5 Steps to a Positive Morning Routine for Kids
Do you ever feel as if you completed an immense task just getting everyone up, dressed, fed, and delivered in the morning? Just to repeat the same routine backwards when you end your work day?
We know that young children thrive with both routines and relationships. “Beginning (and ending) the day with a positive routine instills confidence that enables them to take risks and develop their potential with a greater focus.” As you begin to plan for your return to a typical school and work routine, the following ideas may help both you and your child reestablish a successful morning exit AND a successful evening return home!
1. Reconnect: set a simple, peaceful wake-up routine to practice bonding after a long night's sleep (snuggle, hold hands, pray, reaffirm your love).
2. Organize: have your young child’s things visible and ready to go; you can even have a laminated morning checklist they can have fun helping with.
3. Set Positive Intentions: practice saying affirmations out loud like “Jesus Loves ME!”, “I am going to have a great day,” “I love going to preschool,” and “I get to be with friends!” Research shows the more we say positive intentions out loud, the more likely they will happen because we have a tendency to listen to and believe our inner dialogue.
4. Set the Stage: engage your child's five senses to create a positive association with morning routines. Play music or sing songs, take time to smell your toast or cereal (or mom or dad’s coffee), spy new things on your ride to school (snow blowers, construction equipment, people who are helping others–garbage collectors, policemen, road workers, farmers, etc.).
5. Practice and Rehearse: as you practice new routines, pause and notice your child’s efforts and of course... celebrate their development! When children hear specifically about what they have done right and receive praise for it, they are much more likely to repeat the skill. After much practice and praise, it then becomes a habit and naturally occurs.
At the end of the day, when you pick up your child(ren), you can utilize these same five steps to help your return home and nightly routine be as joyful and positive as possible.
Mrs. Brenda Bernard
Early Childhood Director & Elementary Principal, SFLS
Source:
Adapted from Alexandra Big Life Journal
About Sioux Falls Lutheran School
At Sioux Falls Lutheran School, our mission is to develop capable, Christian servant-leaders in a complex world who are World Ready and Faith Secure. We are passionate about giving our students the tools they need to be successful academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. We strive to accomplish this goal by maintaining high academic standards, employing excellent teachers, and upholding a Christian worldview drawn from Scripture. Ultimately, we are committed to partnering with parents and the church to raise lifelong learners who use their gifts and the fruits of the Spirit, in faith, to touch a troubled world with God’s grace.