morning.
Wake Him Up With a Smile
When you’re in a rush, or having your own morning challenges, it’s easy to bring them into your child’s bedroom in the morning.
But how he wakes up is important. The first touch of the day should be a good one.
Replace a gruff, “Hurry up and get ready or you’ll be late to school,” with something that makes him a little happier to be greeting this new day.
Take a breath before you go into his room and put a smile on your face. Wake him up with a gentle touch and a smile.
Never underestimate the power of a simple smile. It says so much, and it's contagious.
If your child wakes up to an alarm, find some music he really enjoys and set the alarm to that.
If he is waking up without your help, still make it a point to go in every morning and greet him with a smile and a few kind words.
In addition to helping your child, this can be a nice little reset point for you in the morning too.
Add a Small Token to Her Day
Add something personal to your child’s backpack or lunchbox that she is certain to see.
This can literally be anything that tells your child you’re thinking of her and trying to add something special to her day.
A simple note clipped to the front of her homework folder, a small piece of wrapped candy she can suck on tucked inside her pencil box.
Don’t overthink this and make it too hard. The content isn’t near as important as the message it will send, which is, “Mom loves me, is thinking about me, and wants my day to be good.”
Slipping a note or treat inside your child’s lunchbox is a common way to connect with your child while she’s away from you. This doesn’t have the same impact as making it part of her morning, but it may be just what she needs by the time lunch rolls around.
This doesn’t require that you come up with something creative every day. The note can be one sentence. It’s okay to have a few different “go to” sentences you rotate through.
Add a little variety so your child won’t know exactly what every day is going to bring, but anything quick and simple is better than nothing at all.
Have a Joint Morning Ritual
Take a minute and think about whether you are really connecting with your child in the morning?
Chances are you’re both so engaged in the morning routine that there’s little to zero personal connection.
Make it a point to always have a positive connection point at a specified time in the morning. It can be when he wakes up, as he eats breakfast, or on the ride to school. And it doesn’t have to last more than a couple of minutes.
You can each say one thing you’re grateful for today, share one thing that’s going to make this a great day for each of you, or get a big book of jokes and choose a joke of the day each morning.
Again, don’t overthink it. A simple, consistent, positive thing that you can do together is all you need here.
Never Underestimate Yourself
As you can probably tell from these three suggestions, getting your child’s day off to a bright start is not that complicated.
What it does require is for you to be conscious of what you do and say. Your child picks up on everything, as you’ve likely already figured out.
Don’t think small changes in your words, actions, and moods won’t make a difference, because they do make all the difference in the world.
Whatever you do in the morning, ask yourself, “Am I setting my child up for a happy, successful day?”
If the answer is no, change it or save it. Heavy or unpleasant topics can wait for another time.
We’re Here to Help Make Your Big Days Special
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With over 200 characters to choose from, and packages that include ballon artists and face painting, we have the right combination to make every party perfect. Our dedication to detail allows you to ease back and have fun with your child at her party, while we take care of the entertaining.
Get started planning your next party today at KidsPartyCharacters.com. And join us on Facebook for a peek at some of the magic we create. It just might be the kickstart you need to planning your next big event.
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