This hack will help you have happy kids in the morning, and start your days off on the right foot. Perfect for kids who have a hard time waking up from bed.
I used to agonize over school-days.
I dreaded bedtime (which took hours and a lot of patience) and then dreaded wake-ups the next morning. Parenting from the hours of 9am-7pm wasn’t so bad for me, but the whole nighttime/morning gig...that was for the birds.
My seven-year-old has a hard time waking up for school every single morning.
It’s gotten so much better, and here’s why. We rely on (and love) our five-minute morning wake up routine. In that 5 minutes, there’s one thing I love to do that always seems to set the tone for the day, and helps him wake in a good mood.
The Simple Hack to Happy Kids in the Morning
Focus on the positive.
Validate your child’s feelings about being tired (and maybe even not wanting to go to school). For example, “You’re having a hard time waking up.” or “I know it’s tough to get up for school”.
Hack alert: Then, talk about something good that will happen that day. If you can’t think of anything good that will happen that day to highlight, think about something good for the week. Chat about it, and be on your way to having happy kids in the morning.
I’m telling you this will change your morning. It makes for pleasant conversation, and will put your child in a good mood. One that will last for a few minutes as you chat about something to look forward to.
For example, I’ll say while we’re cuddling during our 5-minutes, “Hey – guess what? Did you know today is pizza day?!” or if I can’t think of anything particularly great to talk about I’ll say “Hey, this weekend you’ve got that birthday party coming up, it’s at a bowling alley!”.
This shifts your child’s attention away from having to wake up from a comfortable, warm bed to something fun or exciting to look forward to.
Think about your own habits when you wake up. Do you hit snooze on the alarm before going to work but can get up on the weekends with ease? Kids are no different. Sometimes it just takes a bit of extra cuddles and some happy chatting to start the day off on the right foot.
Remember to focus on the positive.
Every child is different, and while it may not work for your own kids, for us it works like a charm. Give it a try! I hope it does help you have happy kids in the morning as well!
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[…] Another little hack that I love to use in this 5 minutes is to talk about something to look forward to that day, read more about this hack that will make for happy kids in the morning. […]