For many students, it can be a challenge to get out of the door in the morning for school. Teenagers often have trouble getting out of bed early enough. Elementary students and middle schoolers are frequently rather disorganized in the mornings, causing them to not be ready in time for their school bus or to leave for their walk or ride to school.
It is up to parents to develop an organized plan of action for school mornings—and to make sure that their kids stick to it. It is ultimately the parents’ fault when students do not make it to school on time (well, at least for younger students; this topic could be debatable for teens). So, parents need to get organized.
First of all, do as much as possible the night before. Pack lunches and choose clothing for the next day. Parents should make sure to sign any necessary paperwork to return to school and students should make certain that all required materials are in their backpacks. This will end a lot of the morning rushing around that usually happens—no more hunting for that textbook in the morning, because it will already be in the backpack from the night before.
Secondly, it is important to decide upon a time to get up for school—and be firm about sticking to that time. No hitting the sleep button on the alarm clock. Get up and get going, then get up and get the kids going. Make it a household rule to make beds by a certain time—anyone whose bed isn’t made by that time has to do an extra chore after school, perhaps.
If parents implement both of these organizational strategies each morning their kids will be much more likely to be ready for school on time. It will no longer be a challenge to get out of the door early enough to avoid being tardy.