The Minnesota State Fair is in full swing, signaling that summer has come to an end and that the new academic year is just around the corner!
As we get back into a normal routine after summer late nights and travel, it’s important to set ourselves and our children up for success! How can we spend our mornings making brief but meaningful connections with loved ones instead of rushing everyone out the door?
Prepare the night before
Success begins with preparation, which begins the previous day.
Plan
- Have a plan for breakfast
- Pack lunches (for toddlers and preschoolers enrolled in our full day program, they can enjoy the benefits of a hot lunch included in our program!)
- Prep and label your infant’s bottles for child care; keep them in a resealable plastic bag in the fridge so you can “grab and go” in the morning.
- Setting out clothes (to avoid a morning power struggle, involve your child in choosing the outfit)
- Ensuring shoes and jackets are by the door
- Backpacks packed and ready
Rest Well
It’s important to have a consistent bedtime and bedtime routine to help your child’s body settle in to sleep and wake up well rested. Sleep experts recommend that most toddlers, preschoolers and lower elementary children have a bedtime between 7 and 8pm. If your child is transitioning out of an afternoon nap, you may need to consider a bedtime as early as between 6-7pm to ensure they get the sleep they need! The goal for total sleep (nighttime and nap combined) for a toddlers is 11-14 hours, and for a preschooler it’s 10-13 hours of sleep.
Bedtime routines vary but may include a bath and brushing teeth, one book being read aloud while snuggled up in bed, and a cuddle and a kiss goodnight. Not only do routines help ready your child for sleep, but they can provide positive connections with your child! If your child struggles with bedtime, they may be overstimulated or overtired, and you can try moving bedtime a little earlier for a week or two to see if it improves.
Screen-Free Evenings
The National Sleep Foundation recommends turning off screens at least one hour before bedtime to ensure your child’s sleep-wake cycles are not negatively affected. Make sure devices are not kept in the bedrooms at night.
However, it’s not just evening screen-time that needs to be considered. A number of studies done show that overall screen usage during the day negatively affects young children’s sleep. For example, one study showed that toddlers and preschoolers who had more screen time tended to get less sleep, take longer to fall asleep, and go to sleep later. Experts recommend limiting screen time use, saying to eliminate or minimize for children under 18 months, and setting limits for preschool-age children (for example, one hour a day). It’s also important to evaluate the content that is being shown, as action-packed screen time or violence also increase sleep problems.
Wake up before your child
We get it . . . sleep is precious in the early years, but getting up just a half hour before your children can go a long way towards supporting a positive morning outlook! When we take care of ourselves, we can better take care of our children. Make time in your morning routine to enjoy a quiet cup of coffee, do some stretches and practice gratitude or affirmations.
Wake up your child to a positive interaction
Instead of waking up your child and rushing them into their routines, wake them up a few minutes earlier to give yourself some time for some morning snuggles, a song, or some gentle wrestling – whatever way your child enjoys connecting with you! Some experts state that the first three minutes after a child wakes up are among the most important for the trajectory of their day!
Use a chart or visual checklist to support independent readiness
A visual checklist is helpful to assist children in getting through what is expected of them so that you don’t have to coach their every step: for example, a picture of a toothbrush (brush your teeth), toilet (use the restroom), hairbrush (brush your hair), clothing (get dressed), bed (make your bed), a bowl of cereal (eat breakfast), shoes (put your shoes on).
There are a few reasons why a visual checklist helps support a smooth start to the day.
- The chart becomes the “boss” which can discourage power struggles between parent and child
- The chart supports the child’s independence, which means parents can spend time focusing on what they need to do rather than guiding their child through what they need to do.
Use a timer to support struggle-free transitions
When you use an alarm or timer as an indicator of “go time” or “transition time”, it helps avoid a power struggle between parent and child by making the timer “the boss”! Let your child know that when the timer goes off, it’s time to get shoes on and get in the car and be consistent.
Avoid distractions
If you know that screen time or certain toys are difficult for your child to turn off or put away, then ensure they are out of sight and unavailable in the mornings.
Drink water and eat a good breakfast
We wake up in the morning dehydrated, which affects not only our energy levels but our mood. Even as adults we often cannot identify why we feel “off”, so we cannot expect a child to understand that they might feel better after drinking a glass of water. Ensure your child has a glass of water with their breakfast and model the importance of hydration. If your child sees you drinking water, they are more likely to follow your example.
It’s also important to give our children the right fuel after going without food for 10-13 hours. Eating a healthy breakfast (contains fiber, protein, low-fat dairy and carbohydrates, but is low in sugar) improves their attention span, concentration and memory. It also improves their mood as they will feel less tired, restless and irritable and avoids that mid-morning “energy drain”. (Source.) It also helps them be more active and creative, have better hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills!
Hard boiled eggs, low-sugar Greek yogurt, smoothies, whole-grain and low sugar cereals, waffles, pancakes, bread, frozen or fresh fruits, oatmeal, breakfast muffins, scrambled eggs, breakfast burritos or sandwiches, nut-butters, chia pudding, milk, cottage cheese, are foods to consider incorporating into your family’s breakfast routine.
