Another crazy morning trying to get my guys out of the house for school. Is it too early for a cocktail? There are days when getting them out of the house is so painful. The whining and complaining puts me over the edge. My morning mantra is “Hurry up guys, you’ll be late!”. Every day it’s the same routine, the same expectations. Why is it so difficult? I mean, honestly, I get sick of repeating myself; don’t the kids get tired of listening to me say the same things over and over? Or do they just block me out and then loose their focus and slip into tardiness, which is what causes me to scream out the mantra?
Time management is an important life lesson. I’ve tried to explain to them the importance of being on time. At school, it’s disruptive to the rest of your class when someone walks in late. You could also miss important announcements. When you show up late, it tells the people that are waiting for you that their time is less important than yours. This life lesson is hard for children to grasp. It’s hard for a lot of adults to grasp!
I’ve also tried the opposite approach – I’ve sent them to school half dressed, or without breakfast, to help them learn the importance of time management. This did not work on my boys, they didn’t seem to care. Maybe it would work better for girls?
I’ve tried to explain that eating breakfast is important because it gives you energy until lunch. But they live in the moment and if they aren’t hungry, they aren’t hungry. I’ve tried to explain to them that you need to brush your teeth so you don’t have bad breath. I hope they get this one before their first kiss : ) I thought if I explained the reasons behind their actions, then they would understand and remember. Maybe I’m over explaining, maybe they just need clear and defined rules and expectations.
So, I try to be organized about our morning routine so as to reduce the amount of unnecessary stress placed on us in the morning. I admit that morning is a little more challenging for me. I like to sleep (though it’s been several years since I’ve had a truly satisfying night of uninterrupted sleep) so it’s hard for me to get going. Enter: coffee. Thank God for my morning cup of joe.
I set up a chart for the boys with all their morning responsibilities and preparations needed for an easier morning. It lasted for a week or two. A few things have been successful though in making it easier for us. What I have found is that the success of the morning depends on how organized you were the day before.
Here’s our routine:
• As soon as the boys get off the bus, they put their coats and bags in their cubbies. We had these amazing cubbies made for a space that was pretty much useless.
• They bring me their folders and lunch bags so I can clean them out and see what they’ve done.
• They have a drink and snack.
• Change clothes if they want and tell me about their day. We discuss our plans for the rest of the day and decide what we want to do.
• Then we do our homework. This is a routine for my older son – but a bit like herding cats for the 5 year-old.
• Then – put our folders in our school bag, along with anything else that needs to go back to school and voila! We are free to have fun
. • I try to make lunches and pack snacks before bed, but usually I do that simultaneously with making breakfast while they are getting dressed and brushing teeth. It would be easier if I did it the night before.
As far as whether or not this is boy-specific, I will say that I think boys do get distracted easier than girls. Let’s face it, they’re active little human beings! I know my guys start out focused and getting dressed – then they catch a glimpse of a book or a toy between their room and the bathroom. Before you know it, time has passed. When they’re running late and I go upstairs to check, 9 out of 10 times, they are sitting on the floor in their underwear reading a book.
Bottom line: we need to be especially organized and prepared if we want to remain sane.
By Renee Martinez, Founder of Raising Boys World
