Getting any child ready for school in the morning is a task in itself, you never know what mood your child will be in when they wake up and trying to hurry them along may just end up making things worse. However, trying to get more than one child ready for school at the same time can be an even more daunting task. There is always so much to do and almost never enough time, leaving you all drained out at the beginning of the day. Whether the children have the same shift time or have multiple shifts, the tasks still need to be done.
There is no fool proof method to handle this, some parents prefer the same shift timings for all their kids, while others find having different batch timings for their kids easier. Have a glance at some recommendations shared by our parents who have “been there, done that ”, in the end we’re sure you’ll find your own groove. Here are some easily identifiable dilemmas and how to handle them-
❖ Don’t have enough time in the mornings – There is always a lot that needs to be done before sending your little ones to school in the mornings. Try doing some of the work the previous night itself like keeping their clothes ready, packing their school bags and water bottles. The prep work for breakfast and the snack boxes can also be done the previous night too. You’ll be surprised by how much time you’ll save just doing these small tasks at night itself. You can also wake up 15 minutes earlier and get the snacks and breakfast made with full concentration before waking the kids up and having to worry about what they are up to.
❖ Children take a long time to wake up and get ready – This scenario is more common than you can imagine. Children usually make a fuss to wake up if they have not had enough sleep, do keep in mind that 1-2 yr. olds need around 11 to 14 hours sleep, 3 to 4 yr olds need 10 to 13 hours sleep and 6 to 12 yr. olds need 9 to 12 hours sleep including daytime naps. So if your child goes to sleep at 10pm every night they are bound to be fussy in the morning as they have not had their complete rest. Try putting your kids to bed early ensuring that you have a fixed bedtime routine and avoid the use of screens at least 2 hours before bedtime. If this proves difficult given the current schedule of your children then perhaps look into a school like EuroKids that offers different batch timings for kids, to ease your stress.
❖ Children refusing to eat breakfast – This could either be because they are still sleepy or are stressed about eating quickly to make it in time for the bus, to school or day care center. If eating breakfast in the mornings is difficult, maybe it would be a good idea to look into a different school batch timing for your kids. Skipping breakfast shouldn’t be an option, children need the energy from breakfast to keep them bright and alert to take on the activities of the day. You can give them a small but nutrient rich breakfast like a smoothie or milkshake with bananas and oats or any other fruit, a bowl of fruit, a sandwich, an egg, a paratha, even just a banana will keep them satiated for a few hours till their break. Give them something you know they like to eat but avoid foods with high sugar content.
❖ Children waking up too early – For most parents it is a blessing in disguise and also an indicator that your child is getting enough sleep. This could also prove to be a bit of an inconvenience if the children have a late morning shift at school and you need to get your work done as well. One way to handle this is to try enrolling your child into a school that has an earlier shift timing, preschools like Eurokids, are now offering multiple shifts for parents to choose from to suit their work schedules. Another way to handle this is to either manipulate your child’s schedule so that they sleep for longer hours in the morning or once they wake up let them get ready for school and then they can do any activity they like before its time to leave, or you can get some of tasks out of the way like freshening up in the morning and having their breakfast, they can then do their activities and finally get ready for school.
❖ Children throwing a tantrum before going to school – this could happen for many reasons- not getting enough sleep (we’ve spoken about that earlier), there is something more exciting happening at home- try to tone down the excitement to a minimum before the child goes to school and assure them that they can do the fun stiff when they return, check to see if the child is well, or talk to your child, maybe there is something happening in school that is troubling them. It could also be a cry of attention especially if there is a younger sibling in the house- Try to find some time during the day that’s just for you and them. Morning time when they wake up or during bedtime is the best time to cuddle and talk for a bit.
❖ Children can’t focus on getting ready for school – Young children have very short attention spans, the slightest thing distracts them from the task at hand. The easiest way to handle this is to break down the morning routine into smaller tasks that they can easily complete. You can make a chart or a list for them, make their morning chores like a game. Attach a Velcro strip to the list parallel to the various tasks and attach their photo on a piece of the counterpart of the Velcro. As the child finishes each task they move their picture to the next task on the list. This activity not only makes it fun for them but they can also track their progress and see how far they have come. The children can also play a race with each other to see who finishes their tasks first.
If multitasking really isn’t your cup of tea and the morning routine is causing your stress, it might be worth considering changing the school of either one or all your kids into a preschool like EuroKids that offers different batch timings for kids. This will definitely help
- By eliminating the unnecessary stress that the hectic morning schedule is causing you.
- It gives parents who work non-conventional hours with US/UK/Singapore based clients a chance to spend quality time with their children.
- You can choose different batch timings for your kids based on their daily schedules ensuring they get enough rest and sleep.
- Parents who have older or younger kids can choose a suitable preschool timing to ease out the “getting ready for school” stress hour.
If you identify with the scenario mentioned here then Click here to find a EuroKids center near you and talk to us, we’ll be happy to help admit your child into a batch of your choice.
