Tips for Getting your Kids out of Bed in the Morning

Here are some tips for getting your kids out of bed in the morning.

All children function better with a routine and that includes a set bedtime. This is especially important when they start school. As children grow older it might be harder to get them to bed at a decent hour but teens do need their share of sleep because this is when their hormones are changing and they eat you out of house and home and they are extremely tired from their long day at school. Social media doesn’t help much either, because hours fly by and many teens end up going to bed after midnight. Parents usually struggle to get their kids up in the morning unless you have an early bird that gets enough sleep at night. Here are some tips for getting your kids out of bed in the morning.

Once school starts after summer is over, the days of relaxing are over. The busy schedule starts all over again and it’s time to prepare lunches, backpacks, clothes and be prepared for the same when they return home. The difference is this time it is paperwork and homework and extracurricular events they want to join. This change of pace is sometimes a huge shock wave to families. Parents are probably wondering how to get their kids back on schedule and out of the door on time for school.

Start Planning – The earlier the better

The important thing is to start planning and the earlier the better. This is a huge transition for kids and going back to a structured environment and daily routines is a process. Don’t wait until the last minute to shop for supplies or plan for your kids to go back to school. Start a few weeks in advance by preparing them with a different bedtime because parents that wait until the night before are just going to be frustrated and so are your children. This isn’t a healthy way to start school.

Teach your child why sleep is important

Talk to kids and tell them why sleep is important and also why eating healthy is important as well. Explain to them that you love them and worry that not enough sleep will cause them problems in school because they will be too tired to concentrate and you don’t want to set your children up for failure. Studies have also shown that sleep deprivation causes more anxiety and depression and also physical pain in kids that are between the ages of middle school and senior year. This is when grades start slipping and tests grades are low because of the student’s lack of attention in the classroom.

 

Teach your kid why they need an extra sleep

Kids aged 5 to 12 need a good 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night. After kids turn ten, they can function on a little less sleep but the problem is most kids in today’s world are not getting enough sleep. When your kids start complaining, tell them you love them and the reason they need this extra sleep and earlier bedtimes is so that they function better during school hours. Teens are going to think you just want to control them but explain to them this is not the case and sleep is very important.

Feed them dinner earlier

If you want your kids to be back on their schedules then parents have to change as well. Feed them dinner earlier and give them rules about television and computer time. Also, mention gaming in the mix so they don’t lose track of time. Most teens are responsible enough that they know what they have to do but there are always some that are not. Years ago kids had curfews for being in at a certain time, now parents are setting curfews on all devices so their kids can get enough sleep. If your kids start complaining, lay down the rules and tell them there will be consequences if you hear them sneaking around at night on their phones. Consistency is always the key to raising kids that will respect you and everything else in life.

Don’t overload your kids day

Don’t overload your kids day because they don’t have to be busy constantly. They need down time just like you do. You don’t have to keep up with the Joneses because your neighbor’s daughter is a superstar. Bedtime is a process so let your child wind down and enjoy some peace so they can fall asleep easier.

Getting back into the routine should start with earlier bedtimes before school starts and set alarm clocks for morning wake ups. Wake the kids up an hour earlier than usual and you can tickle your child’s head, talk softly to them or rub their hand and tell them it’s time for them to start waking up. If you have smaller kids, you can start putting them to bed a half hour earlier for a few days and wake them up a half hour earlier in the morning. Then keep pushing the time to where they wake up at their normal school time and go to bed on time for school.

When dinner is over, start telling your kids it’s time to take it easy and relax and start the process for bedtime after they have had time to unwind. Spend some quality time with your children before bedtime and make sure all electronics are turned off. Sunshine also helps kids wake up earlier as well. Keep their blinds slightly open and the light will start to wake them up earlier each day.

Bend their ear a bit with some special events

Last but not least, try to bend their ear a bit with some special events. You can use this to your advantage and tell your kids well since we are getting back on the right schedule, maybe we can take some time and reward you with new supplies and school clothes. All kids love to go shopping especially if it’s for themselves. You can also tell them if they stay on track you might spend more money this year and see how that works. Find out what your child likes the most and use that as bribery for early bedtimes before the shopping event. This usually works well.

If you have a stubborn child that refuses to cooperate and keeps playing his or her games, try using some psychology and telling them that you aren’t thrilled about getting up early either but we all have to do this. Explain to your child that you feel the video games are the reason they are so wound up at night and can’t sleep so it’s time to shut them off for a while. When they get back on track, give them back their games.

Make things easy on yourself and make sure your kids have all their papers signed at night, their clothes are ready ahead of time for in the morning, and the lunches and backpacks are ready to go. This way all you have to do is make sure they all eat, are dressed and ready and out of the door on time for their ride or the school bus.