The morning scenario in every next house is moreover the same – shrill of the alarm clock, followed by troubled noises, the banging of doors and screams of the mother. Why? Why can’t our mornings be better than this lifelong torture?!
Well, they can be! Here’s how…
Instead of following the ancestral method given above let’s try a new regime altogether. First of all, stop waking them up. You are working harder to wake up your children than they are! If you are nudging them, pulling them or dragging them out of bed, you are encouraging them to think that they don’t really have to get up until mommy threatens to throw a chilled bucket of water over them. The good old method of ‘waking up to switch off the alarm’ holds no importance to them therefore.
To get their act straight, you need to discuss this matter with them, handing down the responsibility for getting up. You may say, “We are having a hard time waking up every morning. You shall be given one wakeup call and post that it is your responsibility to get out of bed. I shall not be responsible if you are late and will not drop you to school. You alone will have to face the consequences of your lateness, be it finding an alternative way of getting to school and/or apologising to your teachers for arriving late.” Depending on the child’s age you may modify the consequences.
It may take a few days for this idea to work but once it does, they will change their behaviour not only towards this issue but will start taking you more seriously. The only important thing you need to realise is that until and unless you stop taking responsibility of getting your children out of bed, they will make you do it.
You may incorporate an earlier bedtime by telling them they aren’t getting enough sleep leading to horrible mornings. Make their bedtime an hour earlier and tell them it shall be reversed if they wake up on time five days in a row and if they do, stick by your word.
You and your children may come up with many effective ideas to help them get out of bed. For instance, keeping the alarm clock far away will force them out of bed to switch it off. To avoid them fretting in the morning, you may ask them to keep their clothes ready to wear the night before. Same with their schoolbags too. Remember, if you do it all for them, they have no reason to do it themselves!
Follow this and you shall quit your banging sessions and screaming matches. There won’t be a need to drop your child to school nor shall you be late to work. Your blood pressure will start feeling normal as your mornings start getting better and brighter!
Happy Mornings to you!
Image courtesy – https://sites.psu.edu
- Sheetal Bidaye
- October 21, 2016
- 0 Comment
