Does getting the kids ready to go out in the morning sound like a chore? Here are some little tricks

7.00 on any midweek day for a family with children: very often the sound of the alarm clock coincides with… the beginning of chaos!

Who doesn’t want to get up, who gets up but starts playing and has no intention of washing, getting ready and dressed, who goes back to the sofa in the living room, starting to repeat the mantra “I don’t want to go to kindergarten”.

A mother’s morning, especially when that mother knows that she has no alternatives because she has to show up for work on time, can be really complicated : making herself presentable amidst the various complaints, juggling between breakfast, clothes, various objects to collect for the house , it can be really stressful and it’s easy, very easy in the pressure of having to rush out, getting impatient or feeling overwhelmed with anxiety.

Perhaps the first knot to untie is that which concerns our expectations : it is not particularly realistic to expect a small child to run out of bed at the sound of the alarm clock, or to be reactive and sensitive to arguments such as ” Hurry up, it’s already 8! “.

Not only does he not perceive the urgency, but the days of the week, the passing of time, or that mom and dad can’t be late for work are explanations that will probably have little “grasp”.

Given the fact that when it comes to children, unfortunately no one has a ready-to-use recipe, it is also true that perhaps a few small tricks are enough to make this delicate phase of the day a little less stressful.

Are we sure our children are getting enough sleep?

How many times have we slept little and badly and woke up without energy in the morning with very little desire to get ready and dedicate ourselves to our activities?

The quality of sleep and the number of hours it is known, has a significant impact on the life of each person, especially for the little ones.

Regular sleep allows neurons to maintain their correct functionality and plasticity and to store the information received during the day. Furthermore, the right rest prepares the mind in a positive way for the day, it certainly makes us feel more optimistic, charged and full of desire to do.

In a nutshell, getting enough sleep represents a fundamental need for health , for adequate school performance, to have the right energy to face sports activities and in general has a significant impact on mood.

An important English study    cross-referenced school results with the quality and quantity of daily rest on a sample of 11,000 British children aged between 3 and 7, highlighting how this is an absolutely determining factor for the child’s optimal cognitive development : is related to better reading skills, spatial and math skills and better performance in general: the difference between children who rest and those who rest less is tangible.

In children with irregular sleep, alterations of natural biological rhythms are recorded as well as impairment of brain development with a negative impact on the ability to acquire and retain information.

Neither too early nor too late: set your alarm clock at the right time

Wake-up time is a variable that should not be underestimated in any way : if we want to have time to drink a coffee and make ourselves presentable with due tranquillity, we must necessarily give up half an hour of sleep to start the morning without unnecessary frenzy.

It may seem like a sacrifice, but over time we will realize that a few minutes of calm are priceless. Ten minutes less sleep changes little, ten minutes more to prepare instead can make a difference.

Once our preparation is completed or almost complete, it will be easier to devote ourselves to the children by starting the daily “work of persuasion” to prepare.

Even the children’s alarm clock must not be left to chance: waking them up too early, as well as making them lose sleep which could instead be precious, robs the parent of precious minutes to be used for organizing the outing.

Leave nothing to chance: watchword, organization

Often in the evening when the children go to sleep you just want to enjoy a little well-deserved relaxation… absolutely right, however before dedicating yourself to rest it would be better to start planning everything for the following morning.

It may seem excessive, but few things are as stressful as trying to find clothes, backpacks and miscellaneous items around the house when time is running out and confusion increases.

Preparing everything in time, first of all the clothes (your own and those of the children), arranging the backpack, and gathering all those objects that we know will be useful the next day is a good way to have everything under control and better manage any mishaps.

Children listen to us… Let’s always remember that!

Perhaps some of you are wondering what this has to do with the organization of the mornings… it has more to do with it than we can imagine!
How many times do we send children to kindergarten with an ill-concealed sense of guilt or do we use it as a “bogeyman” when they don’t listen to us or don’t follow the house rules?

In this regard, the pediatrician Bernardi reminds us in “The New Child “:

“ Don’t send your child to kindergarten as if you were sending him to forced labour: some parents announce the start of school with threatening, even vindictive phrases: Now you’ll see how they’ll keep you straight, the revelry is over, finally you’ll have to obey, and how! . Let me tell you, these are unfortunate phrases. These phrases are often at the root of a child’s stubborn refusal to go to school. School is not and should not be a prison: it is a place where you go to have fun, not to suffer, where you go to be free, not prisoners.
A reward if anything, certainly not a punishment .

Our attitude, our predisposition, our personal way of proposing this experience is fundamental for our children and certainly has a significant influence on their attitude.

If we tell them about kindergarten or school as an opportunity, as a possibility and a discovery, it is certainly more probable that they are willing to face it with a smile .

You know that we are always curious to know your experiences: what are your tricks to go out (possibly on time) in the morning? Tell them in the comments!.