may vary some from family to family (like switching 3 and 4), but
it’s basically the same job.
Believe it or not, these stressful morning situations can often be
shaped up rather quickly using some of the Start behavior principles
we just outlined. Remember, on school day mornings, counting will
not be your primary tactic. And the No Talking and No Emotion Rules
still apply—even if you haven’t had your first cup of coffee.
Before you design your morning routine, a few pieces of advice
may help. First, do as much preparation as you can the night before
(packing book bags, selecting clothes, planning breakfast). Second,
try to get up fifteen minutes before the kids. (Older children may give
you more snooze time.) And third, keep breakfast simple, quick, and
healthy.
Getting Up and Out for the Little Kids
Small children in the two-to-five-year-old range are going to need a
lot of help and supervision in the morning. These children are not
capable of sustaining a positive activity for more than a few minutes,
and most of them will not even think of what needs to be done to get
out of the house. You’re going to have to help two- and three-year-
olds get dressed and wash up. Try to do things in the same order every
day. You’ll also be responsible for remembering anything the
children have to take with them. And while you’re doing all this,
you’ll want to praise whatever positive efforts they make.
Four- and five-year-olds will often respond to the use of very
primitive, basic charts. The chart may have only two or three items on
it. These charts can be combined with kitchen timers to produce an
effective motivational system. A chart for a preschooler might look
something like this:
MON TUES WED THURS FRI