Stop the Stalling

How to Get Kids to Stop Wasting Time

We’ve all been there: Trying to get out the door in the morning while the kids are still in their pajamas, wolfing down the last bites of the cereal you first told them to eat 30 minutes ago. Or trying to rush everyone to bed, but one is still finishing homework, one refuses to pick up the toys and the other has been “brushing his teeth” for 20 minutes. It’s maddening and makes even the calmest and most collected parents resort to yelling and threatening, which rarely get results. So how can we stop the stalling? Here are a few tips from local moms that may work for you!

Help Them Help Themselves

First, lay out your expectations. Make a chart for older kids with their weekly chores or daily tasks, while younger kids may benefit from a poster with photos showing them what to do each morning. You can also help your kids accomplish tasks on time by separating them out into smaller steps like local mom Kris Pinkerton (who also sticks to a set routine every morning so her son knows what to expect). So, rather than telling them to “get ready for school,” break it down into steps. “First, make your bed, then put on your clothes. After that I will make you breakfast and then you can brush your teeth.” Little kids may not understand the concept of time very well, so using a timer helps them to understand that it is not an open ended request.

Make It a Game

"A spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down,” so instead of barking orders, make things into a game when you need something done fast. Kansas City mom Stacey Gromowsky motivates her young children to clean up by singing a special song with them at clean up time. With older kids, you may try starting a stop watch to keep track of how long it takes your child to clean her room and asking her if she can beat that time the next day. Or offer a prize if she can beat a set timer like an extra book at bedtime or a sticker on a rewards chart. If you’ve got competitive kids, pit them against each other and see who can get their chores done the fastest…winner gets to choose a game for the family to play before bed.

Let Them Suffer the Natural Consequences

If your child consistently will not complete tasks on time, warn them that they will be suffering the consequences if they can’t pick up the pace. If they don’t eat their breakfast on time, they can go without for a day (and usually one day is all it takes to cure them of their dragging feet). If they won’t get dressed, send them to school in their pajamas (it may be a good idea to send clothes with them in case the teacher doesn’t appreciate having a student in jammies). With older kids, if they don’t get their homework done, they have to take their incomplete homework and deal with the results. By not rescuing your children every time they fail to complete their tasks, you are teaching them that wasting time can have unpleasant consequences.

Sara Keenan lives in Brookside with her two kids who are masters at stalling before bedtime!