Parents !

Stolly · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:38

I've got school age kids...two of them....

I get them out of bed at 7 and have to literally whip them like dogs (not literally)to get them out of the door at 8:40.

Am i alone in finding this a pretty bloody stressful start to the day. We are always on time. but its at a high cost in stress levels all around. Having the kids upset before they've even got to school just doesn't sit well with me there has to be a better way....it can take 20 mins to brush hair...10 mins to put on a pair of bloody socks...

What do other people do ? TV on or off ? Breakfast in the living room or around the table ? Any strategies to positively incentivise the process rather than turning in a nagging machine....

Jono · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:41

10 minutes for socks? Really?
Can you not put the socks on for them, since they seem so incapable of doing it in the 5 seconds it should take?

Captain Fizz · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:45

-Sit them down and say there's a new regime
-3 strikes, on 3rd strike, glass of water to the face in bed

Job done.

Tosno · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:46

10 mins to brush hair and 5 mins to put socks on, you got an extra 15 mins. You're welcome.

Whitewater · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:46

Get them up at 06:30. You're welcome

Wizzfizz · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:46

Have them put their socks on before they go to bed

drs101 · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:46

punish them into submission

RDM · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:47

How old are they? What late policy does the school have? Our daughter is 9 and is wholly responsible for getting herself ready. She knows the time she needs to be ready for and that it is up to her to be ready on time. If your kids are older and the school has a late sanction, give them the responsibility and they can deal with the consequences!

cheesyboy · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:48

Are you opethdisciple's Dad?

Tell him to stop staying up 'til 3am on that bloody computer. He'll find getting up much easier.

Stolly · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:48

Jono said:
10 minutes for socks? Really?
Can you not put the socks on for them, since they seem so incapable of doing it in the 5 seconds it should take?

Well, thats the tricky part...They are old enough to want to get dressed independently and you have to let them do that because the other extreme is being a parent / servant to two spoilt princesses who expect to be waited on hand and foot. We are just in a middle phase where it takes bloody ages due to a 7 year olds attention span being not so good. With two you can be off helping one find something and come back to find the other spaced out with one sock on.

We agreed this morning to have a period of no TV to stop the distraction.

Tosno · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:50

Stolly said:
servant to two spoilt princesses who expect to be waited on hand and foot.

It's your own doing if your daughters are princesses.

Stolly · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:52

RDM said:
How old are they? What late policy does the school have? Our daughter is 9 and is wholly responsible for getting herself ready. She knows the time she needs to be ready for and that it is up to her to be ready on time. If your kids are older and the school has a late sanction, give them the responsibility and they can deal with the consequences!

One of them is 9...and she would probably be OK with this...the younger one probably isn't there yet. The problem is i'd have to stay in the house with the 9 year old knowing she's got ready on time waiting for the younger one and its not then fair on the 9 year old. Neither of them are old enough to make their own way to school its a touch too far.

You have an interesting approach though...is she ever late ? Do you stand there knowing she's going to be late and let her get on with it ?

Stolly · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:53

Tosno said:
It's your own doing if your daughters are princesses.

Are you sure you understood what i wrote.

peterwalkley · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:54

My girls (10 and 5) are generally pretty good. Up at 7:10, out the door 8:30. School days we do this:

- TV (and all other distractions like tablets) are banned.
- Get them to bed at a sensible time the night before. Hint: If they are tired in the morning, bed-time needs to be earlier.
- Breakfast is in the kitchen - and dressed for school, not in PJ's.

Non-school days. Ensure all the above rules are broken - it seems to balance out.

EDIT: The TV is your problem. It stays OFF - and that means for the adults as well.

Tosno · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:56

Stolly said:
Are you sure you understood what i wrote.

My mistake

Stolly · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:57

peterwalkley said:
My girls (10 and 5) are generally pretty good. Up at 7:10, out the door 8:30. School days we do this:

- TV (and all other distractions like tablets) are banned.
- Get them to bed at a sensible time the night before. Hint: If they are tired in the morning, bed-time needs to be earlier.
- Breakfast is in the kitchen - and dressed for school, not in PJ's.

Non-school days. Ensure all the above rules are broken - it seems to balance out.

EDIT: The TV is your problem. It stays OFF - and that means for the adults as well.

Yeah...TV off...i think this is the right thing to be doing...thanks.

Bed times are already 7pm for the younger one (just turned 8) and 8 for the 9 and a half year old...they don't seem to be too tired...

Cosimo · 22 Jun 2015 at 16:58

Whitewater said:
Get them up at 06:30. You're welcome

Wash in cold water: 06:40
Dressed: 06:45
Sitting at breakfast table: 06:50
Breakfast 07:00
Wash up 07:20
Ready for school 07:30

See how they like that for a month. No need to say thanks

George Hincapie · 22 Jun 2015 at 17:00

Stolly said:
I've got school age kids...two of them....

I get them out of bed at 7 and have to literally whip them like dogs (not literally)to get them out of the door at 8:40.

Am i alone in finding this a pretty bloody stressful start to the day. We are always on time. but its at a high cost in stress levels all around. Having the kids upset before they've even got to school just doesn't sit well with me there has to be a better way....it can take 20 mins to brush hair...10 mins to put on a pair of bloody socks...

What do other people do ? TV on or off ? Breakfast in the living room or around the table ? Any strategies to positively incentivise the process rather than turning in a nagging machine....

What time do they go to bed? They sound tired.

Ours are up around 0600 and raring to go

*Edit* Just read bed times above. Strange. They should be getting enough sleep.

OracIe · 22 Jun 2015 at 17:00

If I was ever a sod to get up, my parents would storm upstairs with a cold, wet flannel and rub it in my face until I physically got out of bed!

snowdog · 22 Jun 2015 at 17:01

An hour and a half seems a like a very long morning routine, I usually get up 5-15 minutes before having to get out.

Get up/wake up > ~5 mins.
Get dressed > 1 min ( clothes prepared day before)
Brush teeth/do hair/deo/Paco Rabanne > 3 min.
Then it's running to car in a rush

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Shower before going to bed, prepare food (sarny's) the day before ( or buy at petrol station).

When I was a teenager my school was 5 mins cycling away, and then I started at 8.30, it meant getting up 8:10 or 8:05 usually. I was never to late ( Was afraid to be so, as 3x to late and it's come an hour earlier at my school).

In primary school the only reason I got up earlier ( say 7.30 instead of 8.05) was to watch Pokemon on tv, by secondary school I preferred my sleep.

I remember with my student exchange program when I was at a UK family when I was 16, I was wondering why we were being woken up more than an hour before it was time to get out, my first thought was the parents of that student were mentally impaired or something. They actually complained about it to my teacher ''he refused to get out of bed'', well of course I refuse to get out of bed when it's unnecessary & early.

Morning people :mad:

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As for the kids, perhaps they're taking so long because they have the time ? Reduce the amount of time they get maybe they'll learn to hurry.

ps. I am not a parent, I was a very stubborn teenager and kid though, and still am a very stubborn young adult now

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