We’ve all been there: Trying to get out the door in the morning while the kids are still in their pajamas. 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 can be maddening! We’ve put together a few tips to help get your kids to stop stalling and start moving!
Make It Fun
Cleaning up after a day of fun is one of the most common times my kids start stalling. We love playing “The Clean Up Song” on our Alexa. The girls start singing and cleaning, and the mess is cleaned up in no time. Now, when it’s time to clean up, my toddler says, “Alexa, play ‘The Clean Up Song.’”
If you have competitive kids, you also can pit them against each other to see who can finish assigned chores first. Offer a prize like choosing the game the family plays that night or extra screen time. For toddlers, you can ask how many toys they can pick up. If the first child picks up five toys, ask the other child if he can pick up six. You can all count aloud as they’re cleaning to help with their counting skills, too.
Cleaning the toy room is a daunting task in our home. To get the kids started, I like to set a timer and see how much they can accomplish in just 10 or 15 minutes. They love to race to beat the clock. This tactic also works to get me motivated to clean the house.
Break Up Each Activity
Telling a child to get ready for school can be hard for them to understand. They might think if they are dressed, they are ready to go. In reality, they still need to brush their hair, eat breakfast and brush their teeth. If you break the process into smaller tasks for them, they are more likely listen. Instead of saying, “Go get ready for bed,” you can say, “Go put on your pajamas, brush your teeth and grab your teddy bear.” Kids will have much clearer expectations of what you’re asking of them.
Give Them a To-Do List
It never fail. I ask my daughter if she’s ready for school and she says yes. Then it’s time to go to the bus stop and she hasn’t brushed her teeth yet! Making a chart with everything she needs to do to get ready each morning has made a big difference. Now she knows she can’t read a book or turn on the TV until her list is complete. It also helps because I can simply ask whether her list is complete instead of asking about each individual task.
Invest in Timers
We use timers as reminders often in our home. You can ask Alexa to set a reminder that says, “15 minutes until the bus comes,” “10 minutes until the bus comes,” and “time to go to the bus stop!” You can also set a timer for bedtime. It’s much harder to argue to stay up just a few more minutes when Alexa is the one telling you it’s time for bed.
Be Consistent
Consistency is key. Having a set routine for every morning is essential. When your kids wake up, it’s important they know exactly how their day is going to start and what they need to do. Having a standard bedtime routine is also essential to your children’s sleeping well. If there is going to be a change in the routine, we also make sure to communicate that with the kids the night before so they know what to expect when they wake up.
Give Them Extra Time
I have a 2-year-old who is just learning how to do things on her own, and she wants to do everything independently, especially getting dressed. The only issue is we are usually in a rush to get out the door, and I tend to lose my patience and do everything myself. I’ve noticed when we are in a rush our energy is chaotic, and that tends to result in meltdowns, which make us even more rushed. To combat this, I do my best to wake up a bit earlier so we have a more relaxed pace and there’s more time built in for her to do things on her own. If I let her choose her outfit and put on her shirt and pants by herself, she is able to gain some independence and is much more likely to cooperate the rest of the morning.
Reward Them
If your children are starting to show progress, give them a reward once in a while. My daughter used to stall like it was her job before bed. She would ask for another drink of water, a snack, another story and more snuggles. Now that she is getting older, we reward her for going to bed on time. Sometimes we tell her that if she can get to bed on time, we will let her stay up 15 minutes later to read a book. Or in the mornings if she gets ready for school and we have extra time, I reward her with a trip to Panera for her favorite breakfast treat before school.
Let Them Learn from the Consequences
If you’ve given your child all the tools for success and they are still stalling and not completing tasks, let them know you are going to let them suffer the consequences for their choices. If they didn’t finish their homework before bed, have them go to school without their homework and take a bad grade. If they didn’t eat their breakfast, let them go to school hungry that morning. By doing this, you are letting your child take accountability and learn from the consequences.
Regan Lyons is a girl mom and freelance writer. She lives with her husband, Cale, and daughters, Atley, 8, and Ensley, 2, in St. Joseph, Missouri.