You all know what Morning Madness is. It’s that time in the morning when you’re trying to convince your kids that dressing up is a good thing, making lunches, and getting dressed when you haven’t had time to do laundry, all at the same time.
Most of the time, what to wear or what to eat, or when to get up, is not the main problem. Just as you yourself have the things you need to be efficient, so do your children. Some children need to know that they have options. Some children need a lot of time. Some children do better when they are running.
My daughter is a good example of that. I went through this period where she was getting everyone up early so we would have plenty of time to get ready. While this worked great for my son, my daughter would be completely disoriented for about 15 minutes before she had to leave and then she would dance and walk out the door. If she forced her out of her disorientation, she’d fix herself and then she’d fall asleep on the couch. Now, I get my son up first and give him time to wake up and get ready long before he has to leave. I leave my daughter with exactly as much time as she needs, about 20-25 minutes, and I let her hurry. It works for her. She still makes me a little anxious but… that’s something I have to deal with.
Clothing choice issues are often seen at a time when asserting independence is essential, usually at the start of school, ironically. When my children were little, we would choose socks, underwear, pants and blouses for a week. They each had one of those things hanging in the closet with little dividers and an outfit, not separate, would go on each one. Each day of the week they could choose the outfit they wanted, but they had to keep the first option they wore. Because it was something they had already chosen, they had already asserted their independence, and they were very happy about it.
The last thing I have to say is this: teach your kids to help themselves to breakfast from an early age. I never taught my kids that and now I have to deal with it! But live and learn, right?