School mornings are stressful at the best of times, and it can feel like you all spend the whole morning in a state of total panic. What doesn’t help is when your child is likely to forget important items and you only realize on the journey there. This common but frustrating situation can be avoided, and you can gently demonstrate to your kids tools and techniques to help them overcome this. Here are some simple ideas.
Write a Checklist
This may seem obvious, but is a habit that often gets neglected after a while. Write a simple and clear checklist with the essentials on. Depending on your child’s age, it’s a good idea to leave this in their room to promote their independence with it. Of course, you will probably want to double-check, but it’s good to gently highlight their responsibility in the situation.
Help Them Pack the Night Before
If possible, packing the night before can be a huge relief in the mornings. You will both likely be calmer and clearer-headed than in the mornings and it saves a great deal of time. Again, try to gently encourage your child to take the lead here so they begin to learn these kinds of skills for themself.