MORNINGS AND THE SCHOOL YEAR  


The lazy days of summer are about to end.  After months of casual mornings, the rush of having students to school
each morning will soon be here.  If your children are young now is the perfect time to start establishing a routine for the
school year.  If they are older, it is time to talk about how much easier their days will go with a little advance planning and
preparation.

The transition from summer schedules to school year schedules may seem abrupt but if you start to plan and talk about
it now, you may find the school this school year going much smoother for you than in the past.  For many families the
difference between stressful, rushed mornings and smooth morning are just a little advance planning and preparation.  
Following are some tips for getting you mornings off to a better start:


                           Early to bed, early to rise.  Set a bed time and stick to it.
                           Take showers and baths at night.
                           Pack lunches and backpacks before bedtime.
                           Complete homework before bedtime.
                           Shut cell phones and computer off at bedtime.
                            Have a morning routine and stick to it.
                           Stay calm, and don’t yell.  It only escalates the stress.

The more planned and organized you have your morning routine the better the day will go.  Have the bathroom and
kitchen schedules organized.  Have a master calendar posted so that everyone has a place to see what is scheduled for
the day, week or month.  Being caught off guard with late school starts or early releases can make a normal day
chaotic.  The better you organize your day and plan for the days ahead, the less stress there will be for everyone,
young kids, and teenagers alike.

Finally, lay out consequences for issues in advance.  Let your children know what will happen in advance if they fail to
follow a routine.  If you want cell phones or computers off at a certain time and that does not happen, a logical
consequence is loss of that device for a designated, but reasonable period of time. Set consequences and stick to
them.  They may make your life difficult for the moment, but in the long run they will provide better long term results for
you and your family.



                                                                For further information:                         
                                                                                                                             
                                                                    Family Service, Inc.
                                                                        800-589-1974
                                                                          fsisd.org               
Mornings and the School Year (Aug)