by Wendy Morgan

Created on: August 31, 2009   Last Updated: September 01, 2009

Some people are morning people, some people aren't. Just because kids are shorter than adults doesn't mean that they don't face the same struggle when it comes to getting out of bed. However distasteful getting up early is to you, or your children, there are ways to make the process easier on everyone.

First, set clear expectations. Why get up early when you don't have to or don't know why you are getting and getting moving so early? Make sure everyone is aware of what time everyone needs to get up in order to make it to school, daycare, activities, or other fun, on time. To help determine what time everyone needs to get out of bed, it is essential to communicate what needs to be done in order to get out the door on time. Plan enough time for breakfast, getting dressed, tooth brushing, or whatever else you may need done to be prepared for the day.

Second, get to bed on time. Nothing makes it more difficult to get out of bed than being sleep-deprived. This is especially true for children. As adults, we know that we have to do what we have to do. Children, on the other hand, only know how very tired they are and that there is little or no way that they can function once getting out of bed. In order to make bedtime a little easier, set a routine. Bath time, bedtime stories, or even a little TV time, whatever helps everyone settle down for the evening, and then hitting the hay isn't such a struggle.

Third, determine consequences. There really is no time like the present to learn cause and effect. Causing everyone to be late because of refusing to get out of bed on time should have consequences just like other mistakes do. This isn't cause for grounding, but an extra load of dishes or some other chore is deterrent enough. A child will understand that Mom or Dad couldn't get all of their jobs done in the morning because they were trying to get everyone up and out the door. Any job that mom or dad couldn't do should translate into an easy additional job for whoever couldn't get up and going.

Finally, make sure there is a sleep-in day. It does feel good to sleep in. That doesn't mean it should be a daily occurrence. That one or two days during the week where there isn't a place to be first thing in the morning, would serve a useful purpose by being the family sleep-in day. Let the body catch up from the hectic schedule of the week and get a little extra rest. On those crazy weekdays, everyone will have at least one lazy morning to look forward to.

While getting up in the morning is not everyone's favorite thing to do, it doesn't have to be a painful experience. Follow these tips and everyone will be a little more willing to get up, get going and be on time.

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