Surviving the Back to School Morning Routine

Back to school means back to school mornings – ugh!  If you’re like most parents, the  mere thought of getting everyone ready for the day makes you want to pull the covers back over your head and throw the alarm clock out the window.  Luckily, there is hope.  Keep reading for some tips that you can use to avoid the chaos, disorganization, and those morning meltdowns for you and your child.

1.  Establish a morning wake time and an evening bed time 
Keep it the same each morning and night, even on weekends with some room for flexibility. Begin to get your child into that groove one week before the beginning of the school year by setting bed-time 15 minutes earlier each night (until you hit your target bed time) and wake your child up 15 minutes earlier each morning.  This way, your child’s body will start to become tired each night at around the same time.

2.  Establish a before bed routine
You can create a list or a visual list (with words, if you like) with the sequence of things your child needs to get done before going to bed (e.g., put back pack by front door, put shoes by back pack, etc).  You and your child can go through the sequence together, to begin, until your child is able to commit it to memory.

3.  Do as much as you can the night before
That is, avoid the morning time rush by completing many of those ‘tasks’ the night before. For example, take a shower, make lunch, and select clothes to wear for the next day, including socks, hair ties, jewelry, and other accessories at night instead of in the morning. It is also helpful to set the table with the morning breakfast bowls and silverware!

4.  Everything in its Place and a Place for Everything

Parents and children alike should have a place to put backpacks, works bags, car keys, lunch boxes, etc. This will help everyone to avoid the “I can’t find my XXX” blues in the morning when time is limited.

5.  The AM routine
For some children, having to hear mom or dad say, “brush your teeth” can trigger a meltdown or argument. Help create a personal sense of responsibility for your child that will actually boost his/her self-esteem.  Instead of reminding, create a written list or a visual schedule of the morning routine. That way, you can say, “What’s next on your list?” instead of “Did you put on your socks yet?”

Mom and Dad, wake up 15-25 minutes before the kids and get a head start on your morning preparation. Then, there isn’t the stress and rush to get yourself and your children out the door.

Sometimes parents need a “personal touch” to get the morning routine right.  Dr. Liz Matheis, a fellow Mom and parenting expert in your neighborhood, provides targeted techniques to help you and your family get on track.

In the interest of your better well-being,

Dr Liz

"The various psycho-educational testing Dr. Liz conducted on our son gave us critical clues about where his learning strengths and weaknesses lie so that his needs could be better addressed at home and school. Moreover, because of their warm, kindhearted personalities, both Dr. Liz and her associate, Stephanie, formed an immediate bond with my son. He eagerly looks forward to his weekly therapy sessions. We are so lucky Dr. Liz came into our family's lives when she did! For stressed-out families trying to help their children as best they can, she is a calming voice of reason!"
- Julie C.
"Dr. Matheis has a remarkable ability to understand the unique needs of her patients and address them constructively. She builds strong, meaningful relationships with patients and their families, encouraging trust and collaboration. When working with my son who struggles with autism-related anxiety, she created an environment in which he was able to calm down and open up to her in ways I had not seen before. She was able to reach him and helped him work through his crisis/problem. Most importantly, she empowered him to move forward."
- N.L.
"Dr. Matheis is amazing. She has tremendous resources and loads of energy. She is not willing to accept anything less than the most effective results for her clients. She made me feel as if my son was her top priority throughout the entire process. I would, without reservation, give her my highest recommendations.  Thank you, Dr. Matheis!"
- Anonymous
"Dr. Matheis has an amazing ability to read kids and connect with them. She has been an invaluable resource for our family over the past several years and has helped us with everything from educational consulting, to uncovering diagnoses as well as family therapy. Working with Dr. Matheis never feels clinical and most importantly, our children love and trust her. We can not thank you enough Dr. Liz!"
- Anonymous
"My teenage son had been seeing Dr. Matheis through his senior year of high school, as he was only diagnosed with ADHD at 16 years old.  Dr. Matheis came highly recommended from our pediatrician and she has done wonders for our son as well as our family, navigating new ways for him to deal with his diagnosis without the use of medication.  She taught him ways to organize himself and even when something did not work for him, she patiently continued teaching him new ways to keep himself on track.  She has also helped us as parents to understand how his mind works so that we did not continue to blame his lack of focus on him, rather on his unique way of thinking.  Thank you Dr. Matheis!!!!"
- LG
"Dr. Liz is the best! Our family was directed to her by our Pediatrician to assist with figuring out severe mood changes, severe anxiety, strange new fears and food aversion that had come onto one of our children literally overnight. After just a couple of visits, she suggested that the issues may actually be rooted in a physical issue and suggested we immediately take our child to be swabbed for strep, because Dr. Liz suspected PANDAS (a pediatric autoimmune disorder brought on by strep). The same Pediatrician that suggested Dr. Liz would not do the swab (they do not believe in PANDAS and we no longer go there) but I took my child to my doctor who did the swab and it was positive for strep. When our child went on antibiotics, within 24 hours all symptoms went away and our child was back :-) Dr. Liz then recommended a PANDAS specialist who helped us and our child is in complete remission and is happy and healthy. We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Liz for her knowledge of all things, even the most remote and unusual and for helping us so much! Thank you!"
- Anonymous
"The various psycho-educational testing Dr. Liz conducted on our son gave us critical clues about where his learning strengths and weaknesses lie so that his needs could be better addressed at home and school. Moreover, because of their warm, kindhearted personalities, both Dr. Liz and her associate, Stephanie, formed an immediate bond with my son. He eagerly looks forward to his weekly therapy sessions. We are so lucky Dr. Liz came into our family's lives when she did! For stressed-out families trying to help their children as best they can, she is a calming voice of reason!"
- Anonymous
"Thank you, Dr. Liz. Although we have told you countless times, it will never feel enough. You have listened when J could barely speak and continued to listen when he was sad, angry and confused. You've challenged him and directed us in our roles as parents. You've helped J face his fears while the list evolved and changed, and yet you've stayed committed to 'the course.' We pray that your children realize that time away from them is spent helping children learn and that vulnerability is a sign of strength and bravery."
- June I
"My son was admitted to an Ivy League school when only 2 years ago, you assessed him and saw his struggles, his Dyslexia. We are grateful that he no longer has to carry that deep feeling of inadequacy or shame that must have kept him so self conscious and from reaching his potential. He has the PERFECT program for him. He has A's in high math and economics. He became a Merit Scholar, a Boys State legislature, the HEAD captain of the football team and help a job ALL while studying and managing his classes and disability. I am PROUD of you, a young doctor, who knows and sees the vulnerability of children and helps them recognize "it's NO big deal" God bless."
- Anonymous

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