Getting Your Preteen Ready for School on Time

It a common sight in most households to see the parent hurrying their children in the mornings. This is because they want their children to reach school on time. Here are some tips that might help in getting your child ready for school on time.

• Help him look forward to going to school. One way to do this is by discussing the day to day happenings at school.
• Decide which tasks you will do and which tasks belong to your child. This saves a lot of time when you are hurrying through your chores in the morning.
• Do not keep reminding your child if you find her running late. This denies her the opportunity to know what it means to be late for school.
• Set up a consistent routine or timetable with time limit for each activity that your child must accomplish before setting out for school. An example of this can be 5 minutes for brushing his teeth, 10 minutes for bath and so on. Establish this routine as early as you can.
• Decide the breakfast ahead of time in consultation with your child. This can avoid arguments on what they want versus what is served. Arguments can delay the child. Remember to keep the menu simple.
• If your child usually walks to school or his bus stop and you find him running late, do not offer to take him to school by your vehicle. He may fail to understand why it is important not to be late.
• Establish a good bedtime routine. If your child goes to bed early, he may not have problems getting up early the next day.
• Avoid getting angry at your child when you find him likely to be late for school. Instead show concern and tell him that you hope he will not have to face any punishment.
• If you find that you are running late when you get up at a particular time, consider getting up a bit earlier and wake your child up with a smile.
• Do not keep all tasks pending for the morning time. Encourage your child to pack his bag and keep his uniforms ready the previous day itself.
• Ensure that he completes his homework the previous day. Allowing him to do it the next day morning can take up a lot of time.
• Spend some time with your child before he leaves for school in the morning. This can be when he is having his breakfast.
• Eliminate sources of distraction such as reading a story book or watching television in the mornings.
• Smile and wish your child a cheerful "Bye" as he boards the school bus.