5 Ways to Help With Morning Routines

Since it is the middle of September the newness and excitement of going back to school have worn off and the problem areas in our schedules are starting to come to the surface.  One of these areas that causes a lot of problems once school get’s going is the morning routine.

It’s important to recognize that mornings can be hard for every family and often what you are trying to do is just decrease the difficulty of the morning.  Just make it easier because it will never be perfect.  Why are mornings so hard?

Mornings Are Hard!

There are a lot of reasons that mornings are hard. 

First of all school can be a very producing place.

So your child might experience anticipatory anxiety about the sensory and social experiences they are heading into.  They are moving from the safe predictable environment of home to an unpredictable and sometimes overwhelming environment at school. 

Transitions are really rough for neurodivergent kids.

Mornings are full of those transitions- asleep to awake, home to school, even smaller ones from pj’s to school clothes.  Another reason that mornings are hard is that there is a lot expected of them in a short period of time often before they have really had a chance to wake up. 

There are unpleasant sensory experiences.

For some kids there are also a lot of unpleasant sensory experiences as well.  Things like brushing your teeth or changing clothes can be very uncomfortable if you have sensory sensitivities.

Dealing with medications can be challenging.

If your child is on medication often the medication doesn’t kick in until after your child has to be up and ready so it makes things harder to accomplish and often mornings are rushed.

The rush to be on time!

The stress of having to get there on time also adds a whole new level to things that would be hard in the first place so here is some ways to help the morning go better.

5 Ways to Help Your Morning Routine go more smoothly with your child

1.      Have a predictable routine

When your child is going into an environment that might be really overwhelming it’s important to help them know what to expect before they leave.  Providing consistency and routine allows them to know what they can expect so that the morning is less emotionally taxing.

2.      If anxiety is high add in something that is relaxing 

If getting ready for school or school itself causes a lot of anxiety this is something to pay attention to and be aware of.  Help your child cope with their anxiety by providing  chances to engage in a relaxing activity before school.  The transition to school will be easier if your child has enough time to relax so that the morning isn’t as stressful for them.  This might require earlier rising but if it lowers the anxiety it is worth the extra time.

3.      Talk to your child about what might make them most successful

Often your child may have some insight into what will help them the most.  It can be hard at times to have an open mind about this when your child says it would be the most helpful for them to play a video game before school starts but this might be something that helps them to regulate themselves so that getting to school is easier than it would be otherwise.  Discussing this with them and what your limits might be can be really helpful here.

4.      Do what you can in the evening so you don’t have as much to do in the morning

I know as parents we are often exhausted by the end of the day but in order to take the pressure off the morning, it can be really helpful to do things the night before.  This can be making lunches, setting out clothes, or making sure backpacks are packed, anything that can help you both have less to do in the morning.  If you are feeling less rushed it takes some of the pressure off and everyone will feel better.

5.      Lower expectations and demands

Another thing that can be really helpful is to lower demands in the morning. So not only can it be helpful to do things the night before but also just not doing certain things in the morning might make a big difference. If certain foods are hard don’t serve these for breakfast before school starts. If your child is sensitive to the sound of electricity or bright lights try to keep this at a minimum before school. This might also include picking your battles around certain things. If showers are really hard it might be good to let this wait until after school. Or this might include letting your child wear sandals or shorts even though it isn’t the right weather.

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